What do I need to stay connected?
To send and receive e-mail, browse the Web, and share files or
printers, your notebook must be able to connect to a network or the Internet.
This is usually done via a modem, an Ethernet hookup, or a wireless connection.
But your notebook has additional connectivity needs, too. Notebooks include a
variety of ports, or connectors that physically link to and communicate
with different kinds of equipment, including digital cameras and external
monitors.
If you can't find the port you want, you can usually buy a port replicator or a docking station, which adds connectors. These notebook-expansion options tend to be pricey, however, so you're generally better off buying a notebook that has everything that you'll need out of the box. Find out about each type of connection below.
Get connected: PC Cards vs. mini-PCI | Modems and Ethernet ports |
Wireless antennae and radios | Other ports and connectors
If you can't find the port you want, you can usually buy a port replicator or a docking station, which adds connectors. These notebook-expansion options tend to be pricey, however, so you're generally better off buying a notebook that has everything that you'll need out of the box. Find out about each type of connection below.
Get connected: PC Cards vs. mini-PCI | Modems and Ethernet ports |
Wireless antennae and radios | Other ports and connectors
PC Cards vs. mini-PCIThe
PC Card, a credit card-shaped device that plugs into a slot on your notebook can
provide a number of connection types--modems, USB connections (say, for your
digital camcorder), and wireless LAN radios are all available in PC Card form.
PC Cards are handy because they're easy to upgrade and because you can buy
third-party PC Card solutions after you purchase your notebooks. However, most
notebooks come with only one or two Type II PC Card slots, forcing you to limit
the number of PC Cards you can add.
The mini-PCI card, on the other hand, is a smaller, more compact version of a PC Card. Notebook manufacturers install mini-PCI cards inside notebooks, which has a couple of advantages: these cards are usually cheaper, and they leave PC Card slots open for additional uses. Unfortunately, mini-PCI cards are almost impossible to remove or upgrade because they're integrated, and sometimes they take power from the notebook's CPU.
If you know you're going to want 802.11 wireless on your notebook, consider a system that integrates these connections on a mini-PCI card, leaving your PC Card expansion slot(s) free.
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| The Proxim Orinioco World PC Card (left) and the Netgear WAB 501 dual-band wireless adapter (right) are two examples of PC Card wireless adapters with antennae that extend beyond the edge of the notebook. | |
The mini-PCI card, on the other hand, is a smaller, more compact version of a PC Card. Notebook manufacturers install mini-PCI cards inside notebooks, which has a couple of advantages: these cards are usually cheaper, and they leave PC Card slots open for additional uses. Unfortunately, mini-PCI cards are almost impossible to remove or upgrade because they're integrated, and sometimes they take power from the notebook's CPU.
If you know you're going to want 802.11 wireless on your notebook, consider a system that integrates these connections on a mini-PCI card, leaving your PC Card expansion slot(s) free.
Modems and Ethernet
portsVirtually
all notebooks come with 56Kbps-modem (RJ-11) and Ethernet (RJ-45) connections.
Look for a system that integrates these connections on a mini-PCI card, leaving
your PC Card expansion slot(s) free.
Wireless antennae and
radiosMany
notebooks also include built-in antennae for wireless networking (802.11, or
Wi-Fi) so that you need to add only a PC Card to enable wireless networking. Or,
even better, some notebooks include internal mini-PCI, Wi-Fi radio, or
network-interface cards (NICs) embedded in the notebook itself. Intel's new
Centrino technology includes just such a setup, although Centrino itself has
some limitations.
If you choose a notebook with networking built in, make sure you understand the difference between the networking standards that are currently on the market, including 802.11a, 802.11b, and 802.11g. Our Wireless networking 101 primer can help.
If your notebook doesn't offer either a built-in antenna or wireless mini-PCI, it's fairly easy to find PC Cards that get the job done.
If you choose a notebook with networking built in, make sure you understand the difference between the networking standards that are currently on the market, including 802.11a, 802.11b, and 802.11g. Our Wireless networking 101 primer can help.
If your notebook doesn't offer either a built-in antenna or wireless mini-PCI, it's fairly easy to find PC Cards that get the job done.
Other ports and
connectorsMost
notebooks have a printer port, a VGA port for an external monitor, and at least
one USB port for connecting an external keyboard and mouse, drives, digital
cameras, and MP3 players. If you plan to use your notebook for watching DVDs or
making presentations, look for a notebook with a multimedia jack (a
combined stereo- and video-out). For home use, you may want a stereo input, a
game port, a MIDI connector, and a FireWire port for capturing and editing
digital video or hooking up an external storage drive.
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Graphics card capability also is important to a desktop replacement notebook. Also neat little features, like the location of the microphone away from internal sound sources (ideally two one at each top corner of the display, haven't seen it yet) manual off switch on all wireless connections, hardware firewall chip for all external network connections, intergrated numeric keypad on 17" models. The most important thing of course is an effective stand to get the notebook off your lap when relaxing in a rocker recliner and doing some power computing (games ÷Þ).