I have a 1.25 GHz Al Powerbook running 10.3.9, with backlit keyboard. I want to make my keyboard backlight breath like the light on the latch button when it is asleep. I figure this is going to take some firmware hacking or something. But I don't even know where to start, or if this is possible.
Anyways, You all have the permission to tell me this is a worthless project. I just thought It might be fun.
Well first of all its very a cool idea. I don't know how the keyboard backlight is wired, but it may be as simple as adding a splice from the little pulse LED on the front of the powerbook to the leads of the keyboard's LED, asuming they are accessable. try to add a small plug or connector (the common kind found throughout laptop wiring) so you can still disconnect the keyboard. I tend to think in hardware terms, I don't know if this is possible via software.
In terms of the backlit keyboard, can one be modified to work in a 1.33 GHz 12" PB? I've always wanted to be able to work well in the dark because... Well... It's just that cool. Or if one can't be modified to work, can some kind of backlight be well implemented? EL would obviously work the best, but also would be expensive, and I'm sure it would be hard to fit around all the nooks and crannies of the keyboard's underside. And I'm sure whatever it was would also suck power like mad, of which this model is already lacking. I've seen some iBook mods that use fiberoptics, but they look kinda splotchy. I'm looking for a more uniform backlight.
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Cheers! :-) - JediJoker
Current: - "ProBook:" 15.4" MacBook Pro Core 2 Duo 2.33 GHz - Mac Classic II - Old PowerBook
Moved On: - "The Book of Power:" 12.1" PowerBook G4 Aluminum 1.33 GHz - Purple iMac
In terms of the backlit keyboard, can one be modified to work in a 1.33 GHz 12" PB? I've always wanted to be able to work well in the dark because... Well... It's just that cool. Or if one can't be modified to work, can some kind of backlight be well implemented? EL would obviously work the best, but also would be expensive, and I'm sure it would be hard to fit around all the nooks and crannies of the keyboard's underside. And I'm sure whatever it was would also suck power like mad, of which this model is already lacking. I've seen some iBook mods that use fiberoptics, but they look kinda splotchy. I'm looking for a more uniform backlight.
I've been thinking about this a lot as well. I've seen some fiber optics that were done well. The one thing my buddy and I were discussing might actualy work. (But probably not haha) We were thinking of putting a bigger LED (if it will fit) or brighter LED into the sleep light. Useing fiber optic tubeing you can run the light to each key, with the tubing being enlarged toward the end.And then tape off around the under part of the key so that the light is concentrated at the specific key and will seem less like a pin spot.. That's really as far as we got... I know there are going to be spaceing issues and such. haha it's pretty half brained but it could be sort of a jumping off point.
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