Considering Laptop Expansion Options
Laptops use a special expansion card system no longer called
PCMCIA (or Personal Computer Memory Card International
Association). You may still hear PCMCIA bandied about. But
because no one can remember PCMCIA, let alone what it stands
for, PCMCIA was changed back in the 1990s, renamed to PC
Card.
The PCMCIA, er, PC Card system uses special expansion slots
and cards for adding options to your laptop. These cards are
about the size of a credit card, though thicker (and without
revolving debt). They slide into a special slot on the
laptop's side, which you can use to add special options to
your laptop. The options include a memory card reader,
networking abilities, more storage, and so on.
Laptops may also use an exchangeable disk system. For
example, you may be able to remove the CD-ROM or DVD drive
and replace it with a second hard drive or a floppy drive.
This type of drive-swapping is usually specific to certain
laptop models; you generally can't swap drives between two
laptops from different manufacturers, unless you're just
incredibly lucky.
Rather than getting the swappable drive option, you simply
need to know exactly what you need in a laptop in the first
place. You can buy a laptop with non-swappable disk drives
for less cash.
Why you may need expansion slots
Expansion slots let you add new options or features to those
that come with a standard computer. They simply increase the
flexibility of your computer system.
Some low-end laptops are designed for people who need only
the basics and, therefore, probably don't need expansion
slots. If you need expansion slots, however, steer clear of
those systems.
For example, if you want to add a network card, a satellite
modem, a FireWire adapter, a port, an improved sound card,
or any of a number of options, your computer needs expansion
slots.
Expansion cards usually ensure that you can upgrade and
improve your laptop in the years to come.
Types of expansion slots
As with everything else, a computer can't have just one
typical expansion slot. For historical and evolutionary
reasons, most computers have several different types of
expansion slots. Sure, some slots are better than others.
Still, you may want a mixture of several types to keep your
options open.
Here are the popular types of expansion slots:
PCI: The PCI expansion slot connects directly to the
computer's microprocessor, which makes it very fast. PCI
stands for Peripheral Component Interconnect, just in case
that question comes up on Jeopardy!
AGP: This special slot is designed specifically for video
adapters - the Accelerated Graphics Port, or AGP, slot.
Although you can find PCI video adapters, if your laptop has
an AGP port, you're better off buying and using an AGP video
adapter.
ISA: The original slot found on the first IBM PC is still
around, mostly because you still come across an ISA
expansion card from time to time. In fact, ISA isn't really
an acronym for anything; it stands for Industry Standard
Architecture, which is just a TLA (three-letter acronym) for
"what everyone uses."
Which type of expansion slots should you have? Well,
supposing that you want a laptop with plenty of expansion
slots, you may want to go for three to five (or more) PCI
slots. You may also want one or two ISA slots for backward
compatibility. And you may find having an AGP slot nice if
you want to use the latest, greatest video adapters.
Computer scientist types refer to the expansion slots as the
bus, so they use the term PCI bus rather than PCI slot. Same
difference.
By Laptops for Dummies
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