Thinkpads Forum

I have a T61 with an ExpressCard slot and am considering purchasing a 2-port ExpressCard/54 USB 3.0 card adapter.

Queries:
1. Could someone confirm whether the T61 shipped with ExpressCard gen 1.0 or 2.0 please?

2. Assuming that it's gen 1.0, would you recommend investing in a USB 3.0 card adapter despite the throughput being limited to max 2.5Gbit/s? I am currently using USB 2.0 devices, but was thinking about purchasing a USB 3.0 flash drive.

PS. I have no plans to replace my T61 any time soon.

Gen1. Still better to have USB3 than USB2.

I would rather get a SATA2 expresscard, which when I start thinking about I already got

a little OOT here

I own 3 harddrives (1 hdd and 2 ssd ) and I want to make things a little bit tidy for my external peripherals

currently I have 1 ultrabay hdd caddy and it's occupied by the hdd, while the ssd is inside the primary hard drive bay

which option is better :
1. eSATA pcmcia card
2. eSATA express card 34mm?
3. buy 2 pcs enclosure for dvd drive and ultrabay caddy, using the USB 2.0 connection, instead option 1 or 2

thank you for your advice

I like to keep SSDs/HDDs internal when possible, unless I'm on the run to a job where I need to burn a CD/DVD on-site.

As such, I bought an enclosure for the multiburner ("IBM"-branded, and even rubberized). The only exception here would be if I could obtain a BD-RW compatible with the T61's Ultrabay Slim (PATA). None seem to exist, so it's a moot idea. That said, if choosing to go external with the multiburner, you could just as easily go with a BD-RW that way (if you can afford it).

I use external 2.5" HDDs too, and a couple are Seagate GoFlex's with 3.0 compatible interfaces. I've considered the 3.0 ExpressCard too, but only if it's flush (non-protruding) and affordable.