I did not know that Apple sold active matrix screens as upgrades for the PowerBook 5300 or 5300cs. Do you have any sources for that information? Such an upgrade program would be pretty unusual for Apple to offer.
Anyway, all PowerBook 5300c LCD assemblies (entire screen and housing) should be compatible with the 190. Just buy a 5300c on the cheap (not nearly as rare as implied by beachycove) and swap the entire lid. Be sure to move the labels, though, as you don't want your 190 moonlighting as a PowerBook 5300c.
PowerBook 190/PowerBook 5300 - Dual scan greyscale display (640x480x4)
PowerBook 190cs/PowerBook 5300cs - Dual scan color display (640x480x8)
PowerBook 5300c w/ 512 kB VRAM - Active matrix color display (640x480x8)
PowerBook 5300c w/ 1 MB VRAM - Active matrix color display (640x480x16)
PowerBook 5300ce - Active matrix color display (800x600x16)
If you can manage to put a ce display on a model with 512 kB of VRAM and get the display into 8-bit mode, it should work fine. All the motherboard connectors are the same across the 190/5300 line, but the LCDs themselves are not. You cannot simply swap LCDs because each manufacturer used a unique connector. You also need to swap LCD cables. And so it is much much easier to just swap the entire lid (and that way you don't risk weakening or cracking any of the plastics which are quite delicate and prone to fracture).
Peace,
Drew
Anyway, all PowerBook 5300c LCD assemblies (entire screen and housing) should be compatible with the 190. Just buy a 5300c on the cheap (not nearly as rare as implied by beachycove) and swap the entire lid. Be sure to move the labels, though, as you don't want your 190 moonlighting as a PowerBook 5300c.
PowerBook 190/PowerBook 5300 - Dual scan greyscale display (640x480x4)
PowerBook 190cs/PowerBook 5300cs - Dual scan color display (640x480x8)
PowerBook 5300c w/ 512 kB VRAM - Active matrix color display (640x480x8)
PowerBook 5300c w/ 1 MB VRAM - Active matrix color display (640x480x16)
PowerBook 5300ce - Active matrix color display (800x600x16)
If you can manage to put a ce display on a model with 512 kB of VRAM and get the display into 8-bit mode, it should work fine. All the motherboard connectors are the same across the 190/5300 line, but the LCDs themselves are not. You cannot simply swap LCDs because each manufacturer used a unique connector. You also need to swap LCD cables. And so it is much much easier to just swap the entire lid (and that way you don't risk weakening or cracking any of the plastics which are quite delicate and prone to fracture).
Peace,
Drew