Difference between CARDBUS and PC CARD TYPE II and III ?

[Flakk]

My Toshiba Satellite 1105 laptop says it has support for Type II and III.

I just ordered a wireless network card that said it was compatible with cardbus, but I don't know if it will work on my laptop. The manual didn't seem to help..

Can anyone clear it up fo rme? I'm new to laptop stuff

 

[prosaic]

Type II and III refer to the thickness or form factor of the PC Card. Type II cards will fit into a single standard slot. Type III cards only actually use one connector but are thick enough to take up two standard slots. Some common devices that may use the Type III form factor are hard drives (The drive itself, not just the controller, fits in the slots.) and some modem/LAN combo cards that have the RJ connectors built right into the end of the card so that no "x-jack" or "dongle" is required.

Cardbus cards are 32 bit cards as opposed to the original 16 bit PCMCIA spec. I think it unlikely that your wireless NIC would be anything but a Cardbus card. It could be either Type II or Type III. That should be specified in the advertising information.

- prosaic

 

[AndyHui]

Please read the FAQ: What's the difference between PCMCIA/Cardbus/Type II/III etc?

 

[Flakk]

thanks for the replies

first off, it is a type II card then, because it will only take up one slot, and the card IS a cardbus because it does say that on the advertising.

I guess I'm wondering if my laptop has cardbus compatibility. Is there any way I can tell? The manual really doesnt say much, but I did read that basically all laptops built within the last few years have cardbus compatibility so I'm hoping I'm ok. Mine was bought about two years ago I guess (it was handed down to me), so I *hope* it has the cardbus support.

again, I have a Toshiba Satellite 1105 laptop.. 1.13ghz celeron, 256mb ram, 20gb hd... just some specs to help maybe give an idea of what it's got.

 

[Mday]

Originally posted by: AndyHui
Please read the FAQ: What's the difference between PCMCIA/Cardbus/Type II/III etc?

andy, you may want to include the pccard replacement tech in that fuq.

 

[prosaic]

Would that be Frequently Unasked Questions? Heh-heh. Freudian slip???



- prosaic

 

[IgoByte]

Originally posted by: prosaic
Would that be Frequently Unasked Questions? Heh-heh. Freudian slip???



- prosaic

It would be Frequently Unanswered Questions...

j/k, of course.

 

[jschuk]

Originally posted by: Flakk
thanks for the replies

I guess I'm wondering if my laptop has cardbus compatibility. Is there any way I can tell? The manual really doesnt say much, but I did read that basically all laptops built within the last few years have cardbus compatibility so I'm hoping I'm ok. Mine was bought about two years ago I guess (it was handed down to me), so I *hope* it has the cardbus support.

It has carbus support, check the detailed specs on Toshiba's site. All/most laptops from '97/'98 had a least one cardbus slot. All namebrand laptops after that should have two cardbus ready slots.

 

[Flakk]

thank you =)