Re: 12" Powerbook G4 - broken backlight

usenet@xxxxxxxxxx writes:
>
> Well.. The problem is, don't know how to determine if it's the
> inverter board or the lamp.. I can make out what's on the display if I
> put a strong lamp behind it, so it looks fully functional, only no
> backlight.

Without opening it up and running some tests, you really can't be sure.
Either one can make the bulb fail to light.

> It happended after I dropped my bag with the Powerbook in it, I don't
> know if that says anything about what is more plausible.

If it was after a drop, then my guess would be the tube. The glass may
have cracked. Inverters are solid state and are less likely to break on
impact.

> There's no warranty on the machine, and I don't care to pay $800 for a
> "professional" fix as I hope to buy an Intel based Powerbook in few
> months.

As others mentioned, you can buy replacement tubes. Installation will
require some fine-scale soldering, which some people can't handle.
Opening up your PB's display to get at the bulb may be difficult.

A professional shouldn't charge $800 to replace the tube. That cost is
probably to replace the entire LCD panel, which is not what you need.
Unfortuntely, most repair shops don't do tube replacements - many have a
hard time getting the part, and don't have the knowledge or skill to
install it. (Mostly because computer makers don't put this in service
manuals - they tell the shops to do whole-panel replacements.)

If you know you're going to replace the computer in a few months, you
might want to just use an external monitor for the next few months and
then buy the new computer on-schedule.

-- David
.

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