Another digital picture frame question - but harder

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May 9, 2005 - 11:34am
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riverjack
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Another digital picture frame question - but harder

Two weeks ago, *sniff,* my beautiful 14" iBook G4 decided to bite the bullet and break its logic board. It died hard and took my harddrive along with it. At the time there was no way I could wait for parts and repair - I needed my computer the next day - so I bit the bullet, pulled out the credit card, and bought a 12" Powerbook G4. (Please, no comments on how nice it is to be able to do that - I'll be paying for this baby for awhile.)

I'm a huge photographer and take lots of great pictures. Since I travel and move a lot, it would be awesome to be able to convert the large screen into some kind of digital picture frame I can take with me rather than many physical frames. I looked around on the internet and there's lots of advice on how to convert old laptops into digital frames, but the problem is that most of these laptops are already working for the most part. Mine, sadly, is not at all.

Is it even possible to salvage the screen or rig this thing up in some way that allows for it to do what I'd like for it to do or will it be impossible without a logic board and harddrive? What pieces do I need to buy to hook everything into?

I welcome more questions, suggestions. or links to websites that actually have something to do with what I'm asking about. Thanks for your input.

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May 9, 2005 - 1:58pm
tomlevens
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NO...

Q: How do I turn this laptop screen into a monitor?
A: Put simply you don't. Whilst it is possible to use a laptop screen as a monitor it takes a large cash investment and a good understanding of electronics. If you are lacking in either of these departments don't bother, buy a cheap LCD with VGA connection on eBay instead.

If you really want to know more about using a laptop display on another computer then do a search of the hacks sections with 'holy-grail' as your keyword. You can also try visiting Earth LCD for more info regarding the required convertor boards.

Here's one of the best explanations of why using a laptop LCD for a monitor is a difficult project I've seen so far, courtesy of Eudimorphodon:

Laptop displays simply don't speak the same language as CRT monitors, electrically speaking. It requires a complex wad of electronics to turn output meant for a CRT into input suitable for an LCD, and that wad of electronics is referred to as the 'controller'. You won't find a controller you can salvage in your laptop anywhere, because it 'speaks LCD' directly, and thus doesn't need one.

It's not just a matter of pasting wires together, which is what everyone wants to think. Those controllers sell for anywhere from $150 to $300, and for most installations require custom cables and power supplies which may well run you another $150.

TOM

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May 9, 2005 - 4:41pm
Barry
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eBay

Get a broke screen one off eBay.

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May 9, 2005 - 4:59pm
tibookx
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how much do you want for your

how much do you want for your old ibook?

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May 9, 2005 - 10:48pm
duck
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iBook logic board repair extension..

I'd suggest going to your local apple dealer and trying to get the logic board replaced (for free) under the ibook logic board repair extension program. Then, sell it on eBay Smile

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