Holding the card
Check the instruction manual or consult the manufacturer’s telephone sup-
port service or web site to see if the laptop has a built-in compartment for
holding a small wireless card. The good news is that this is a neat solution
to upgrading your computer. The bad news comes in two parts: First, the
wireless card is almost certainly a proprietarypart, meaning that you must
purchase the manufacturer’s card at whatever price it sets. The second part
of the bad news is that some manufacturers do not encourage end users to
install cards in this special slot. This hesitance may come from concern that
an improperly installed or poorly shielded card can cause interference with
other devices that use radio frequencies.On the transceiving end
You could purchase a PC Card wireless transceiver. These devices, available
from a number of competing manufacturers (which means that prices should
be reasonable) are plug-and-play upgrades to a laptop.The disadvantages of using a PC Card for wireless include the fact that your
laptop may have only one or two such slots available; to counter this, some
manufacturers have combined a wireless transceiver with a network interface
card (NIC) adapter, which allows the single card to permit your computer to
connect to either a wireless network or a wired Ethernet. Another possible
disadvantage to using a PC Card for wireless is that these devices usually
include a small antenna that projects from the side of the laptop; the nub of
an antenna is an unattractive nuisance, easy to break off, destroying the card
or even the PC Card slot itself.My advice if you plan to use a PC Card wireless adapter is to get into the habit
of removing the card every time you turn off the machine, before you put the
laptop away in its case. You should also find a small carrying case for the
adapter — a box about the size of a deck of playing cards should fit the bill.Buddying up to USB
The third option to expand a laptop for wireless is to add a device that
connects to the USB port. Most of the latest technology is moving in this
direction, and like PC Card devices, this is a plug-and-play solution. Most
USB wireless adapters are about two inches long, about two-thirds the size
of a tube of lip balm.Like PC Cards, USB wireless adapters are available from a number of manu-
facturers, which helps keep prices down and features improving over time.
And although USB devices do project from the side of the laptop (actually
sticking out a bit more than do PC Cards), they are less likely to damage the
computer if they are dislodged; the USB port is close to the edge of the case.
I still recommend removing and storing the little wireless devices when the
laptop is put away in a case.214 Part IV: Failing to Communicate