call for hack- display housing replacement

In a nutshell the problem here is that there is a lot more in between the LCD and the display housing that would block the light. First there is the outer casing of the LCD (note: not the housing, but another case that the LCD is in internally, which is metal), then there is a layer of white, non-translucent plastic after that, and then a few layers of special optical plastic that spread the light from the backlights evenly. I'm probably forgetting at least one thing too, as it was a while since I've fully disassembled an LCD.

So essentially even if you put on a translucent housing you'd still have to do some serious modding to get the sunlight to pass through. And if you made it so that the sunlight did fully pass through then I doubt the backlight would work very well anymore.

If I could risk losing the display altogether on a Powerbook then I'd try it myself. But it would be quite an undertaking, with lots of precision cutting needed etc.

When I hold my display, as is, up to light with the backlight off, I can see light coming through the Apple logo on the housing... weird that these layers you're describing aren't covering the entire back... or is the logo die-cut through all the layers?

For testing purposes a de-painted iceBook display back would be the easiest to configure for lighting-from-the-back (on an iceBook though of course, not a PB.)

Instead, why not cobble up a hood to see if that might suffice? Some stiff opaque cardboard with a couple of folds would give a good idea whether it'd be worthwhile.

The problem is most all color LCDs are crappy in bright sunlight. Too bad nobody makes a decent grayscale laptop LCD no mo'.

dan k

I used to think that too... You should see the screen on my IBM A22m ThinkPad (though only an 800 X 600 display). When I first got my pb, I thought there was something wrong with it... until I went to the Store and saw that there wasn't... its just very very dim.

I guess a hood is the way to go... they've come down a little in price...

Hmm. You're right. Same on my powerbook so that the apple on the back lights up with the backlight lights. Anyone taken apart a powerbook screen recently and want to report on what is there?

opaque plastic and then the back of the lcd/backlight assemblt. Nothing terribly fancy. I've taken apart more PBG4's and iBooks than I care to count. (when I close my eyes, I can see the exploded view of the 12" iBook G4 1.0 ghz) On the iBooks, there's a little bit of opaque material between the apple logo and the lcd assembly that's in a cut out on the metal shield. On the aluminum PowerBooks, well, it's the same deal, but the casing is the shield too.

I'd look into finding a better lcd that's compatible with the lvds and backlight controller (this probably isn't going to be terribly easy) and replacing the lcd assembly. Having used lcd's without the shield or covering, I'd have to recommend against having them. If you think it's bad as is, it's even worse without the shielding.

Take this however you will, but I consider the quality of Apple's PowerBooks/iBooks to have been on a long decline since the days of the PowerBook 140-180c and 520-540c. The reason is simple - as component manufacturers consolidate, there's less variety. Apple's decision to do less and less in house has also played a major role. Look at the power adapter fiasco of the PowerBook G3's of the late 90's, and the battery recalls that we've had. Since these are components that are universal and made by 2, maybe 3 firms, one SNAFU is going to hit everyone. Yes, I long for the days when there were platform choices - DOS, Mac, Amiga, Atari, C64, and Apple II. Diversity isn't always a bad thing. Sometimes I wonder what Atari's computers would be like today if the didn't go under. (same goes with AMC, had they not been bought out by Chrysler or gone under) A modern Amiga would be pretty cool too.

Unfortunately, Apple seems to have been getting less than stellar lcd's from Samsung/LG Electronics. I haven't had the chance to spend any time with a macbook pro outside of an indoor setting, but I am willing to bet that since the LCD is one of the major areas of change on it, it should be better. (I'll try to borrow one from work to do some real world testing - will report on it later).

Cons

What took you so long?

So... is my original idea possible? to replace the display housing with translucent plastic to be able to see the display in bright sunlight (to effectively use the sun itself, or bright ambient light, as the LCD's backlight)? Or is it as described, that there are things in the way that'd need removed... or that can't be removed, so it simply won't work?

but not recommended.