Jul. 14, 2008 - 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.

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