Operate MacBook Air 11 without screen (ie. transform into 'barebone')
crwdns2934249:0crwdne2934249:0:
Hi,
I've got a MacBook Air with a broken screen (backlight layers dirty/broken) but mainly use it on an external monitor anyway.
It seems any screen repairs will be hardly worth the effort and cost, I would need a new screen unit - the layers alone are hard to get and repair.
Therefore I had the idea of just running the MacBook without the screen. I saw a guy on YouTube who had modified a notebook like this, basically running it as a keyboard with in built computer.
Question is: how would I best go about removing the lid (screen assembly) permanently ? The wifi antenna and camera are also in the screen unit, if I am informed right. I could live without the camera but do need the wifi antenna. I wonder would I be able to run the unit with the antenna stuffed into the base and how to best extract it from the screen assembly.
Any hints appreciated.
-
----- Edit --- Thanks for all the tips, here is a summary :
+
----- Edit --- Thanks for all the tips, here is a summary :
It works. Fantastic result - I now have an Intel core i5 barebone PC with excellent chiclet keyboard and the best touchpad there could be.
If anyone is planning on doing this as well:
- You can attach the monitor via Mini Display Port or Thunderbolt output (or with an adapter via those ports). It runs without any problems, full boot up and everything is just displayed on it - the Mac behaves like it never had the built-in screen
- Do a complete teardown and remove the screen
- Be very careful opening the screen and remove the iSight camera from the screen unit
- Unscrew the hinges and plastic bar from the screen
- re-assemble without screen unit, just hinges and the plastic bar
- you will need to leave the display connector and the iSight camera "dangling out" at the back, for all the rest you would not notice the thing actually had a screen
Operate MacBook Air 11 without screen (ie. transform into 'barebone')
crwdns2934249:0crwdne2934249:0:
Hi,
I've got a MacBook Air with a broken screen (backlight layers dirty/broken) but mainly use it on an external monitor anyway.
It seems any screen repairs will be hardly worth the effort and cost, I would need a new screen unit - the layers alone are hard to get and repair.
Therefore I had the idea of just running the MacBook without the screen. I saw a guy on YouTube who had modified a notebook like this, basically running it as a keyboard with in built computer.
Question is: how would I best go about removing the lid (screen assembly) permanently ? The wifi antenna and camera are also in the screen unit, if I am informed right. I could live without the camera but do need the wifi antenna. I wonder would I be able to run the unit with the antenna stuffed into the base and how to best extract it from the screen assembly.
Any hints appreciated.
-
Liam
+
----- Edit --- Thanks for all the tips, here is a summary :
+
+
It works. Fantastic result - I now have an Intel core i5 barebone PC with excellent chiclet keyboard and the best touchpad there could be.
+
+
If anyone is planning on doing this as well:
+
+
- You can attach the monitor via Mini Display Port or Thunderbolt output (or with an adapter via those ports). It runs without any problems, full boot up and everything is just displayed on it - the Mac behaves like it never had the built-in screen
+
+
- Do a complete teardown and remove the screen
+
+
- Be very careful opening the screen and remove the iSight camera from the screen unit
+
+
- Unscrew the hinges and plastic bar from the screen
+
+
- re-assemble without screen unit, just hinges and the plastic bar
+
+
- you will need to leave the display connector and the iSight camera "dangling out" at the back, for all the rest you would not notice the thing actually had a screen
Operate MacBook Air 11 without screen (ie. transform into 'barebone')
crwdns2934249:0crwdne2934249:0:
Hi,
I've got a MacBook Air with a broken screen (backlight layers dirty/broken) but mainly use it on an external monitor anyway.
It seems any screen repairs will be hardly worth the effort and cost, I would need a new screen unit - the layers alone are hard to get and repair.
Therefore I had the idea of just running the MacBook without the screen. I saw a guy on YouTube who had modified a notebook like this, basically running it as a keyboard with in built computer.
-
Question is: how would I best go about this? The wifi antenna and camera are also in the screen unit, if I am informed right. I could live without the camera but do need the wifi antenna. I wonder would I be able to run the unit with the antenna stuffed into the base and how to best extract it from the screen assembly.
+
Question is: how would I best go about removing the lid (screen assembly) permanently ? The wifi antenna and camera are also in the screen unit, if I am informed right. I could live without the camera but do need the wifi antenna. I wonder would I be able to run the unit with the antenna stuffed into the base and how to best extract it from the screen assembly.
Operate MacBook Air 11 without screen (ie. transform into 'barebone')
crwdns2934249:0crwdne2934249:0:
Hi,
I've got a MacBook Air with a broken screen (backlight layers dirty/broken) but mainly use it on an external monitor anyway.
It seems any screen repairs will be hardly worth the effort and cost, I would need a new screen unit - the layers alone are hard to get and repair.
Therefore I had the idea of just running the MacBook without the screen. I saw a guy on YouTube who had modified a notebook like this, basically running it as a keyboard with in built computer.
Question is: how would I best go about this? The wifi antenna and camera are also in the screen unit, if I am informed right. I could live without the camera but do need the wifi antenna. I wonder would I be able to run the unit with the antenna stuffed into the base and how to best extract it from the screen assembly.
Any hints appreciated.
Liam
Hi,
I've got a MacBook Air with a broken screen (backlight layers dirty/broken) but mainly use it on an external monitor anyway.
It seems any screen repairs will be hardly worth the effort and cost, I would need a new screen unit - the layers alone are hard to get and repair.
Therefore I had the idea of just running the MacBook without the screen. I saw a guy on YouTube who had modified a notebook like this, basically running it as a keyboard with in built computer.
Question is: how would I best go about this? The wifi antenna and camera are also in the screen unit, if I am informed right. I could live without the camera but do need the wifi antenna. I wonder would I be able to run the unit with the antenna stuffed into the base and how to best extract it from the screen assembly.
Any hints appreciated.
Liam