Convert laptop LCD to regular monitor cable?

[Askalon]

Is it possible to convert a laptop LCD to a regular monitor plug type? if not how about a digital output like my Radeon 7500 has. I think this would cool to be able to use it as a second monitor or even get two of them and have them side by side.

 

[Askalon]

No one? maybe I should try the Highly Technical forum.

 

[Optimist]

Very difficult. The conversion requires a great deal of expertise or a great deal of money or some linear combination of the two.

You can buy cards in a few places (www.eio.com comes to mind), but they're not that cheap and they are adapted to a very specific lcd screen. That's where the rub comes in. There aren't really any universal standards for laptop displays. You have to exactly match the specs of the card with the LCD.

It can be done and there are much more technically inclined folks out there that can help. Given the drop in LCD prices in the last couple of years, however, it just doesn't make sense to invest the money and time in the conversion, unless you've got some exceptional reason. If it's for size, go check out some of the auctions on ebay for surplus industrial screens that DO connect to analog VGA.

Good luck!

 

[Askalon]

Well, here was my idea. I wanted to pick up some cheap laptops that had issues other than the LCD. I could then strip out the LCDs and custom make a stand where there would be either no or limited edges between then. i could then hook up dual monitors to my pc and have a really big LCD monitor. With the new matrox graphics card comming out, I wondered if it would be possible to hook three of these up and have a sort of sorround type monitor. I just thought it would be super cool to have what lookes like a two/three panel LCD monitor sitting on my desk.

 

[takhyon]

I had the same question, but couldn't really find a cost-effective solution. My reason was a little bit different. I have a 1600x1200 resolution on a 15" laptop screen, and it's crisp and perfectly readable. On my 19" CRT, 1600x1200 is not very comfortable to read. There aren't any 1600x1200 LCD monitors below the $2000 range that I know, so I was thinking of trying to use a laptop LCD for this reason.