looking for advice on a powerbook slate project

[alecb]

Hi,
  I have experience with machines in general, but i don't know too much about connectors that go into motherboards.
  I've come into a powerbook 12" laptop that was originally broken, and now I have it working.... but, I would like to turn it into a tablet with an active digitizer from a different laptop.
   I know that the HP TC4200, or TC4400 has the same size screen and dimensions as the powerbook 12"- my question is how will I be able to actually connect the TC4200 digitizer to the motherboard of the powerbook??
   I really don't know much about the connector, but is there a chance that, if I buy the original digitizer cable that is meant to be connected to the HP tablet, will I be able to connect that cord into something like the mouse/keyboard/optical drive port?
   Or... would it be possible to use something like a USB to TTL Serial UART Adapter Cable:
     http://www.futureelectronics.com/en/technologies/interconnect/usb-to-ttl-rs232-rs422-rs485-cables/Pages/4003644-TTL-232R-5V.aspx

  Thanks for the all the help-- I really don't know much about this kind of stuff, but i'm trying to figure it out!

 PS- this is not actually a poll-- i've never used a messageboard before and this was just the way I posted this, accidentally

[bernard]

I do not know if there is some internal hooks to connect such a thing (it would have to be some internal serial port, but not sure about the driver that would work with that setup).

The only functionaly thing I know is that you could use a Teensy along with my little project (waxbee / http://forum.bongofish.co.uk/index.php?topic=1738.msg12302#msg12302) and convert that to a USB tablet, that you would have to find a place to connect to -- either inside the motherboard (by maybe sacrificying a real external USB port) or -- if you are extremely lucky -- you might be able to get some data about the inner working of the laptop (service manual) and find a USB port.   Is there a serial port on that laptop?

If you use a USB to TTL it would be a good way to connect it, but I am not sure if drivers would work. Using the Teensy, it would work with the latests drivers on any OS.