I love my Palm PDA, but last year I felt I had to give up. First the touch screen on one Palm TX lost some of its touchiness, especially in the crucial top 1/3 of the screen. I bought a reconditioned model off eBay for half-price, and after some time its screen also began to become problematic.
My initial solution was to purchase a 64GB iPod Touch, but after some months I began to resent the immature level of its PIM software, even when purchased from third-parties. I find it difficult to understand why the aging Palm is faster at accessing datebook and contact info than the Touch. Indeed, I find it faster to use Google Contacts on my desktop than Contacts on the Touch. In particular, Apple's search capabilities are shockingly incapable.
And so it was a happy coincidence that I came across replacement touch screens for the Palm TX for just $35 on eBay. I ordered two.
If you have replaced a hard drive in a desktop computer, then you can replace the touchscreen on a Palm. It's that easy. The basic steps are:
1. Remove four screws. (A small flat-bladed screwdriver handles the torx screws.)
2. Pry apart the case (takes some effort, but you won't break anything.)
3. Unplug the connector between the tiny motherboard and the screen (the connector is located at the side of the motherboard.)
4. Remove the screen -- it pops off its adhesive attachments.
5. Put the new screen in-place and attach the connector.
6. Pop the plastic shell together. Here is the only tricky part: the top of the Palm has a two pieces, a cover and the on-off switch. These need a bit of maneuvering to get into place correctly.
7. Press the power button and recalibrate the touch screen.
8. If it is working, then put back the screws.
Everything went well with the first Palm TX whose screen I replaced. But something went wrong with the second one, and it no longer works -- even after I put back the original screen.
Comments