Laptop LCD ported to Computer

[Xenon14]

I have an old Laptop that is completely useless and would like to port it to my computer as another monitor...

In either case, is it even possible to do this? and if so, how?

 

[Tiamat]

Not easy unless you have a map of what each video wire is. I think Laptops use kinda like a VGA standard so if you can match up the wires, you might be able to solder it to the end of a vga port and then try from there...

 

[imported_whatever]

laptops screens may be a standard, i dont know, they sure are not anything like vga. think about it this way: an lcd is digital. the native out of any computer is digital, video cards have d->a converters. there is no reason for lcds to be analog on laptops, it should look better and be cheaper to be digital.

 

[cirthix]

laptop screens use the lvds(low voltage differential signaling), but use many differnt kinds of cables.
http://www.geocities.com/p9019/lcdpanel.html
yes you can adapt them

 

[iwantanewcomputer]

you could always replace the computer part with one from ebay with a broken screen or sell the screen to someone with a broken one

 

[phisrow]

Unless the computer in question is well and fully borked, you would probably have best luck with a software based multiheading solution. Under Linux this should be a (fairly) simple matter of playing with network and X configurations (n.b. I speak as a man who has never had to do it). Under Windows, hit http://www.maxivista.com. I have not used this product myself, but I've seen complimentary references to it here and there. Neither of these will do really hardcore full motion video or anything; but many dual head cards won't do that for a directly connected screen anyway, so that is no great loss. It will still be fine for a page of text, or your photoshop toolbars, etc.

Again, either of these options requires that the laptop be operational and may require that you buy a cardbus eithernet card or something, but if these conditions are met doing the job in software will make your life much easier.