Is there still a need for a PCcard slot?

satchmosatchmo
Posted:
in General Discussion edited January 2014
Are people utilizing this slot? Could the current PB's save space by the exclusion of a PC card slot?



I know it's a standard with many PC laptops but with Bluetooth and Airport, do we still need it? Plus most digital cameras files can be downloaded via USB vs. compact flash adapter PC cards.

Comments

  • Reply 1 of 9
    andersanders Posts: 6,523member
    The only use I can see today is:



    1) If the USB or FW ports stops working or



    2) A Nokia Card Phone or



    3) something very obscure.



    The main reason the PC makers keep them is probably because it signals that it is a pro machine
  • Reply 2 of 9
    applenutapplenut Posts: 5,768member
    PC cards are needed for specialized applications....in science and such..... very obscure cards are out there.





    90% of us probably have no use for it anymore but apple needs to satisfy everyone with the powerbooks
  • Reply 3 of 9
    mac voyermac voyer Posts: 1,294member
    I have to agree with the original poster. As someone who uses a digital camera, and with digital cameras fast becoming the #1 consumer gadget, Such a slot provides the fastest and most convenient way to import your photos. For that reason alone, it should be a part of every notebook sold. In fact, it should probably go into desktop systems as well. Sony is already doing it.
  • Reply 4 of 9
    curiousuburbcuriousuburb Posts: 3,325member
    most are network substitutes



    here too, though there are some PCMCIA connected scanners, barcode wands, and optical drives

    (in addition to the network gumbo of 10/100baseT/802.11/56k/BT/ISDN/GSM/GPRS/TokenRing/etc)
  • Reply 5 of 9
    resres Posts: 711member
    PC cards are also needed (or at lest very useful) for audio. Many people use it to add a second firewire bus for their audio interface, and use the built in bus for a firewire HD. That is the way I'm setting up my portable studio.
  • Reply 6 of 9
    bungebunge Posts: 7,329member
    Business needs them so they don't have to replace an entire machine when one port goes down.
  • Reply 7 of 9
    ryaxnbryaxnb Posts: 583member
    Think about the future. You could burst new life into a PowerBook Wallstreet, PDQ, or Kanga (G3 Series, G3 Series 2, G3) with a USB PC card. Similar (but not as dramatic,) you could be open to a wide range of scanners, music players, HDs, DVD-writers, etc, with the addition of a FireWire or USB 2 card to a Lombard. The same thing could happen with iFree wireless technology, or something.
  • Reply 8 of 9
    powerdocpowerdoc Posts: 8,123member
    Like Tonton I used Flash card via an adaptator to read Compact flashs of my camera. It must easier to use and faster than connecting your digital camera via wire.



    I love this feature of the powerbook. I guess i belong to the 10 %
Sign In or Register to comment.