Image 38: Broken port cover plate

Here's the ugly part about that port cover plate: it never fit as snugly as it should. Once in place, it stayed where it should, but putting it in place took some uncertain jiggling and pressing.

It's actually made of two parts that snap together with tabs, not one part, for reasons I don't understand. (A possibility: Using two parts lets the bigger piece remain detachable even when a security cable prevents easy removal of the smaller piece. I never attached a security cable, so didn't think about it until now.)

In any case, while shooting these pics, an attempt to replace the cover resulted in the tabs snapping right off! It's not as bad as it sounds; while I doubt that glue will hold the little tabs in place well enough to work again, the two main pieces could be glued together just as easily. So the plate can be restored to full function, I think, but it's sad to see the first real damage to my TAM result from this photo shoot! :( Ah, true art is always pain...