Two HP620LX, both half-broken

Hello. I haven't posted here in a while but I just received a second HP620LX palmtop with different conditions than my old one.

1) The old one (left) has a working screen, but the speakers were damaged in a recent fall, though they were tinny out of the box when I first got it 3 years ago.
2) Conversely, the rightmost one that I just received has fully working speakers, but the screen is night-unreadable (text is barely visible if you look at it straight down). It also does not power on unless rebooted. I suspect the backup battery needs replacing.

I've also attached sound recordings of what the speakers on each unit sounds like when typing on the keyboard.

Is there anyway to repair either of these units to fix the above issues? PalmDr.com does the same thing for Palm OS devices, but I've never heard of such a service for devices like this.

Any help would be greatly appreciated. thanks.

EDIT: Attachment/link functions aren't working properly and I can't tell if they're posted or not. What's the correct way of doing that as well?

Edited by gregorymarshall 2024-05-07 6:16 PM

If it is just the speakers that you want swapping out, it's an easy enough swap with a T6 and a P1. If you don't fancy trying it yourself, perhaps someone in the community would do it for a few $ and a return address label.

I'm interested in that offer, although I'd have to wait 2 weeks due to funds shortage.

Would it be possible to just switch parts between the two units? Like salvage the speaker from the new one?

The left end of the screen hinge (old palmtop) also tilts when moving - I wager due to wear and tear on the unit itself.

https://photos.app.goo.gl/YNbmUXiq5pfrcGcx9 Again, left = old unit, right = new

If they are both 620's, yes, you can do a swap.

All right, do you have instructions on how I can go about that?

I do not.

So what would be the best solution then?

Oh my word, I actually forgot that I do

https://www.hpcfactor.com/support/cesd/200196/disassembly_guide_for_the_hp_620lx

In my defence, I posted it 17 years ago and I've slept since then.

Okay, I've come to a decision. I got a partial refund from the seller and I'd be happy to send both units in for the component switch, preferably later in the summer.
If there's someone specializing in this kind of repair here, please let me know.

This is good instruction. But if you do not plan to repair the display, you will not need these instructions.
If you want to replace the speaker, it is located at the bottom, under the keyboard. You need to disassemble the bottom part and remove the motherboard. The fasteners for the screen and keyboard cables on the motherboard are very fragile over time. And they are difficult to access during assembly.
If you do everything slowly and have strong nerves, everything should work out!
Such speakers very rarely fail. It will be necessary to carefully examine all the insides. Perhaps liquid got inside and this caused a breakdown. The audio amplifier microcircuit may have failed.You can see how it all works here: https://oldcrap.org/2022/07/17/hewlett-packard-620lx-palmtop-pc/

Unfortunately I have motor control issues in my hands and get anxious when handling electronics (Autism, ADHD, Bipolar).

I thought putting the working screen in the newer one would be easier than the speakers. Can you elaborate?

Btw: I also contacted this company called "ShortTronics Inc". They specialize in smaller PDA repair but I asked nonetheless. No reply as of yet.

Edited by gregorymarshall 2024-05-09 6:51 AM

Yes, you can replace the entire top section along with the entire display. But you still need to completely disassemble the lower part to connect the cable from the screen.

The images in the article cover the removal of the base plate and show the motherboard fPCB's, not just the screen.

@gregorymarshall feel free to post a REQ post in H/PC:Bay for someone to help do the swap, make an offer for the time. Please ensure you look at the H/PC:Bay post requirements as posts without a prefix will be deleted without notice.

Well, yes. The article does a very good job of showing the HITACHI labeled display board with a lot of column and row drivers. And the motherboard with the processor is located in the lower part under the keyboard.

Thought all this over, and I must ask: Which repair method has lower risk of damaging the palmtop beyond repair? Removing the monitor or speakers?
And similarly, which method is easier to do?

Asking so I can let ShortTronics know for the repair work.

Also, if you have a repair guide for the speakers, please forward that as well.