PCMCIA - Does anyone use it?

Message

t140568 · #1 Post by **t140568** » Sat Mar 12, 2011 3:34 am

PCMCIA/Cardbus, it's been there for years. I used to use it on my 600e for Wifi and wired Ethernet as well as on my 3xx series to connect an external CDROM. When I bought my R50 and especially now that I have my T500, PCMCIA/Cardbus seems like wasted space. I'm sure the port is there for a reason, so I guess my question is, "Do you use yours and if so, for what?"

#2 Post by **RealBlackStuff** » Sat Mar 12, 2011 5:26 am

T2x and T30 use it for USB2.0 adapters.
Don't see the need for it either on T4x and newer.
I consider it a relic of the past.

dr_st · #3 Post by **dr_st** » Sat Mar 12, 2011 6:16 am

I use PCMCIA on my old Compaq Evo N610c for a wifi-G adapter. That Compaq came without one, and the compatibles were only wifi-B at the time. However, it did come with an integrated USB 2.0 controller, unlike its contemporary T30.

My old T42 is now used by my sister, and she's complained a couple of times about USB issues (possibly the southbridge issue raising its head). So I installed a PCMCIA-USB2.0 adapter, just in case the problems persist.

On my T60 I've been using the PCMCIA slot for a cellular modem. An ExpressCard would have worked just as fine, but that's what they had available at the time I got it.

Puppy · #4 Post by **Puppy** » Sat Mar 12, 2011 6:17 am

I use it for very obscure PCMCIA card needed for local mobile Internet connection called "T-Mobile Internet 4G". No, it is not any real "4G", it is just very overpriced (like everything else over here) non-standard 3G technology (UMTS-TDD).

Brian10161 · #5 Post by **Brian10161** » Sat Mar 12, 2011 7:36 am

I don't use it anymore because I have a computer with built in WiFi. My dad has an X40 and he uses the PCMCIA for a PC Card modem (dial up) for DDC control systems. The built in modem won't work with DOSBox and the software he needs.

So it's still in use in this house lol

#6 Post by **GomJabbar** » Sat Mar 12, 2011 7:46 am

I still use it on my T42 for my cellular modem (a Sierra Wireless 881 AirCard).

I just bought a used ExpressCard/PC Card cellular modem (an ExpressCard Sierra Wireless 890 AirCard that comes with a PC Card adapter) as a replacement for my existing modem to use on the X220 I expect to get next month. I know they make USB cellular modems, but they have had a history of issues with external antenna connectors breaking and overheating.

aceo07 · #7 Post by **aceo07** » Sat Mar 12, 2011 1:28 pm

I don't use them anymore.

I've used them for ethernet, wifi, and aircard in the past.

Majestic · #8 Post by **Majestic** » Sat Mar 12, 2011 5:10 pm

I still use them on my T2x machines for USB 2.0 adapters and wireless cards

Unknown_K · #9 Post by **Unknown_K** » Sat Mar 12, 2011 5:39 pm

I use PCMCIA quite a bit on old laptops (wireless, ethernet, tokenring, SCSI) and some PCCARD ones for Firewire, faster wireless, and probably USB2 when I need it. An SCSI card is very usefull hooking up old machines to an external CDROM/CDRW or DAT drive for backup. My external 16x IBM CDROM uses an IDE PCMCIA card.

Not sure if I would need one on a new laptop, but then again I don't need a new laptop.

I have a small bag full of old PCMCIA modems and ethernet cards without the dongles.

ajkula66 · #10 Post by **ajkula66** » Sun Mar 13, 2011 12:47 am

Secure card readers/writers...a must in certain areas of the government, and quite a few large corporations that I'm aware of...

t140568 · #11 Post by **t140568** » Sun Mar 13, 2011 2:01 am

ajkula66 wrote:Secure card readers/writers...a must in certain areas of the government, and quite a few large corporations that I'm aware of...

This sounds like a pretty solid reason for the interface to still be present, especially with TPs being business notebooks. I've never considered it before. However, I still can't help but wonder if there isn't a smaller solution to address this need.

dr_st · #12 Post by **dr_st** » Sun Mar 13, 2011 2:27 am

There is - the ExpressCard interface is smaller and faster. Newer Thinkpads (like the T410 I have) are doing away with PCMCIA.

RDKirk · #13 Post by **RDKirk** » Sun Mar 13, 2011 1:18 pm

As a photographer, I keep an adapter in it to read my camera's CompactFlash cards. I could use a USB reader...but that would be an additional component to carry about.

#14 Post by **rkawakami** » Mon Mar 14, 2011 2:00 am

I park a Secure Digital card reader in most of my T23 systems but I also have several CF readers and multi-format adapters.

comps · #15 Post by **comps** » Tue Mar 15, 2011 5:14 am

One of the reasons to exchange T400 for T500 was also a PCMCIA/PCCARD slot. I still use it a lot for wifi (well, atheros chipset development / testing), since it's really hard to find an atheros-based expresscard and T400/500 have only 3 USB ports. I also have an older DVB-T card, which I sometimes use as well.
And finally, there's the PCMCIA Sound Blaster Audigy 2 ZS sound card (24-bit). You won't find anything like that for expresscard / USB. Well, you can find a lot bigger USB external soundcards, but those need extra power supply and are by no means portable. In case somebody notices it; no, X-fi is a software-emulated output device, it's not really a sound card.

dr_st · #16 Post by **dr_st** » Tue Mar 15, 2011 7:34 am

Yep. Sound cards are among the only devices that have not benefited at all (and in fact, suffered) from the PCI-->PCIe transition.

plympton · #17 Post by **plympton** » Tue Mar 15, 2011 10:44 am

I bought an ExpressCard eSATA card, hoping it would improve backups over my external USB drive. It didn't really improve it all that much, actually, but it is at least an option for adding SATA to an older laptop (the card has unpowered eSATA and SATA ports)

LegendaryKA8 · #18 Post by **LegendaryKA8** » Tue Mar 15, 2011 4:34 pm

I was using the PCMCIA slot on my old T400 to house an SDHC card reader for external storage. I since transferred it to the T500 which already has one; it does wonders for adding some external storage space whenever I need it.

ParatoOptimal · #19 Post by **ParatoOptimal** » Tue Mar 15, 2011 10:26 pm

I use it for 11N-300 and a USB hub.

Colonel O'Neill · #20 Post by **Colonel O'Neill** » Thu Mar 17, 2011 10:12 am

Just to clarify, the port on the T400/T500 is ExpressCard/54 and the T410/T510 is ExpressCard/34.
I don't use the one on my T400 for anything, but had considered a flush 2 USB card.

PCMCIA - Does anyone use it?

PCMCIA - Does anyone use it?

Re: PCMCIA - Does anyone use it?

Re: PCMCIA - Does anyone use it?

Re: PCMCIA - Does anyone use it?

Re: PCMCIA - Does anyone use it?

Re: PCMCIA - Does anyone use it?

Re: PCMCIA - Does anyone use it?

Re: PCMCIA - Does anyone use it?

Re: PCMCIA - Does anyone use it?

Re: PCMCIA - Does anyone use it?

Re: PCMCIA - Does anyone use it?

Re: PCMCIA - Does anyone use it?

Re: PCMCIA - Does anyone use it?

Re: PCMCIA - Does anyone use it?

Re: PCMCIA - Does anyone use it?

Re: PCMCIA - Does anyone use it?

Re: PCMCIA - Does anyone use it?

Re: PCMCIA - Does anyone use it?

Re: PCMCIA - Does anyone use it?

Re: PCMCIA - Does anyone use it?

Who is online