Just purchased a CF-28 and have a few LCD questions and memory questions

I just recently purchase a used CF-28MBFAZEM off ebay. It comes with a 30 day warranty and I have a few questions on the screen. I am very new to computers (and I dont know much of anything) and bought to just to do so small tasks relating to work. I really want to make sure everythings working correctly.

It has the 12.1” 800x600 transflective, daylight-readable TFT Active Matrix Color LCD with Touchscreen. My question is, how does it work? I can go from a dark room to a well lit room, or outside with direct sunlight and I really dont see any change in the display. Is there any way to test out the screen to be sure its working correctly?

Also, does it have fairly "dull" colors? I'm comparing it to my other 2 computers and the LCD colors on the toughbook dont seem all that fantastic.

Now is there any way to upgrade the memory in the unit? I read every post on here dealing with memory but I dont know what chip I need to actually increase it over the 256 (I guess 128 is soldered to the board and the other is the chip) I've read so many stories of people buying memory and having the computer not recognize it. How do I find out the largest size memory I can install in it without having adverse problems?

I pretty much read every post on here before I purchased it to be sure it was the right one for my very specific appication.

I appreciate your time.

 

Give yourself more credit.. You bought a toughbook AND you found notebookreview.com. I'd say that puts you avove 99.9% of the notebook-buying population!

As far as the transflective screen, I don't know how it works. But I can say that it is a LITTLE easier to read in sunlight. The tradeoff, as you've discovered, is the dull, faded colors. It's not just yours, it's everyones.

You should be able to replace the 128MB memory module with a 256. These CF28s are pretty particular about the memory they'll recognize however. To play it safe, make sure you get a Panasonic-branded module or one that one of the manufacturers (kingston, etc) says is compatible. Of course if you have access to notebook memory already, go ahead and try it. Just don't go out and buy one at random unless you can live with your 28 not recognising it

 

Thanks for the fast reply!

I just thought that for the number of people on here with these laptops and screens someone would know how it works, or how to test to be sure its working.

Is putting the memory as easy as removing the 128 one, and installing the 256? Or is there some type of programing involved? Something that a computer guy should do? Does that bring it up to the max that mine will support?

I also read that installing a 7200RPM harddrive will really speed things up. Is it really noticeable? The 20gig is quite small, I dont need anything huge, so I was thinking of putting a 60 in it.

 

Installing memory is easy, just make sure you have discharged yourself of static.

Remove the bottom cover to access the battery, pull up the battery, and you'll see the memory. Press the tabs outward, pull the chip up, and you'll have the old stick out. Then you slide a new stick in.

No programming or anything necessary.

Upgrading the hard drive will make a noticeable difference if you go to a 7200rpm drive. Size doesn't matter too much, just make sure it'll hold everything you need. People like me prefer a large drive, just because I know how they will get outdated.

Soon enough, I'll have a 3TB+ raid setup in my desktop...

 

I'm not sure exactly how the daylight readable screens work. I have read how they do it but don't remember exactly. Something like the sensor on the screen bezel senses the amount of light and gradually cuts power to the LCD. The LCD is made to be powered by the sun and instead of using the backlight to illuminate the LCD crystals... The sun does. I have had a few of these screens and don't see where they are much better than the regular 13" touchscreens. As a matter of fact... I think they are worse. The colors are drab, the resolution is set to stay at 800 X 600 so you constantly have to scroll around to see the whole screen. I just don't like them.

With that said... I've read of a registry hack where could possibly change the resolution. I'll have to play around with it and report back the next time I build one with a 12" screen.

 

That's pretty much right on the how it works. The reflective screen is set up to reflect sunlight instead of the backlight if it's bright enough but I agree it kind of sucks. It's pretty easy to bypass the sensor altogether or just cover it with a piece of tape if it's causing problems.

 

I switched out a 12.1 transflective with a 13.3 screen, and I think the colors are definitely brighter. Plus I like the better resolution, the 800x just doesn't seem to cut it.

From what I have read, the reflective screen does have a mirrored effect so that it doesn't need the backlight to work in sunlight. I would think that aspect would be working no matter what, as a passive system, so if the screen works and the backlight works, you would be okay.

 

I think there just aren't any more pixels than 800 x 600 on the 12" screen

 

It looks like the video card can handle 1024x768, since I have gotten that on an external monitor ( and of course it gets that resolution on the 13.3"), so I would think the CF-28 with the 12.1" must be physically limited limited to the 800x600 resolution. And if you could get a better resolution, then I think it would be available in a Linux install, and I don't believe that was an option when I set mine up.

 

Ok, so I take it the screen is backlit? How do I tell if thats working?

I appreciate all the responces and help, to be honest, I know the least about computers when compared to everyone in this forum.

 

Just use the brightness functions keys to cycke up and down up and down and see if it changes. This should work I think even in the setup screen or booted to DOS.

 

Yup, that will work in the BIOS screen - assuming the FN key works of course. You may want to go ahead and cover the sensor to make sure it's not trying to use the sunlight.

 

I can use the brightness function and it works perfectly fine.

But no matter what I do with the sensor it doesnt seem to change the screen at all. UNLESS I like angle it just perfectly that the sun shines only on the sensor or shine a flashlight at the sensor then the screen turns almost black.

Which goes back to my origional question. How do I know that its working? Or does it really matter? If it breaks will it affect how the screen operates?

 

That big change in brightness means everything is working normally. If either the sensor or the backlight weren't working correctly, you never would've seen the change when you hit it with light. If you break the sensor, it's not a big deal because worst case scenario you would have the backlight on all of the time which won't affect your viewing in direct sunlight. The idea was to save some power and life by not using the backlight when you don't need to (same as shutting the lid turns it off).

 

I just got another 12" daylight readable screen in on trade. I'll have to play around with it before I part it out.

 

A friend and I recently acquired two 600MHz CF-28's. Both have the 12.5" touch screens.

One of them requires a bright light at just the right angle to barely be able to read the text or the Panasonic splash screen, the other is reasonably bright but the colors are really washed-out, e.g. greens are mostly gray and blues and reds have a lot of gray.

Are these indicators of defective displays or ???

 

Bump ... need to know if this is likely bad displays or not, please?

Also, the keyboards are supposed to lift up after the hinge cover has been removed, in both cases they seem to be stuck -- is there some trick to removing them that is not in the Service Manual, please?

We wanted to check to see that all cables are secure.

 

There are plenty of double sided tape beneath the keyboard thats why it is hard to lift. Try it again, this time lift it up steadily.

 

That was it, thanks!

 

As far as the displays... I have noticed some like that too. I think it has to do with the light sensor sensitivity. I just built one for a guy who wants to use it on his boat for navigation. I recommended the 12" daylight readable screen for obvious reasons... Since he will have it in the ****pit of the boat with him. I took it outside for testing today after I loaded everything and was really blown away with its performance. I had played around with the 12" screens before but I normally build the 13" screens... The 12" was easily readable in the direct sun... As a matter of fact it was MUCH easier to read when the sun was straight behind my back and shining directly on the screen. (duh)

Yes... The keyboards are usually stuck down with small bits of double stick tape. If you can catch your fingers behind it and just slightly lift it and then let it just sit there... After about 30 seconds it will just pop off from the pressure. Most people will pull it off quickly and then bend the keyboard. The same goes with the stainless cover below the keyboard. I have seen a lot of them bent up when I get them (And then I need to straighten them back out).... If you just catch the corner with a small flat blade screwdriver and pry up slightly.... It will eventually pop up too. The good news is that if you find a keyboard like this it is usually stock and has not been touched (IE, vandalized by a previous owner.) I LOVE finding keyboards like that!

 

So a little dull is normal but every color of the spectrum heavily mixed with gray may indicate a dying display or dying LCD driver board?

Is there anything that may happen to a working 12" touch-screen display in shipping that might cause it to be so weak as to be almost unreadable?

 

My Mk1 has the 12" transflective display; the colors ARE naturally VERY washed out. However, you're also talking about a laptop whose CCFL backlight is 8 years old; of COURSE it's not nearly as bright as it used to be.

The difference is... remember when Nintendo released the first Game Boy Color that didn't have a backlight? THAT was a transflective only display. It SUCKED unless you were playing in direct sunlight or other bright light, and even then the colors weren't quite right (the reason I STILL maintain the Sega GameGear was a superior product even years after the company folded). Bottom line is; the transflective display will NEVER look as good as a conventional display in terms of color purity & contrast; the best you can do is replace the CCFL tube and make it as good as it can be.

As for the shipping damage question - SURE. If the CCFL tube got broken due to droppage then you'd be seeing it in direct sunlight mode, relying on only reflected light to view content. Take it outside in direct sunlight or under other very bright light & see what it looks like.

mnem<~~~ Illuminati*

 

where is the sensor for the touchscreen so it can be tried covered over please cf28

 

If you mean the sensor for the backlight on the transflective display, on a cf-28 600 MHZ it's in a hole on the top left side of the LCD. On the 800 & 1000 MHZ models I believe its in a hole on the hinge cover just above the F11 key.

Covering with tape will not give you any answers; if it's shorted and keeping the backlight off, covering the hole with tape will not result in any change. If it's working then you need to shine a bright flashlight on the sensor, and it will turn OFF the backlight.

mnem<~~~DE-Illuminati*