my wife broke the LCD panel on her C200 what do i do with it now?

[zm996]

Just though id throw this out there and see if anyone has any ideas. My wife has a 3000 c200 8922-2fu notebook. i bought it for her from ibe used certified equipment for 425$. With a three month warranty. 

Last night she steeped on it and broke the LCD panel. Of course its out of warranty, and the replacement part costs $525, more then i spent on it in the first place. I have a friends and family discount, but that still descent make the part a viable price. 

So my question is:

-is there anyway i can get the LCD panel for cheaper?

-or If not, dose anyone have any cool ideas or suggestions on what to do with a notebook that has no LCD screen? (i mean other than just plugging it to an external monitor and using it as a desk top of course)

[skripatch]

Sure.
Just disassembly laptop, unplug the LCD panel and get your workstation with you. Less weight, more battery life and (sure!) blind typing method with the level of masterpiece untouchable for others.
Seriosly you can use your laptop without LCD, like thin client - portable workstation.
Cheapest solution in your case.

[zm996]

that sounds interesting. but i have enough truble just keeping my fingers on the home keys much less blind type my name. LOL. I've never heard on a interface client for using a system withaout a monitor. it would be like hauling around a rather large zipdrive ith its own power supply. i wounder if i could slave it to my t61? or controle it through an adhock network over bluetooth.

[skripatch]

As far as i heared, only Y710 has an inversion of VGA -  you can not only output video from it but also input.
Your case is amasing, but I've already seen such people - they throw away LCD and just keep their thin clients working, getting them from work to home, having two  LCD's - at home and at work.

[sam-c]

Yes I like thin Clients too, I think Lenovo very soon will have a small Thin Client that has less chances of going broke with Linux.

[hansraj]

Friend nothing much u can do!!!! best is change u r wife!

[graeme]

Use it as a server. If you have or get a static IP address, or use dynamic DNS you could run a home web server. It is quite easy to set up with several Linux distros (Ubuntu has server intall CD, Mandriva has a nice GUI for configuring a server). You could even easilly set up an internet accessible file server (sftp if you want to be secure) - keep your files at home and pull them on to a PDA or UMPC over the net when you need them.

Slightly more difficult would be a home mail server. Same rationale. Store incoming mail on your own machine, but still have access (say using IMAP) when you are out. 

Why use a notebook? Low power consumption, so it can be kept on permenantly.

[sam-c]

Well I have no wife to Replace...

But I have a R40 with Windows XP and Red Hat 8 Doing Nothing,

as Screen is Damaged and I was told that MotherBoard had to be Replaced all this after the Warranty was over.

It worked for about 18 Months.

I was told later that R40 was not a very good Model, Screen got scratched within first Month.

Red Hat 8 was very Good till Red Hat went over to Fedora.

My Conclusion is if you do not need a Laptop buy a Desktop, They Last Longer.

[iamdh]

microsoft is bringing up virtual 3D desktop environment, you might want to try that as a beta tester.

no feasible solution except an external sleek-ultracool monitor.

There must be some reason your wife stepped on that Lenovo laptop. But you are still lucky she didn't use it like Grandma did.

[vr2xbn]

You are lucky that your wife hadn't step on the keyboard hence damaging the system board!

Don't make her angry next time, eh!

Replacing the LCD panel costs a fortune. Not cost effective to do so.

I had the same problem but not caused by my (always) angry wife.

My friend's wife broke his ThinkPad LCD panel (why do wives always break the panels!).

He gave me the broken ThinkPad.

With the broken LCD panel intact, it is inconvenient to type in front of an add-on standalone panel.

Therefore I spent an afternoon to remove the cover lid together with the broken screenl.

It is simple task coz the lid is only anchored by two hinges and a flat ribbon cable, but no more.

Some simple tools and a pair of vice grips will do the job.

Finally, I simply cut off the flat ribbon cable with a pair of scissors.

(Make sure the battery is removed or the ThinkPad is turned off while cutting). 

I need to fold down the cable end and glue it in place to avoid exposing it.

Then I got a working laptop with only a keyboard intact.

After connecting to old 4:3 standalone LCD panel with the DVI, the ThinkPad works again.

No driver or anything is needed, but I had to back up and remove my friend's files to maintain his personal privacy.

Of course, the 4:3 panel was from my desktop and I need to buy a new 16:9.

Regards, de KONGsultant John, VR2XBN