One problem with the Pismo (and probably other laptops at the time) was that the backlight would become very dim.
You could buy replacement backlights, but installing them was really difficult. Even if you managed to not break the very thin glass tube, aligning it in a way not to cast any shadows was tricky.
I think that the newer, LED-backlit displays actually have a much longer lifetime (apart from "Flexgate").
Anecdotal experience, but never had any issues with the Pismo, which I used well past the mid-2000s. I did have screen problems with the first titanium PowerBook G4, flickering, glitching, and then after a few months the thing just died and had to be replaced. That was after the hard disk failed as well in the first month of use. And it's been one thing or another ever since then. Being an Apple customer of several decades, I sincerely do not understand this myth of fantastic quality they have. I have had IBM and Lenovo fail much less, and HP... Actually never.
Edit ： Just checked dates, and yes, I used the Pismo for 8 years. The PowerBook G4 barely 3 years and couldn't get rid of it fast enough.
You could buy replacement backlights, but installing them was really difficult. Even if you managed to not break the very thin glass tube, aligning it in a way not to cast any shadows was tricky.
I think that the newer, LED-backlit displays actually have a much longer lifetime (apart from "Flexgate").