At 02:44 PM 9/7/99 , Jim Phillips wrote:
>Are they compatible with PCMCIA?
>
>IOW, can I use a PC CardBus card in a PCMCIA slot?  Or must I buy the PCMCIA
>card?  Thanks, as always, for your help.

I'm certainly a long way from an expert on PC topics, particularly laptop 
details.  However, here's what I think I know about PCMCIA and CardBus:  A 
CardBus slot is a PCMCIA slot, but PCMCIA isn't necessarily 
CardBus.  CardBus is a newer standard for PC-card (the name I heard PCMCIA 
was changed to a while back so non-techies could remember it ;).  So 
PCMCIA/PC-card devices should work in CardBus slots, but CardBus devices 
probably won't work in PC-card/PCMCIA slots.  If it's a newish laptop it 
may have CardBus slots.

 From http://www.3com.com/client/mcd/products/3cxfe575btcbus.html

>CardBus is the new high-performance PC Card bus interface standard for 
>notebook computers. Modeled on the PCI bus used widely in desktops, it 
>offers these advantages over the original PC Card standard:
>·       32-bit data transfers and 33Mhz operation. The maximum throughput 
>of CardBus Fast Ethernet PC Cards is nearly 90 Mbps, whereas 16-bit Fast 
>Ethernet PC Cards can achieve only 20-30 Mbps.
>·       Bus-mastering. Lets the PC Card transfer data directly to and from 
>the computer memory independent of the host CPU, leaving the CPU free to 
>handle other tasks.
>·       Low 3.3 V power consumption. Improves notebook battery life and 
>reduces the amount of heat dissipated inside the computer, leading to 
>improved system reliability.
>·       Backwards compatibility to 16-bit PC Cards. Today's PC Card 
>Ethernet and modem devices can be used in CardBus slots.

There is more (much more!) detail at http://www.pc-card.com

Wish I'd learned all that before I bought my PC-card 10/100 LAN card a few 
months ago.
--
Jeff Woods
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