[drpepper]

I have a non-DVI Ti 667MHz with a bad lcd.

I've pretty much decided that I'm going to try replacing it myself with the instructions from PBFixit.com and a used display (complete lid - lcd, case, & good hinges - I'll find on eBay).

Most of the auctions say "for 400/500/550/or 667 non-DVI, yet I've seen the 400/500 and 550/667 listed as different part numbers.

Anyone know if all four are really interchangable?

Thx


BTW - Here's a pic of the screen. The bottom goes from all black/gray to white in the vertical striping that you can see a little bit of here.





I got an e-mail diagnosis from pictures (yes, I know you can't get a reliable one, but I wasn't willing to put $600+ into this) that this was "most likely" a loose or broken cable/wire - $350 to repair. Once I sent it in, they changed the diagnosis to needs display replaced $700+. There was an indication that they never even took it apart.

[PowerTower Fan]

I don't believe the displays are interchangable between the four different models. The 550 and 667mhz Powerbooks (Onyx) use a different inverter board than the 400 and 500mhz models (mercury).

I had that exact same problem with my Powerbook 550mhz as your picture, except two-thirds of the screen looked like that. I got a screen replacement for it which completely fixed the problem.

[LORL]

Gosh, for $700+ dollars, couldn't you almost get a new one?

As for your question, I have no idea. That is really rotten though about the screen, sorry!

[crouchingtiger]

The screens are definitely interchangeable. While they do use a different power inverter (400/500 vs 550.667), the inverter connection on the screens themselves are identical and perfectly compatible.
The big hiccup is that the screens have the magnet that is used to activate the reed switch that lets the computer know whether the lid is closed or not is in a different location. In other words, if you take a screen from a 400/500 MHz machine and put it on a 667 MHz (non-DVI) machine, it will work except if you close the lid it will not sleep automatically. You will have to put it to sleep first and then close the lid, which is a minor but perhaps deal-breaking inconvenience.

In fact, the screens from the Powerbook 400/500/550/667 MHz machines will also work in the subsequent 667/800/867/1 GHz DVI machines (and vice versa). In the first case, you will have a DVI machine driving a 1152x768 screen resolution. In the second, you will have a non-DVI machine driving a 1280x854 screen -- however you will only see 1152x768 pixels, the rest of them will be garbage as the video circuitry is not cut out to handle it.

[drpepper]

Originally posted by crouchingtiger:
The screens are definitely interchangeable. While they do use a different power inverter (400/500 vs 550.667), the inverter connection on the screens themselves are identical and perfectly compatible.
The big hiccup is that the screens have the magnet that is used to activate the reed switch that lets the computer know whether the lid is closed or not is in a different location. In other words, if you take a screen from a 400/500 MHz machine and put it on a 667 MHz (non-DVI) machine, it will work except if you close the lid it will not sleep automatically. You will have to put it to sleep first and then close the lid, which is a minor but perhaps deal-breaking inconvenience...

Very informative! Thanks.

I may have to go for a 400/500. Seems like every one I've seen has been from a 400 or 500. Not a single 667 (I may have seen one 550).

Originally posted by PowerTower Fan:
I had that exact same problem with my Powerbook 550mhz as your picture, except two-thirds of the screen looked like that. I got a screen replacement for it which completely fixed the problem.

Thanks much. I was hoping to have a comment from someone who's seen this problem.

Although I had my fingers crossed that the comment would be "Yup, that's a wire you just need to reconnect.

Originally posted by LORL:
Gosh, for $700+ dollars, couldn't you almost get a new one?

You'd think, huh?

These things are way steep. It's ridiculous. I believe Apple would charge $1249 for the repair and S&H. There are a number of online service providers that will either replace the lcd element with a new one or replace the lid with a used one for something in the range of $600 to $750 depending on who it is. You can buy used lids from vendors for about $500, raw lcds for about $300 (but prying open the lid casing is insanity), or you can take your chances on an eBay lid for something around $250-$300.

If I have to pay $600, the 667 remains a sleek desktop.

[Voch]

Originally posted by drpepper:
If I have to pay $600, the 667 remains a sleek desktop.

I'd go that route and apply the $600 towards a refurb iBook...