Hi John,
Sorry for my delay. I am obviously not that quick... ;-)
Honestly, I don't know what the difference is and what I could recommend. It seems that a lot has to do with the model number of the laptop, as [http://www.laptopking.com/kingpartdetails.asp?ref=1974&category=cables|this website] points out.
In my research, I found also [http://www.impactcomputers.com/v000180110.html|this website], providing a compatible LCD cable with a different P/N, but compatible with certain models. So, you might want to check out some options online. If I were you, I would just go ahead with searching for a cable with the same P/N as your old one.
Steffen