LCD lifespan

[amnon]

Hi.

Throughout my work day when I am at my desk I use my Pocket PC docked in its cradle and running Remote Display Control (so that I can use my PC mouse, screen and keyboard.

I usually shut the screen off with a utility I downloaded.

My question is - What is the lifespan of the LCD? Will shutting the screen off relevant for keeping the LCD longer or is its MTBF longer than the practical lifespan of my Pocket PC (probably between 2 and 5 years)?

[amnon]

Hi.

Throughout my work day when I am at my desk I use my Pocket PC docked in its cradle and running Remote Display Control (so that I can use my PC mouse, screen and keyboard.

I usually shut the screen off with a utility I downloaded.

My question is - What is the lifespan of the LCD? Will shutting the screen off relevant for keeping the LCD longer or is its MTBF longer than the practical lifespan of my Pocket PC (probably between 2 and 5 years)?

[emuelle1]

Looks like you made 3 posts.

I don't see a reason to shut the screen off often to preserve it. My 3765 is probably 4 or more years old and as far as I know it still has the original screen. They don't take that much power to run.

[amnon]

Hmm... Whenever I submitted the form I got a Page Cannot be Found error... go figure.

What I was concerned about is over usage of the LCD itself (as the backlight is turned off automatically after a couple of minutes) and I am not concerned about power, as it is docked and pumping juice from the wall.

I am strictly concerned about the LCD flaking, losing pixels, etc.

May be another question is:
Do Pocket PCs share screens, i.e. is my Axim X30 screen the same as some IPAQs? If so, are there IPAQs old enough that can shed real-life light on a specific screen life?

Amnon

[emuelle1]

Amnon, sadly, most Pocket PC's aren't interchangeable. I have a 3765 that was having sync problems. My friend sent me a 3870 that wouldn't charge. I opened them up, and found that nothing was alike. I can't even use my 3765 stylus with the 3870. I'm not sure about other manufacturers, but with HP they change the models enough that in many cases, one series won't work with another.

You can buy parts from places like http://www.pdasmart.com if need be.

[delfuhd]

I wouldn't worry about the actual LCD, I have only had one screen problem and that was the failure of the backlight on my Casio e-115 (it was a sad day).

my backlight turns off after 10 minutes while on power, since I keep it in the cradle most of it's life. That is the only aspect of the screen I worry will fail

I think the actual display will easily last longer than your usefulness of it, unless of course it breaks, or you drop it off a cliff, smash it with a hammer, etc... :wink:

[KimVette]

The LCD itself, barring cracks or fatique from flexing (don't sit on your PDA! Don't take the name PocketPC literally!), should last forever. The backlight itself is a different story - you can get several thousand hours useful life out of the flourescent backlighting (on average) before you notice the screen has dimmed - and by that time everything else on the PDA will have broken.

The flourescent backlight tube is easily replaced using a cold-cathode tube available from a number of electronics suppliers (Jameco, Digikey, etc.) but it can be frustrating despite not being particularly difficult because the process can be time consuming. If you value your time, you might want to snap up a digitizer/screen assembly now while they're still attainable, just to have it on hand for the eventuality.

Or, just toss the PDA away if a newer one has taken its place.