68kMLA Classic Interface

This is a version of the 68kMLA forums for viewing on your favorite old mac. Visitors on modern platforms may prefer the main site.

Click here to select a new forum.

PowerBook 1400 LCD Sadness

Posted by: nathall on 2026-07-17 20:36:44 My venerable 1400 that I’ve owned for decades and taken with me on every trip I’ve gone on in that time has developed a screen fault that I’d like some input on from those wiser than me in the ways of vintage LCD workings. Vertical colored line, pixel wide, bottom exact half of screen from the faint horizontal line that splits the screen in north/south halves downwards, is always some shade of blue unless the background is solid black in which case most of the time it’s very dark blue but also sometimes randomly purple. Is this an LCD fault and unrepairable without an LCD swap or possibly something else? I have a small inventory of “parts” PB 1400s and when this condition showed up about a year ago, I figured I’d swap the LCD. In disassembling the donor machine, the bezel around the LCD crumbled in my hands into a million pieces so that plan was.... aborted. I guess I’m trying to assess the risk/possible gain ratio here for attempting surgery and with knowing very little about LCDs, I’m finding that difficult. I did a bunch of research on LCDs in general that proved unhelpful other than telling me “it might be the LCD, and it might not” which is literally exactly where I was before the research. A physically pristine (no cracks or scratches) PB 1400 is rare anymore, and I guess I’m hoping someone here has some more helpful information on this type of LCD, or PB 1400 screen issues specifically. It is the passive matrix CS type.

Posted by: Byrd on 2026-07-17 22:14:48 You'll find out pretty quickly once disassembled if the LCD is good; apply gentle pressure to the connectors and ribbon cables while on to see if you can elicit a change. Clean all connectors this includes the flat ribbon connector to the LCD in particular don't let liquid get around the LCD as it can seep into the layers/films.

Posted by: nathall on 2026-07-17 22:30:44 Yeah, the disassembly is what I don’t know is worth the risk. As I said, the disassembly on the potential donor resulted in a pile of crumbs where the fascia used to be. I guess you’ve answered my question; this not a common or known failure mode and disassembly is the only way to know. For me, not worth the risk. I’ll live with it.

1