Linux/Macbook issues

[alpha]

So, I have a macbook that is basically dead. It's the equivalent of on it's deathbed, asking for a last glass of water or a courtesy smothering.

I'm out of warranty so I can't fix it, and because it's Apple all the parts I need are expensive as fuck. As such, I am considering the following options:

1] Scouring gizmodo for a good laptop deal, there are GREAT notebooks for under 600 posted all the time. It would cost me 1k to repair the macbook, of lesser specs than what I'm looking at.
1a] Within this I can either leave them as windows computers or
1b] Boot up the OS X system discs I have, and maybe dual partitioning it

2] Finding a macbook with a broken screen but otherwise working parts that would not only work in mine if I transplant 'em but will be up to perform

3] Linux. I am, since I have to do work on the laptop regardless, thinking about taking the opportunity to rebuild it's body and give it a Linux brain. I'm unfamiliar with Linux but computer literate, and only needing the laptop for personal work, so I have no idea which distro might be best. Anyone know about this?

[Cer Preston]

Well I was searching for the Post Your Desktop Thread and saw this (didn't come up in normal search, WTF, WHERE IS IT?!). Guessing your having some hardware troubles? If you still want an opinion on this post what the hardware problem is and I'll let you know what I think.

Also, Linux is something you want to start only if you have the spare time to learn it. It requires a lot of looking shit up on forums/wikis and troubleshooting to find out what is causing something to not work properly. But once you do it for a little bit it becomes really easy and being able to configure your computer EXACTLY how you want it is the biggest plus from using linux imo.