Air cards: PCMCIA vs. USB
One of the most frequent questions we’re asked as air cards experts is which kind of air card is better: USB or PCMCIA. First of all I would like to tell you that USB air cards usually have the same technology of PCMCIA with a PCMCIA to USB interface on the connection edge. Clarified this point, here is a list of pros and cons to help you decide whether you should go with USB or PCMCIA. We won’t tell you which one is better, it depends on your needs; read below and decide by yourself:
- Several PC devices use USB, PCMCIA would free a USB connection
- PCMCIA air cards don’t dangerously hang outside of the case of the PC or (even worse) outside of the laptop
- PCMCIA has better antenna but usually cannot be directed where the signal is
- USB allows you to connect a cable and move the dongle around
- USB air cards usually have weaker antennas, but have the advantage that can be directed with a cable where the best signal is
- Some USB devices don’t support resuming from hibernation so you have to reboot the entire PC
- USB uses much more CPU time than PCMCIA
- PCMCIA air cards usually cost more than USB ones
So, which is your choice?
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