Lidless Wallstreet: the G3 PowerBook runs fine without its screen and microphone.

I am the proud owner of a PowerBook G3 Series laptop (v2 aka "PDQ" released September 1998). The "Wallstreet", as it is known, was an incredible computer in its day, being the first laptop to have everything you could want in a desktop: a 14.1" active matrix XGA screen (which was bigger than the 15" desktop monitors of the time), 3D accelerator, 10 base-T ethernet, SCSI, CD-ROM, 56K modem, integrated number-pad (this was a new idea), dual-monitor support, TV-out and a PII trouncing G3 processor. Unfortunately in May 2004, one of the screen hinges broke. I was expecting this dreadful event to occur just like it had for many other Wallstreet owners.

Before this time I had bought a new (lighter) G4 PowerBook and was not using the Wallstreet as a portable. Since it must be run with its lid open there was no room available on my desk to use it with my KVM setup (it wasn't getting a lot of use). When the hinge broke, and I discovered that the cost of the repair was several times the value of the computer, I wondered if it would run without any lid at all! So I hooked up an external monitor, powered it up, and sat back waiting for the dreaded "chime of death" (the way in which Macs cry out in pain). I was pleasantly surprised when it booted seamlessly. (It booted in "mirror" mode. I later switched it to use the external monitor only.)