Thinkpads Forum

Anyone ever done a retrofit on a t500 ? I'm wondering if the cable is already in there and i can just add a webcam device and drill a hole in bezel..

i saw this guy on ebay for 20 bucks, http://cgi.ebay.com/310305503803#ht_500wt_922

i bought a used x200 off ebay in pieces and it had the webcam cable in.. wondering if its the same case for the t500..

Might wanna see if amujee ever finished/did it, there is already a thread about your question...

http://forum.thinkpads.com/viewtopic.ph ... 90&start=0


P.S. I used google to search for: site:forum.thinkpads.com webcam t500

At the absolute most, you'll need an LCD cable with the webcam port, the webcam itself, the bezel with the webcam port, and the 'clear plate' cover. The LCD cable for the X200 will not work, but the webcam itself might... I don't know the part number for it.

My early-model(August 2008) T500 with the WSXGA+ CFFL display and Bluetooth has a webcam-capable LCD cable. I can't fully confirm but I think if your T500 has Bluetooth it shuld also have the plug for the webcam.

I pop the bezel open.. the cable is there.. have a camera coming with screws.. just need to drill a hole into the bezel, it isn't the type that has an existing black piece of tape that you can remove and replace.. should work.. hardest part is drilling the hole..

I only needed the camera part and I ended up purchasing the LCD cover kit directly from IBM.
The kit comes with two bezels (non-webcam and webcam), back cover, and necessary hardware.
It ended up costing almost $60, but at least the laptop looks brand new.
I never thought about drilling a hole, that's a good idea.

My camera finally came.. drilling the bezel was so easy.. material drills well without cracking

http://pmc-trust.co.uk/sites/t500/t500cam01.jpg
http://pmc-trust.co.uk/sites/t500/t500cam02.jpg
http://pmc-trust.co.uk/sites/t500/t500cam03.jpg
http://pmc-trust.co.uk/sites/t500/t500cam04.jpg
http://pmc-trust.co.uk/sites/t500/t500cam05.jpg
http://pmc-trust.co.uk/sites/t500/t500cam06.jpg
http://pmc-trust.co.uk/sites/t500/t500cam07.jpg
http://pmc-trust.co.uk/sites/t500/t500cam08.jpg

Wow nice work, looks stealth!
Would have saved me $60.

yeah worse case would be order a replacement bezel off ebay for like 20 bucks with the webcam stuff over it.. pretty good that it drills easily

That is a pretty good mod I wonder if you can do that to anything model like the w500 if doesnt have cam.

I'm preparing required stuff for doing this upgrade on my W500 that also came with no webcam.
So far bought the webcam (P/N: 42T3633) and LCD front bezel (P/N: 42X4815), waiting for the
screw covers and new clear plate with WLAN, WWAN and BT indicators to arrive.

According to the W500's HMM, LCD cables are the same for all models, regardless of the actual
installed LCD, or presence of webcam and/or Bluetooth module. HMM lists only one LCD cable
for all W500 configurations.

The only issue is the LCD front bezel I got off eBay -- though it looks really original regarding the
plastic itself and build quality, it's slightly warped, especially its right and most thin side. Shall I worry
about that, will it straighten and fit with zero gaps once installed?

@amujee, could you please provide some info on whether the LCD front bezel received from IBM was
warped at all? Did it come with adhesive pieces on the back? Thank you.

dsimic wrote:@amujee, could you please provide some info on whether the LCD front bezel received from IBM was
warped at all? Did it come with adhesive pieces on the back? Thank you.

It wasn't warped at all and it already had the adhesive pieces.
I don't think slight warping will be a problem since the sides are attached by little plastic latches.

Thanks for the info! Tried bending the panel's right side by hands and got it straightened.
Will see whether it will return to it's original shape overnight.