e plan with your service provider allows it, there may not even be an express card version of your modem card. Service providers have been slow to get this new technology out the door while the computer manufacturers have been falling all over themselves trying to add express card ports as a "feature.Computer manufacturers have left many people in the dark by updating their computers to only include express card expansion ports. Although this is a new and better technology, people with legacy PCMCIA cards are left out in the rain without a way to use those cards. These are primarily modem adapter cards like those you would get from a cell phone provider. These cards allow mobile Internet access from anywhere you can get a cell phone signal.

PCMCIA card present a special problem to people who have upgraded to new computers. There are two reasons for this: Cost of the card and availability of alternative cards that use express card technology.

These cards are often very expensive. Buying them from a cell phone company even requires you to often sign a contract for various terms of service. This makes upgrading to a new card expensive, and sometimes even impossible if you are no far enough along in your contract. Many of the new cards, although express card, do not offer any advantage over the old cards as far as speed or reliability - the form factor is the only thing that has changed.

Even if you are able to afford an upgrade, and the plan with your service provider allows it, there may not even be an express card version of your modem card. Service providers have been slow to get this new technology out the door while the computer manufacturers have been falling all over themselves trying to add express card ports as a "feature."

cards like those you would get from a cell phone provider. These cards allow mobile Internet access from anywhere you can get a cell phone signal.

PCMCIA card present a special problem to people who have upgraded to new computers. There are two reasons for this: Cost of the card and availability of alternative cards that use express card technology.

These cards are often very expensive. Buying them from a cell phone company even requires you to often sign a contract for various terms of service. This makes upgrading to a new card expensive, and sometimes even impossible if you are no far enough along in your contract. Many of the new cards, although express card, do not offer any advantage over the old cards as far as speed or reliability - the form factor is the only thing that has changed.

Even if you are able to afford an upgrade, and the plan with your service provider allows it, there may not even be an express card version of your modem card. Service providers have been slow to get this new technology out the door while the computer manufacturers have been falling all over themselves trying to add express card ports as a "feature.

g> and availability of alternative cards that use express card technology.

These cards are often very expensive. Buying them from a cell phone company even requires you to often sign a contract for various terms of service. This makes upgrading to a new card expensive, and sometimes even impossible if you are no far enough along in your contract. Many of the new cards, although express card, do not offer any advantage over the old cards as far as speed or reliability - the form factor is the only thing that has changed.

Even if you are able to afford an upgrade, and the plan with your service provider allows it, there may not even be an express card version of your modem card. Service providers have been slow to get this new technology out the door while the computer manufacturers have been falling all over themselves trying to add express card ports as a "feature.

imes even impossible if you are no far enough along in your contract. Many of the new cards, although express card, do not offer any advantage over the old cards as far as speed or reliability - the form factor is the only thing that has changed.

Even if you are able to afford an upgrade, and the plan with your service provider allows it, there may not even be an express card version of your modem card. Service providers have been slow to get this new technology out the door while the computer manufacturers have been falling all over themselves trying to add express card ports as a "feature.

e plan with your service provider allows it, there may not even be an express card version of your modem card. Service providers have been slow to get this new technology out the door while the computer manufacturers have been falling all over themselves trying to add express card ports as a "feature." Having a PCMCIA (also called cardbus) modem card and a new computer with only and express card port certainly presents a problem.

So how is this problem silved? There are actually a few options out there that will get you rolling with mobile data in almost no time at all. Neither solution is perfect, but they both should work - at least until you are able to upgrade your modem card. The first solution is to use a USB to Cardbus adapter. The second solution is to put that express card port to work with a Express Card to PCMCIA adapter. Either one will work, but both have different advantages.

First we will examine the USB to PCMCIA solution. USB is an obvious choice because it is so ubiquitous. Almost any PC you find will have at least a few USB ports. That makes this a great solution for ultimate compatibility. The other advantage of a USB adapter is that you can use your modem card on a desktop computer. This can come in handy in various situations.

The USB adapter does have a few drawbacks. Like any modem adapter card, it is only compatible with certain wireless modem cards. Fortunately, all the major cards tha