Assembling 1 good laptop from 2 broken ones?

[jeana]

Hi,

Some time back I broke my sister's Toshiba T2100CS laptop (discussed in http://sysopt.earthweb.com/forum/Forum2/HTML/004172.html ) I ended up helping Sis buy a new laptop and this one ended up in my "project" pile.

Richamies and ktwebb were very helpful-- I got the laptop's schematic, and recently I was able to disassemble it partway. Indeed, the system board was scratched up! I've been keeping my eyes open for another one on auction sites.

Well, I now have a chance at a couple of laptops with broken screens that are not exactly the same model as my laptop. Specifically, I could get a T2135CS, which is also a 486-DX, or a Satellite Pro, which I
think is a Pentium-75. Both models use exactly the same case as my T2100CS. I believe both would represent small upgrades on the current model.

How difficult would it be to:
(1) Splice the working screen from my old laptop onto one of the new ones? Would it matter that my old screen is passive matrix,
while the Satellite Pro laptop may have had a TFT screen?
(2) Replace the motherboard + CPU in my old laptop with one of the new ones? This might be necessary if there are more problems with the new laptops than described by the sellers. What incompatibilities should I worry about? Would replacing the mobo involve special tools or soldered connections?




[This message has been edited by jeana (edited 05-03-2000).]

[Banti]

I did something similar with a Sat Pro 435CDS (w/ broken screen) and a Sat 110CS (w/ bios passwd). These are similar comps, but the mobo's were so different that there was no way I could upgrade either.

What I did was use the screen from the 110 to repair my 435. I looked up their part numbers (Sharp LCD) and noticed that the were identical (the reason I bought the 110).They also used very similar vid chipsets (C&T 655XX family 110 was 45 435 was 50). The 110 also came with a mem upgrade that was common to both comps, so I could move that from the 110 to the 435.


So my advice is to only buy a comp for parts if it is a perfect match, or if someone else has posted directions on the net. I do not know about you, but I do not have money to burn.


Banti

BTW if you ever have problems with a bios passwd on a Toshiba, do NOT pull any internal batteries. Toshiba uses a EEPROM to store these so battery failure does not affect the passwd feature. You will however ruin the comp.

[Banti]

1) yes passive and TFT use to totally diffenert signals. The vid chipsets or the screens could be permantly ruined.

2)no special solidering, but you might have to make special connectors for the different parts (if they are compatible)

Banti

[jeana]

Thanks, Banti!

You probably saved me from wasting money and time.

The frustrating thing is that I see working versions of the computer I'm trying to save, on sale cheap. Maybe I ought
to just sell this one for parts and start over. I just refuse to throw it out, though.