Selecting Upgrades for a Portable Computer

With a wide range of standard ports as well as expansion through PC Card and mini-PCI add-on cards, today's portable computers offer a wide variety of expansion possibilities.

When choosing upgrades, consider the following:

  • Can the portable computer attach the upgrade with its existing ports? If not, the additional cost of the appropriate add-on card should be considered.

  • Does the portable computer have interchangeable drive or device bays? If so, you can select from vendor-supplied drive and battery upgrades. Although these might be more expensive than external options, they provide better portability.

  • Can you choose a combo PC Card or CardBus card if you need to add ports? Combo cards enable you to ...

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