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 use a single Type II or Type III slot to perform two or more jobs. This saves money and minimizes the need to swap cards.