Somewhere on teh intarwebs Roger Mills wrote:
> In an earlier contribution to this discussion,
> Ray <rayj.balt@DELTHISverizon.net> wrote:
>
>>
>> "~misfit~" <misfit61nz******.com.au> wrote in message
>> news:h1jr85$cqv$1@news.eternal-september.org...
>>> Somewhere on teh intarwebs Ray wrote:
>>>> I have an eight-year-old HP ZE5300 laptop which is still in pretty
>>>> good shape except for the screen.
>>>>
>>>> My question: Can I simply remove the entire top, plug the laptop
>>>> into an LCD monitor, and essentially use the laptop as a desktop?
>>>
>>> As long as ther is no switch gear in the lid then the answer is;
>>> Probably. --
>>> Shaun.
>>>
>>> "Build a man a fire, and he`ll be warm for a day. Set a man on fire,
>>> and he`ll be warm for the rest of his life." Terry Pratchett, Jingo.
>
>> I suppose I could always just fold the top over completely flat, then
>> put the external monitor on top of of the old one -- with some kind
>> of platform, of course.
>>
>
> If running it as a 'desktop', you'd be better off using an external
> keyboard and mouse rather than the built-in keyboard and navigation
> pad. If you do that. you can close the lid completely - most laptops
> have a microswitch which switches off the internal screen when the
> lid is closed.
> You can then sit the monitor on a suitable stand, with the laptop
> tucked under it, and with (external) keyboard and mouse out in front
> - just like a "proper" desktop.
>
> In my last job (before I retired a few years ago) we operated our
> laptops in exactly that way - except that we also had a docking
> station into which the laptop plugged, so that the monitor, keyboard,
> mouse and network cable could be permantly plugged into the docking
> station - making installation and removal of the laptop very quick.
>
> Whether something similar would work for you probably depends on
> whether or not the laptop's on/off switch is accessible with the lid
> closed. On my works laptop it was, but on my current privately owned
> laptop, it isn't.

.... which is why ThinkPad docking stations have power switches built into
them.
--
Shaun.

"Build a man a fire, and he`ll be warm for a day. Set a man on fire, and
he`ll be warm for the rest of his life." Terry Pratchett, Jingo.