just replaced my laptop's LCD on my own.

[DigDug]

Man, THAT WAS SCARY. But it saves me about $700 from IBM doing it.

 

[bmacd]

buy the replacement LCD from ebay ?

-=bmacd=-

 

[Dufman]

w00t

 

[DigDug]

buy the replacement LCD from ebay ?

yes sir!

 

[Zim Hosein]

Originally posted by: DigDug
Man, THAT WAS SCARY. But it saves me about $700 from IBM doing it.

How long did it take?

 

[DigDug]

10 mins. It's actually quite easy, at least on a Thinkpad. Pretty much slip in, slip out. For them to charge 700$ for parts and labor is absolute HIGHWAY ROBBERY.

 

[Zim Hosein]

Originally posted by: DigDug
10 mins. It's actually quite easy, at least on a Thinkpad. Pretty much slip in, slip out. For them to charge 700$ for parts and labor is absolute HIGHWAY ROBBERY.

Congras DigDug :beer:

 

[MrDudeMan]

Originally posted by: DigDug
10 mins. It's actually quite easy, at least on a Thinkpad. Pretty much slip in, slip out. For them to charge 700$ for parts and labor is absolute HIGHWAY ROBBERY.

this surprises you?

 

[NeoPTLD]

What happened to your original LCD?

 

[opticalmace]

how much did the replacement cost you?

 

[DigDug]

I dropped my computer by accident - as a result I wasn't covered by IBM's warranty even though I have premium, onsite warranty for this laptop. I freaked out at first after seeing my screen flow like a screensaver, except it wasn't graphics!

Then I thought that ebay may have replacements, and lo and behold, some dude was selling them! I fished around IBM's site to see whether the FRU was compatible and after 30 mins of searching, realized that all the screens were compatible regardless of the FRU, as long as the dimensions were the same - in my case, a 14.1 incher. So I bought one for 99.99, got it, and installed it! Now my screen is like brand new! The laptop feels like I just bought it.

I'd recommend it, even if you have a mucky screen and want the new computer feel....

 

[Zim Hosein]

What does "FRU" mean?

 

[TitanDiddly]

*golf clap*

 

[FrustratedUser]

Good job! :beer:
$100 for a new screen!?

<--- Starts investigating building a LCD monitor.

 

[Squisher]

I've got an old IBM P133 that needs a new keyboard, are you looking to expand?

 

[DigDug]

<--- Starts investigating building a LCD monitor.

Very smart move. I'm SURE you could build a 17" for $200.

 

[Viper0329]

Is it possible to upgrade from an XGA panel to the SVGA one on my T40?

 

[MrDudeMan]

Originally posted by: Viper0329
Is it possible to upgrade from an XGA panel to the SVGA one on my T40?

are you sure that is an upgrade? my UXG screen is the best out there i think, and i thought xga was closer to that than SVGA, but i may be wrong of course...

 

[sparkyclarky]

Originally posted by: DigDug

<--- Starts investigating building a LCD monitor.

Very smart move. I'm SURE you could build a 17" for $200.

It's pretty much impossible to turn a laptop LCD into a standard desktop LCD. The engineering for the signals is quite complex. Trust me, this has been discussed all over online

 

[Abhi]

Gr8 job digdug ...

Hey frustrated, try doing on a search on the LCD idea..
Its been discussed and as far as i remember its "unfeasable".

 

[MAME]

wow, nice!

 

[Confused]

Originally posted by: DigDug

<--- Starts investigating building a LCD monitor.

Very smart move. I'm SURE you could build a 17" for $200.

No. You couldn't.

Not without a controller card from somewhere like EarthLCD, but that would cost you more than just going out and buying a brand new, pre-made 17" display.


Confused

 

[DigDug]

I guess you can't then. Couple questions:

1. Isn't the "inverter" thing on the laptop, the same thing as that controller card? If so, you can get the assembly for $30 on eBay.

2. Why would a screens with identical function be engineered so differently? They do the same thing, and look the same. How different can the "engineering signals" be?

 

[loup garou]

Did you replace the backlight and inverter as well? That's where it becomes a PITA.

 

[DigDug]

nahh, just the LCD - I was sweating so hard that drops were hitting the keyboard and I was afraid I'd screw the WHOLE damn thing up. Its actually super easy in retrospect, but the difficulty is in taking care to delicately handle the LCD.

I powered on the computer before placing the screen back in, and it was such a cool site! The Windows Desktop on this 1/4 slab resting on my keyboard!