Ted Selker got tired of hearing people say that it couldn't be done. So, to prove a point, the IBM research scientist performed surgery on the back of a ThinkPad that he bought at retail. That was the prototype of the 755CV's presentation panel.
Color active-matrix TFT (thin-film transistor) LCD screens are difficult enough. Between the protective surfaces are polarizing filters and one plane of liquid-crystal gel for each of three colors (red, green, and blue); each plane is coated with transistors that control each pixel. When a tiny transistor is turned on, the liquid crystal at that point twists, losing transparency.
In the 755CV's design, the LCD display is held in a rigid die-cast aluminum frame whose top holds a CC
FT (cold cathode fluorescent tube) light source, a backing reflective Mylar foil, and the power supply for the light. When the back casing is in place, a switch in the display base activates the light source. This interlock prevents safety risks while the back is off.
The 755CV's screen opens flat (see the inset above). Special straps attached to the notebook fasten the entire machine onto an overhead projector, with the screen suspended about 2 inches above the projector's surface. This space dissipates the heat from the projector. The final result is a marvel of engineering -- and a practical product to boot.
Double Your Pleasure
