Aloha,

I just got myself this PB 520c , and before I knew what happened, I
noticed that the upper half of the LCD screen has vertical lines on it
(from top to bottom) but the lower half is OK.

What seems to be the problem ? Do I have to change the screen ? or is
something that a simple guy like me work out ?


Thanks in advance.



The Godfather.

> I just got myself this PB 520c , and before I knew what happened, I
> noticed that the upper half of the LCD screen has vertical lines on it
> (from top to bottom) but the lower half is OK.

If there are lines ALL OVER the top half of the screen, repeating at
regular intervals (should be once every eight columns; e.g. if the
first column (R) is bad, you would expect the blue column eight
columns across to be bad also), this indicates that one or more of the
data lines for the top half of the screen are disconnected or shorted.
The most likely causes in descending probability are:

1. Connector partially unseated. Open device and reseat connector at
the mainboard end and also the LCD end. I don't remember offhand if
the 520c has an intermediate board in the clamshell (apart from the
inverter, obviously). If it does, then it could be the cable from the
lower half of the laptop up to the intermediate board, or the data
cable from the intermediate board to the LCD.

2. Damaged display cable. Replace display cable (repairs are difficult
and not generally long-lived). The place where it's most likely to
fail is down at the logic board end, just where it goes up into the
LCD half of the laptop.

3. Bad solder joint somewhere in video path.

4. Damaged video chip or buffer IC on video output from mainboard or
input buffer on LCD itself. Bad news.


If there are just one or two lines visible, then most likely the LCD
itself is damaged (one or more column drivers are either not working,
or no longer connected to the glass). You may or may not be able to
revive this by opening the LCD half of the clamshell and squeezing the
LCD itself.

Aloha,

Thanks dude, you were right, it's the cable. I am probably lucky coz
just pressing the case (in between the keyboard just beneath the LCD)
pushed the cable right back, and everything is peachy. :-)

It would be a shame to throuw a PB like this, and to repair it is TOO
expensive.

btw, can Marathon run well on this ?



The Godfather.


> If there are lines ALL OVER the top half of the screen, repeating at
> regular intervals (should be once every eight columns; e.g. if the
> first column (R) is bad, you would expect the blue column eight
> columns across to be bad also), this indicates that one or more of the
> data lines for the top half of the screen are disconnected or shorted.
> The most likely causes in descending probability are:
>
> 1. Connector partially unseated. Open device and reseat connector at
> the mainboard end and also the LCD end. I don't remember offhand if
> the 520c has an intermediate board in the clamshell (apart from the
> inverter, obviously). If it does, then it could be the cable from the
> lower half of the laptop up to the intermediate board, or the data
> cable from the intermediate board to the LCD.
>
> 2. Damaged display cable. Replace display cable (repairs are difficult
> and not generally long-lived). The place where it's most likely to
> fail is down at the logic board end, just where it goes up into the
> LCD half of the laptop.
>
> 3. Bad solder joint somewhere in video path.
>
> 4. Damaged video chip or buffer IC on video output from mainboard or
> input buffer on LCD itself. Bad news.
>
>
> If there are just one or two lines visible, then most likely the LCD
> itself is damaged (one or more column drivers are either not working,
> or no longer connected to the glass). You may or may not be able to
> revive this by opening the LCD half of the clamshell and squeezing the
> LCD itself.

> It would be a shame to throuw a PB like this, and to repair it is TOO
> expensive.

Yeah, I used my Blackbird for a long time (relatively) - and it was
already old when I got it. I had all kinds of add-ons dangling off
that puppy. It kind of disturbs me that I can no longer remember just
what I did with that machine.

> btw, can Marathon run well on this ?

I don't really know - I went straight from a 520 [grayscale - with PPC
upgrade] to a PB1400cs [the last machine I ever bought, or will ever
buy, brand-new].

I think you'll have a fairly high annoyance level from the slow screen
response (ghosting, smearing) of the DSTN screen, apart from CPU speed
issues. Even the 1400cs had a pretty nasty screen for animated games.