Things that should exist but don't!

Website · Post by **DaddyHoggy** » Sun Aug 30, 2009 9:29 am

Having been given an old laptop (Dell CPx PIII-650 compared to my old PII-300 its a bit of a whizz!) it has two PCMCIA slots - I have two cards I wanted to fit - 1) 54g Wireless card - this has to go otherwise no internet connectivity - no Oolite BB! 2) 2port USB 2.0 card - to get round the single 1.1 USB port the machine currently has.

Problem - both cards have a fat end - so I can't have both cards fitted - not a problem I thought, I'll find an extender for one card and then they won't clash and I'll have both cards fitted...

Ho Ho Ho

Can I find one? Can I hell! I can find incredibly expensive ones with a million probe points that cost about a trillion dollars (I may be exagerating slightly) but a straight through pcmcia card with another retainer for a PCMCIA card at the other end - I do not think such a thing exists!

I'm amazed - given the number of fat ended cards out there you'd have to think this would be standard - I'm tempted to make one! (In fact looking at the number of forum posts asking for one - I'm tempted to make loads and sell them on Oobay!)

Diziet Sma · Post by **Diziet Sma** » Sun Aug 30, 2009 9:33 am

Good idea! I'd buy one if you can make a single to double adaptor!

Website · Post by **DaddyHoggy** » Sun Aug 30, 2009 9:37 am

Diziet Sma wrote:
Good idea! I'd buy one if you can make a single to double adaptor!

The second most requested item on the forums I visited!!!

CptnEcho · Post by **CptnEcho** » Sun Aug 30, 2009 12:18 pm

Use one PCMCIA card to give you the extra USB 2.0 slots you desire.

Then use a wireless network adaptor that plugs into one of the USB slots either on the PCMCIA card or the one native to the notebook.
Example: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... 6833124126

Additonal USB devices could be connected via a multi-port USB device which allows the use of multiple USB devices connected to one primary connection.
Examples:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... 6817180301
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... 6817111976

Website · Post by **DaddyHoggy** » Sun Aug 30, 2009 2:14 pm

True, true.

But I already own the Wireless Network card and the USB 2.0 Port PCMCIA cards! Seems somewhat annoying to have to go and buy another Wireless adapter in another format (USB) to have a wireless connection.

I did have one - it was the one that killed my Win98SE install - OK it said I needed a 1GHz PIII and I was trying to run it on a PII-300 but that's not the point

I know the Wireless PCMCIA card works with this laptop, for me USB based ones (based on a sample of one) are OS killing, better-than-I-have-CPU-requiring beasties.

CptnEcho · Post by **CptnEcho** » Sun Aug 30, 2009 7:03 pm

"You must do what you feel is right, of course." - Obi Wan Kenobi.

http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Star_Wars_ ... A_New_Hope