Laptop screeen question

Ok, I have an IBM ThinkPad 600, a very old one, form like 1998 with a Pt. 2 lol. It's an oldie but still a goodie. Now, the screen is fucked up. It has bars going vertically across it, and it destroys the image, but there are still parts that show a normal image. Is it worth it to get fixed? Or is it so much that i should just wait until my dad gives me his when he gets a new one? I love this laptop, again like i said, an oldie but still a goodie. I'm goin to CompUSA tomorrow and see if they would have a look at it. But does anyone know how much it would roughly cost?

BTW, everything else is in top shape, still runs great.

As someone who used to work at a CompUSA repair shop, I have some advice for you.

1) Don't get it repaired at CompUSA. They're way overpriced and most of the time they don't know what they're doing. It's usually a ripoff there. I used to do PC and laptop repair there and if you have any questions, I don't charge for my information.

2) Laptop screens typically run close to $1,000 to fix (the LCD screen is the expensive part). Either the LCD is damaged or the ribbon connector that runs from the LCD to the motherboard (which is attached to the LCD so you'd need a new one anyway). Either way it'll be cheaper to purchase a new laptop than to bother to fix an outdated one.

3) If you decide to buy a new one eventually, I'd recommend either Dell or Toshiba. Sony's aren't too bad, but their desktops came in a lot for repairs. HP and Compaq are a bad idea - we had almost as many HP and Compaq laptops come in for repairs as we did HP and Compaq desktops.

I agree with Dell and Toshiba, conditionally. Dell's pricing structure is a joke - make sure you get a comprehensive quote for exactly what you want and THEN keep shopping around. It isn't really a 'bargain'.

And Toshiba's - the Tecra range yes, the Satellite range no. We have a couple of the latest P4 Satellite's and they are shit. <12 months old and keys falling off, drives mechanisms not smooth any more etc.

Buying a laptop, it is WELL sorth spending a bit more to get quality - skimp and you will simply pay the extra money later in repair and maintenance costs.

My two favourite brands for laptops are Sony Vaio's and Fujitsu Lifebooks. Have a good look at them. Brilliantly engineered, designed and built.

What's wrong with IBM ThinkPads? hehe, my dad is on his 3rd through i think around 10 years.

I was also looking at the Mac PowerBook G4s. I think theyre outrageous. How are those on quality and reliability? But I know their performance is great unless I'm missing something heh. But my dad doesn't know when and what he is going to get for his new laptop, basically this old 600 that I have was his old one that he used to use for work. And I know the way he is with computers, he buys a new one once the one he has is wayyyyyyyyy out of date, like now, he has an IBM ThinkPad A21p that still runs great, with a Pt 3 from around the turn of the century. Now, he says he may look at a new laptop, but is not sure and he will give me his if he does get a new one, orrrrrr, if I do outrageous with my grades in school, he will get me my own. But, possibility for repair is just an option for the meantime, until my dad gets a new laptop, which like I said, I think won't be for a little while. I want to have one anyways for extra work and easy note-taking in class. Is there a way I can take the laptop apart and have a look? maybe something is not connected right, or I can resolder something....


BTW some of those Toshiba's are really nice, some sick wide screens. I've never seen any Fujitsu laptops in the states before, but maybe I haven't looked hard enough; Sony I heard alot of good things and they have some pretty sick things when I went to their store at my local mall.

IBM Thinkpads weren't too bad - the ones I used anyway. China owns IBM now so no telling what direction the product quality will take in time. - could be better, could be worse.

Can't comment on the Mac laptops. I'm a Windows guy so don't really know a lot about Mac's or their laptops. The quality from what I hear is superb though. Expect to pay a truckload of cash when something breaks or needs to be replaced though. Apple parts are ALWAYS expensive.

As for taking apart the laptop and attempting the repair, that's at your descretion. Every laptop manufacturer is different so it's like a jigsaw puzzle for each one. Everything's usually proprietary so some use regular phillps screws, some use torx screws (usually Compaq), the keyboards usually come off differently depending on which one you have, sometimes you have to take components off the motherboard in order to get to other parts and once you get them apart putting them back together and remembering what goes where and where the screws go can be difficult.

You'll have to take the top of the case and keyboard off in order to get to the screws that let you take the LCD apart on the bottom (some of the stuff snaps together as well, but there's plenty of screws in the screen under the frame). Most have a small circuit ribbon cable (real thin plastic with circuits printed on it) and sometimes the connector just comes loose and needs to be pushed back together. If something actually broke (such as a broken solder) then you probably would have much larger issues than what you have. Either the cable is the problem or the LCD screen has just finally bit the dust. They don't last forever. The ribbon cable will be located toward the very back of the laptop usually and it's not long, maybe an inch or so in length. The connector's usualy about as wide as your thumbnail.

Hope some of that helps. It's a tough undertaking when repairing or taking apart a laptop.

Here's what the screen looks like.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v320/chinster20/IBM.jpg


But if you push a little bit around the back side of the screen near where the screen meets the rest of the laptop, the bars go away, but then it's just black where the bars were once before.

I'd say then it's probably the ribbon cable that's causing the issue. If you push it down where the bars don't show up and then boot the computer, do you still see lines or black places where they were? If it's all normal, it's your ribbon connector most likely. If it's still having those bars (black or otherwise), then I'm inclined to say it's your LCD.

On a side note, that's the same laptop I used what at one of my previous jobs. It was a pretty good laptop, actually. I fixed it though so the software ran smoother and more efficiently. The admins that maintained the laptops didn't bother to put that kind of attention into their work though.

It's black spaces :(. But the thing is that the black spaces actually shade to what teh rest of the screen does but when I push nothing happens. Like when Windows 98 shades down as if youre at the "shut Down" "restart" and "standby" menu, the black spaces shade jsut like the rest of the screen.

Since you've had this laptop before, do you know how to take it apart?

Unfortunately, no. We used them for our project but I wasn't responsible for the maintenance (we were the contractors and the laptops were supplied by the client) so their IT department took care of that.

As for taking it apart, it's just like a jigsaw puzzle. Look for screws that hold the case together and then pry it apart when you've got them all out. Sometimes you have to be a little rough with it to get it apart after the screws are out and some have tabs that snap together in addition to the screws. Just have to stab at it and try to find what holds it together. The LCD is usually separate from the case, but you'll have to have the case off to get to the connector. If you don't feel comfortable with it, then CompUSA or someplace that repairs them is your best bet. They're still a ripoff, but at least they can do it. Just be careful - I've seen plenty of computers and laptops go in for something minor and come out a disaster. Depends on the people who work the shop and if they know what they're doing.

Doesn't sound like you have dead pixels though. I still say it's either the connector or the LCD has just finally worn out and some of the display mechanisms have burnt out.

ok, any suggestions on any better places for repair? ones that dont burn a whole in your pocket

Not really many of those around, honestly. The big retail stores rape you and the small mom and pop stores can potentially screw you (although you have a better chance with them, but warranties can be sketchy if any at all).

Best bet is to do it yourself if you know how, but the larger retail places have the warranties to back their work up should they destroy anything. They just cost more to have the work done. I think Best Buy has a repair shop as well and I've heard better things about them than CompUSA (they have Geek Squad now too) so you might want to check them out. You'll have to give your firstborn to IBM to pay for them to do the repairs. :p

kind of an off topic question, but ive been wondering... do people custom build laptops? like we build desktops from parts that we choose..

I have seen custom chassis laptops with standard plane jane laptop cases build to your spec. They're not bad actually, a bargain compared to the branded stuff. Like no name PCs.

ThatRoundHeadedKid - www.nerdsonsite.com

You can't really piece together a laptop like you can a desktop/tower simply because everything is integrated and soldered to the motherboard. Most of it's proprietary. You can have one custom built for you from a manufacturer for example, but that's usually about as far as it goes.

Plastic Fork - one of my suppliers can build custom blank chassis laptops to pretty much whatever specs you want. The chassis and components to go in 'em have to be available somewhere.

Therefor, it's possible but maybe not common.

Oz - I've heard of people ordering from a list of choices from manufacturers but not of any place that will literally build to order. News to me, but not unexpected. I figured some places would do this but like you said, it'd be uncommon.

ok, any suggestions on any better places for repair? ones that dont burn a whole in your pocket

Hello TRHK,

Do a google search on For Sale/For Auction ads for the exact model laptop you have -- find one that has a non-working hard-drive, video card, mobo, but may have the screen that is still working (hard to tell with the last three not working). If it's cheap enough, swap the screens -- take it slowly, have the right tools, anti-static mat/wrist band, several small plastic containers to hold the parts, and sketch pads to keep notes/drawings of things you may not remember how to reassemble.

You could try searching for parts only -- the following is an example from a Google search on "ibm thinkpad parts" (I don't know which model 600 Thinkpad you have):

http://www.impactcomputers.com/05k9335.html

$200 for an LCD panel (just as example) is pretty good. Good luck.