Recycled Computing

Pismo Pink Screen of Death: Time to Rethink Things

- 2010.09.30

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Short link: http://bit.ly/bpGTjh

The old Pismo screen is showing the signs of developing the dreaded pink screen. Soon it will be a pink zone of discomfort, restricting the use of my ancient, well loved laptop.

It's time for the Pismo to make use of the little known super power that a number of Mac laptops possess: Closed Lid Mode. Alert low-end Mac users already know about this, and with my screen going pink and my batteries going dead, it was obvious to me that I would have to extend the Pismo's usefulness by turning it into a desktop computer.

Closed Lid Mode - that's what the Apple Mothership calls it - is also useable on a PowerBook G4, MacBook Pro, MacBook, or MacBook Air. 'Books with built-in Bluetooth can also use Bluetooth connections for the keyboard and mouse.

On the Pismo, you have to use a USB keyboard with a power button on the keyboard to turn on a powered-down the Pismo, since the lid has to be closed in order for Closed Lid Mode to function.

Early Apple USB keyboards, like this one from an iMac, have a power button.

Pismo used in Closed Lid Mode Another nice feature of the Pismo is the VGA video-out. This means that almost any external monitor with a VGA fitting can be used. (The Pismo only supports resolutions up to 1152 x 870 on an external display - and only up to 1024 x 768 when mirroring the LCD.)

I may be old fashioned, but it would be nice if Apple would pick a video-out connector for its notebooks and stick with it, since Apple seems to stimulating an adapters market all by itself.*

I know if I want to, I could try to lay my hands on another Pismo with a better screen, but I would also have to pick up two new batteries as well. Maybe it's just time to give up on the old girl, as I am using a 12" PowerBook G4 for my daily computing. I'm also planning on moving up to an Intel box in the near future.

What does this old Pismo do for me?

I guess that it is an icon of permanence in the ever-changing world of computers. And that isn't a bad thing.

I do admit that at some point I'd like to attend an Apple Keynote address and, waving my Pismo at Steve Jobs, I'd like to ask why Apple doesn't make computers like this anymore.

Then Steve Jobs would have me arrested. ;-)

* The PowerBook 1400 (1997) was the first PowerBook to use VGA instead of Apple's proprietary VID-14 connector, which had been introduced with the PowerBook 160 and 180 in 1992. Apple switched from VGA to DVI with the 2002 TiBooks, including a DVI-to-VGA adapter with the 'Books. In 2009, Apple switched to its Mini DisplayPort, which requires separate adapters for DVI and VGA monitors.

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