When choosing components for your laptops, you should do so in a well-informed manner. Making the wrong choice can be costly and some times frustrating for you as the user. When it comes to your choice in I/O devices which control your system's memory, data transfer, and even your network connections, you must ensure your decision is the right one. Two components important to the operation of your system are PC cards and CardBus.
What is a PC card?
According to SearchCIO-Midmarket, a PC card is the I/O device located inside a laptop or inside a card slot at the computer's left side. These cards come in 16 or 32-bit varieties, and are roughly the size of your credit/debit card. They were created based on PCMCIA Standards. There are currently three different types of PC Cards. Type I will add memory, Type II is used as a network adapter to connect to LANs and Type III is used as a hard drive.
What are the advantages and disadvantages of a PC card?
PC cards have some advantages and disadvantages. Advantages would be that you can perform hot swapping which enables you to remove the cards as you are working on one project and swap to another project from a different card without interference. According to SearchCIO-MidMarket, this is one of the major reasons consumers choose these PC cards.
Some disadvantages would include not only incompatibility with some Type III cards, in that older laptops card slots are too small for these cards, but also the 16-bit format cards have slower connection speeds and data transfer can take forever. And as technology advances with the creation of 64-bit PC cards, in the not-so-distant future, these 16-bit cards will become obsolete.
What is a CardBus?
A CardBus is also a PC card. However, it is considered by PCMCIA to be more advanced than its predecessor. CardBus is not available as a built-in component of a laptop, but it is available as a slide-in card. It is the same size as a PC card. It is, however, designed in a 32-bit and 64-bit format. However, make a note when purchasing these cards, that the format of choice should be compatible with your operating system. If your operating system is designed in a 64-bit format then the 32-bit cards will not be compatible with your system. This will lead to performance issues.
What are the advantages and disadvantages of a CardBus?
Advantages of a CardBus are vast. CardBus allows for Direct Memory Access. Its design transfers data on 32-bit and 64-bit paths, making transfer time much faster. You will spend less time downloading and more time using your files. These cards use a lower battery voltage, and will not drain your laptop. So portability is greater, and you will spend less time charging your laptop. Connection spends are also fast. When it comes to disadvantages, there are none.
In fact, according to Cisco, their Aironet PC-CardBus card will scan periodically ensuring you have the best access point. This will give you a better connection speed, and also enhance the security of your network. These cards are also available in a mini version, so they will work with your mini laptops as well.
Which is the best choice?
Card Bus will process and transfer data faster than other PC Cards. They connect to the Internet and internal networks faster, and lose their connections less frequently. You will not have to worry about Card Bus size, as they fit in all laptop card slots. Hot swapping is also possible with Card Bus. They are not designed for 32-bit paths so you will not have to stress if it is compatible with your new PC. And if that is not convincing enough, as of October 2009, the average price for a new PC card on Amazon.com is $81, whereas the average price for a new Card Bus is $17.
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