Update: I have documented more or less exact instructions on how to fix the screen on the m1210. Visit http://m1210screenfix.blogspot.com/

I am making this thread for:

a) Roro, who claims he has succesfully done so, maybe could help us with more info about this.

b) if Roro does not provide that info, I will try it myself and post about it.

c) if anyone else has any experience or pictures or anything else about this, that would be great.

P.S. If anyone can find the specs for the auo screen on the 710m that would be awesome. I have not been succesful

If you need the exact model of you LCD, then you'll have to remove your bezel, take out your LCD, flip it over & read what is written on the sticker.... hope that helps.

Hmmm... I guess this is not going to be as easy as we thought... Can someone who LOVES his auo screen please check if theirs is the W02 model (the only one that has the possibility of comparing with the 710m screen)?

I have already mentioned it in another thread.

Link: http://www.notebookforums.com/post2312945-69.html

Your "mention" in the other thread says you have a W03 ... I want someone who has a W02 - the one with the viewing angle of 130/100 instead of 80/60 like the 01 and 03

No offense & I'm not trying to go against you or start a fight against you but I'm just wondering what makes you think Dell will be using the AUO W02 screens since the viewing angle on those W02 versions are a lot wider than that found on the AUO W03 screens, going by the spec sheet on the AUO web site?

1 - why?
2 - you like your 710m then keep it
3 - voiding a warranty cause you need glasses to see is stupid
if you dont like the lcds dell uses stop buying and shut the **** up.

these threads are pointless

a) I like the screen, the rest of it aint so great
b) voiding a warranty? How do u figure?
c) After using this screen I will in fact need glasses, but on the 710m my eyes feel fine
d) I do like the lcds dell uses - that is on certain models - and if I bought a truebrite screen on the 710m and loved it, I expect the same quality on a supposedely truebrite screen on the XPS. If I dont get that, I will call it false advertising and will in fact return the machine.

e) If you dont like these threads then stop reading them and get off these forums, people like you are not helpful to anyone

I have successfully performed an LCD swap from my 700m to my new M1210. There are some issues on both machines but I am more than satisfied with the results on the M1210. It was not an easy task but can be done in less than an hour with a set of small screwdrivers. The most difficult part I found was removing the LCD bezels.

Before anyone attempts this, please note the following:

1) The brightness levels are different on the M1210 than the 700m. With the 700m screen on the M1210, the highest 3 (out of 8) levels are extremely bright. The M1210 screen on the 700m is completely black at the lowest setting and could stand to be brighter at the highest setting. Most levels are usable on both machines but some jumps in brightness are greater than others. This could be due to not being able to swap inverters (see below).

2) The inverter board on the M1210 screen is fastened with two metal tabs that are stuck to the bottom edge of the LCD. The 1210's LCD will NOT fit in the 700m with these tabs and they must be removed. The issue with this is that the inverter board will be loose inside the M1210 when the 700m's LCD is fitted.

3) The inverters cannot be swapped. The inverter board on the 700m has status LEDs for HD, etc. but the M1210 board does not. The connectors look the same so I think it's physically possible to swap them. However, I didn't take the chance on frying both boards since replacements cost upwards of $70 each.

If the above issues haven't scared you off yet, here is a rough guide from what I can remember.

DISCLAIMER: This will void your warranty. Also, I accept no responsiblity for damage caused by following these directions.

1) Remove the LCD bezels on the 700m and the M1210. This was the hardest part for me. There are either five or seven screws on the 700m bezel, one under each rubber stopper and one hidden under a plastic cover next to the status LED's. There are four screws on the M1210 bezel, one under the rubber stopper of each corner. Both bezels are secured to their lids using hidden fasteners which will need to be snapped apart.
2) Remove the four screws around each LCD panel
3) Gently lift each LCD panel and remove the two cables:
a) Remove the flat plastic cable on the back of the LCD by lifting the tape on the connector and pulling the cable downward.
b) Remove the white wires for the backlight by pulling the plastic connector out of the inverter board.
4) On the M1210 LCD remove the screw holding the inverter board from the bottom of the LCD. You may need to remove the connector to the inverter board first.
5) To put the M1210 LCD in the 700m you will need to remove the metal tabs that were holding the inverter board. This can be done by bending the metal until it breaks or with a pair of cutters.
6) The metal frames on the sides of each LCD panel must be removed and swapped. They do not match up correctly to the mount points on the other laptop lid. Remember to keep the same screws with the same LCD and make sure the frames are facing the right direction.
7) Connect the flat cable on the back of each LCD and connect the white backlight connector to the inverter.
8) The inverter on the M1210 can no longer be secured. Make sure it is placed in it's cavity correclty. Also make sure the backlight wires are routed correctly.
9) Make sure each LCD mounts correctly and secure it to the lid with the mounting screws.
10) Make sure all connections are in place and power up each laptop to check the LCD is working. Note: The M1210's LCD in the 700m will be completely dark on the lowest backlight level. This scared the hell out of me until I turned up the backlight a few notches.
11) Make sure each LCD is straight. You may have to do this with the power on and the bezel partially in place to line up the LCD correctly.
12) If everything looks good reinstall the bezels on each machine.

Take your time and do it right. These machines are expensive and the parts are fragle.

A very thorough guide.

I want to highlight the above for you which I think is very important in terms of personal safety... that anyone trying it must be sure not to touch those parts which shouldn't be touched when the power is on!

Thank you ugg for your very thorough guide.

A quick clarification - I know that lcds require an inverter to function properly... now did you swap the lcd together with inverter or not? I got the impression that you did, and then i got the impression you didn't - I'm kinda confused...

Based on previous work with lcds, I know that there is a cable that plugs into the video card - is this cable attached to the inverter which on the other end plugs into the lcd? (or is the cable that attaches lcd to the video card effectively the inverter?)

Also, a question about your ocz ram upgrade - did you notice any problems like windows stop screens? Happened to me twice, but I think it was due to video... I think a guy here calling himself WilliamG also had some problems so he returned the ram....I'm trying to confirm that there is NOTHING wrong w/ the ram...

and people that post crap when there are 10 threads are just plain wasting time

The only waste of time was having to swap the perfect LCD (700m) into the perfect laptop (M1210). Dell should have at least given us the option of a decent LCD without the "special color enhancing coating".

If you like the LCD in your M1210 then don't read this thread...

Is the 700M screen and the 710M the same thing? Does the screen fit snugly in the M1210?Meaning, are they exactly the same size? Also, could I buy a 710 LCD from a company that sells LCDs and just do it that way?

710m is just a little differently styled than the 700m, but same otherwise...