Mac mini Laptop Screen

[yourdogsmom]

I've gutted out and old 15" iMac G4, and I'm going to put my Mac mini Core 2 Duo inside it. I've read other threads about this, and I've seen that the display panel in the iMac G4 is non-standard, therefore will not be able to work with the Mac mini without lots of soldering and re-wiring.

So I'm going to replace the iMac G4's LCD panel with a laptop panel, but don't know which one to choose. I want it to work with my Mac mini, which requires the power/display cables being treaded through the stem of the screen, and I don't know which standard the Mac mini uses for displays. Can somebody please advise me what display I should use, and if there's anything else I should know?

Thanks.

 

[MTI]

I'm assuming that you have a pile of parts sitting around . . . otherwise, why not get a VESA compatible LCD monitor and stand to mimic the old G4 iMac?

 

[yourdogsmom]

I'm assuming that you have a pile of parts sitting around . . . otherwise, why not get a VESA compatible LCD monitor and stand to mimic the old G4 iMac?

Sorry, I didn't make myself very clear.

What I want is a laptop screen that I can put in place of the current LCD panel that's in my iMac G4 currently.

Any ideas?

 

[MTI]

Nope, I think your post was very clear, more likely my response was the faulty one.

Hardware hacks can be dicey and expensive, so incorporating an LCD panel from a laptop panel will require knowledge of the pinouts for the panel and the type of video it supports.

Whereas, if you get a standalone LCD monitor, perhaps like an older 15" or possibly 17" using a VESA mounting standard, you can modify the arm of the iMac to accept the VESA mount. Then you can use the DVI --> VGA adapter to power the panel.

Many of the older smaller LCD panels for PCs didn't have the power supply built into them, they used a power brick like the Mini. That may make cabling the power to the panel easier.

 

[yourdogsmom]

Tho only problem I can see with that is the panel not fitting in the iMac's current panel housing, as it is very small.

What would be easy to do for me (as I have limited knowledge of electronics) would be to have a panel that can literally plug directly into the port at the back of the mini, and I keep it all enclosed in the iMac base to make it look tidy.

Would this allow me to do that?

 

[MTI]

It's highly unlikely that you would be able to get a clean looking fit in the existing iMac screen bezel.

While it's certainly a personal style issue, if you can come to grips with abandoning the old G4 iMac "look" . . . there are companies that make mounts that put a Mac Mini on the backside of larger LCD panels, so that all you'll have on the desktop is the monitor.

 

[yourdogsmom]

So from what you've said, it's probably going to be my best option to buy a thin 15" monitor, and probably just run one of the cables (VGA or power) out the back of the screen, and one down the stem, as the stem will only fit one wire down it.

My only problem is the power supply, the monitor will need to have an internal power supply, which will make it harder for me find one that fits.

I'll go to some shops tomorrow and look for a monitor, it'll be easier if I see it in person, as I need to it to have the thinnest possible power cables.

Thanks for your advice, MTI.