[galarneau]

I just picked up a used Pismo, and am curious how much play other people have in their screen. With mine, There is about 1/2" of play at the top edge of the screen.

How about youz guys?

[iWrite]

That sounds bad to me, sorry to say.

That's what happened to ours when the LCD started going out. Put it to sleep for about 10 minutes and pay attention to a couple of things:

1) How long it takes to come back up fully again to maximum brightness?

2) Is there any pink ANYWHERE?

3) Does the picture wobble as it's waking back up?

If it doesn't have a problem then try adjusting it to see if it's just that the picture is tweaked a little the wrong way.

I'd also suggest that you stop by an Apple-authorized reseller and see what they say about it -- have them check it out. If they say the LCD is dying then hopefully you have some recourse before too much time has passed.

Other than that, congratulations. I still think the Pismo was/is one of the best Powerbooks ever made.

Good luck.

[icruise]

I've got at least that much on mine. It seems like it happens naturally over time. You're just talking about how much play is in the hinge right? I don't see any connection between the symptoms iWrite mentioned and that. Assuming I interpret your question right, it's really a hinge problem, not a screen problem.

[fisherKing]

what do you mean by "play"??

and are you talking about the menubar??

my pismo screen covers the entire *cough* screen...and the cursor goes everywhere (along the edges & below the bottom of the screen)

have u tried changing screen resolution? (ie going to 1024x768...unless you're already there...)

[galarneau]

Originally posted by Icruise:
I've got at least that much on mine. It seems like it happens naturally over time. You're just talking about how much play is in the hinge right? I don't see any connection between the symptoms iWrite mentioned and that. Assuming I interpret your question right, it's really a hinge problem, not a screen problem.

Right, play in the hinge is what I'm talking about. The screen works fine, no problems with how it works... but when you go to close the screen, for example, you grab the top of it and pull down to close it. The screen moves with little resistance (about 1/2" at the top of the lid) before it feels like there is resistance.

I've been using an old IBM Thinkpad T20 lately that is of the same vintage, and that thing is like a tank (and light too), so maybe I'm just unsettled because the Pismo hinge feels a lot different.

I have to say iWrite, your reply makes me a little worried, and fisherking... your answer is... interesting.

[iWrite]

I thought that you were talking about the picture ON the LCD.

Whew!

[[APi]TheMan]

Originally posted by iWrite:
I thought that you were talking about the picture ON the LCD.

Whew!

Me too. I was confused about the meaning of "play" originally. I guess he means the amount of resistance the is given when you move the display back and forth.

I guess the hinge just loosens over time... Well seeing as my Pismo is my main computer, and has been for over two years now, I've never really had to open and close the display too much. Maybe 50 times in the last two years.

[stevesnj]

Originally posted by galarneau:
I just picked up a used Pismo, and am curious how much play other people have in their screen. With mine, There is about 1/2" of play at the top edge of the screen.

How about youz guys?

Mine moves about an inch...no big deal...just the hinge clutch is well broken in.

[stevesnj]

Originally posted by galarneau:
I just picked up a used Pismo, and am curious how much play other people have in their screen. With mine, There is about 1/2" of play at the top edge of the screen.

How about youz guys?

Mine moves about an inch...no big deal...just the hinge clutch is well broken in.

[Pierre B.]

Originally posted by galarneau:
With mine, There is about 1/2" of play at the top edge of the screen.

How about youz guys?

This is a common problem with the G3 powerbooks (Wallstreet, Lombard, Pismo). Over time the screen hinges loosen or break.

[galarneau]

Originally posted by Pierre B.:
This is a common problem with the G3 powerbooks (Wallstreet, Lombard, Pismo). Over time the screen hinges loosen or break.

I knew it was a common problem with the Wallstreet series. Are you sure it also affects the Lombard/Pismo series? I've seen no reference to this being a known problem in these models. I'm just wondering what is 'normal'. Let's keep the misinformation to a minimum if possible.

[Pierre B.]

Originally posted by galarneau:
Are you sure it also affects the Lombard/Pismo series?

Yes, you are right the "common" goes more to "Wallstreet", where the situation can be much worse from what you are describing. It can happen to the others too, but it is more rare and not at the severity of Wallstreet. I don't know what would be considered as 'normal'.

[tooki]

My Pismo also has about 3/4" play at the top. But I don't think the hinges are broken... they still hold the screen reliably, and there are no problems with the image on the screen.

tooki

[seanyepez]

Buy new hinges. I bought two new ones on eBay.

[icruise]

As long as the screen still stays in place, I don't really think it's necessary to replace the hinges. It's really only a minor issue and you could conceivably break something trying to repair it.

[tkmd]

Yup about 1/2 to 3/4 inches. Doesn't really bother me, though. BTW, good to hear that there is still a Pismo population out there!

[PeteWK]

The screen play in our one owner Pismo (New 9/00) is virtually nil. All it takes is someone who's willing to treat their computer with an almost religious reverence...like me.

PeteWK

[Stinkysteve]

My Pismo will be 4 years old this September. I close the screen every time I shut it off or put it to sleep, (at least twice a day), and it's less that 1/8 th of an inch of play.
Although the original hard drive is starting to go, now that Apple Care is going to be handy!
This is still a great computer.

[icruise]

The Pismo was introduced in February of 2000, so there's no way yours could be turning 4 this September. Sure you don't have a Lombard or Wallstreet?

[galarneau]

Well, I took the little bastard apart to check out the hinges and it looks like only one of them is really that loose. It's the one that has the airport antenna running through it. I can wiggle the little stumpy bit that fits into the main body of the computer with my hand ever so slightly, whereas the other side doesn't move much at all.

I had to think back to my junior high math , but I worked out that if I'm getting 0.8cm of movement at the top of the screen, and the screen is 25cm tall, then the play in the hinge is only 1.83 degrees, which isn't that much.

The screen holds position well enough, and I'm probably only going to keep it until March of next year (9 months), and then I'll buy a nice desktop system when I move back to the USA.

So, here's the question: Should I mess with it, or not? Taking it apart was cake compared to my old iBook. I'm tempted to do it if I can get a new hinge or two for a reasonable price ($50-$70 for both sides). Any opinions? Any idea where to find hinges at a reasonable price? I tried eBay with no luck and places like PBparts.com are way overpriced on all of their stuff. I could buy used Pismo's and part them out for less than half of what they're charging.... but I digress.

Opinions would be appreciated. Also, any tips on what to do to keep the hinge from deteriorating further?

Thanks

[tkmd]

If it was up to me me - well no it wouldn't be worth it. But since you actually took it apart AND did geometry then go for it, since it would probable bug you every time opening it.

[PBAddict]

I have a Pismo FW 400mhz, nearly 3 years old and it also has about 1/2 inch play in the screen