What is the purpose of the Express Card slot? (DV6000 expresscard)

[Lorelei]

I bought the cursed Pavilion DV6000 (winVista) in March, 2007, then signed up for Sprint wireless web service. The wireless USB adapter is bulky, awkward and always falling out. So, I bought a D-Link Wireless Adapter card but it doesn't fit into the expresscard adapter slot.

Is the only accessory for this slot the expresscard TV Tuner? Is there a wireless web card made for this slot? If not, what is the purpose of this stupid slot? I already have 5 TVs. I get on the computer to get away from them.

Really, this is ridiculous; the D-Link card fits into my 'ancient' Dell Inspiron 1100, but not this brand new HP. What's the deal? Does anyone know?

[Heironimus]

ExpressCard is the successor to the CardBus PC card. Faster interface, lower power consumption, and it's not backwards compatible with CardBus/PCMCIA so everybody has to buy new hardware. Since ExpressCard is replacing CardBus in more and more new notebooks you should probably complain to Sprint.

[Lorelei]

But my question is; WHAT GOES INTO THAT SLOT? I have an 'expresscard' that looks like a miniature remote control. Strangely, it fits into that slot but that makes no sense to me.

Is there an expresscard that slides into that slot and gives me wireless internet?

If so, where is the link to purchase it?

If not, what is the purpose of that slot other than to watch TV?

[Jorge Pinto Leite]

Yes, there is.

For example, take a look into http://www.dlink.com/products/?sec=0&pid=550.

That's an wireless D-Link Express Card. Sure it fits into your slot.

Good luck
Jorge

[Lorelei]

Thank you kindly for taking the time to reply.

Amazon customers report that this card does not work with winVista (only VistaBeta);

http://www.amazon.com/Xtreme-N-Express-Card-Adapter/dp/B000N4V3GI/ref=sr_1_1/104-2790094-2914306?ie=UTF8&s=electronics&qid=1186537564&sr=1-1

D-Link's website confirms this;

http://www.dlink.com/products/support.asp?pid=550

[JL Billman]

Cingular/AT&T lists express cards for their wireless service.

[JL Billman]

Cingular/AT&T lists express cards for their wireless data services.

[Heironimus]

"What kind of card goes in to an slot?" "An card." So any ExpressCard goes in that slot, just like any PCMCIA card goes in the PCMCIA slot on your older notebook.

Eventually everything that's available today as CardBus will probably be available as ExpressCard, but today your options are a bit limited. PC vendors and manufacturers are jumping on the PCI Express and ExpressCard bandwagons faster than peripheral manufacturers are. Right now it's a lot easier to find PCs with the slots than it is to find cards to plug in to them.

That D-Link adapter is an 802.11n draft adapter. Do you need a card to access Sprint mobile broadband or do you need a card to access your own wireless access point? A simple 802.11 card won't get you on to a cellular network, which would bring us back to "complain to Sprint".