# What is this slot on my laptop? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [January 22, 2009, 7:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-slot-on-my-laptop/482508 "2009-01-22T19:47:10Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2009, 7:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-slot-on-my-laptop/482508/1 "2009-01-22T19:47:10Z")
Another question from a hopeless geezer. I have a Lenovo Thinkpad. There’s a slot on the left and I have no idea what it’s for. You can see it in [this photo](http://shop.lenovo.com/us/notebooks/thinkpad/t-series), at the front left of the laptop. It’s just over 2" long and about 3/8" high. Thanks again. ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2009, 7:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-slot-on-my-laptop/482508/2 "2009-01-22T19:51:32Z")
If if what I’m thinking based on your description, it’s for a PCMCIA card. ---
**Author:** ![Ethilrist](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ethilrist/32/4604_2.png) [@Ethilrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ethilrist)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2009, 7:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-slot-on-my-laptop/482508/3 "2009-01-22T19:54:47Z")
Yep. Kind of an outmoded way of adding some features to a laptop, not as commonly used as USB devices or smaller, more compact memory cards which fit into other slots on the computer (or USB thumb drives). ---
**Author:** ![dolphinboy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dolphinboy/32/330_2.png) [@dolphinboy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dolphinboy)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2009, 7:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-slot-on-my-laptop/482508/4 "2009-01-22T19:59:17Z")
I have that laptop and I use that slot for my Verizon aircard so I can surf the web from just about anywhere. Comes is handy when I am stuck in an airport or hotel and they don’t have WiFi available… ---
**Author:** ![Philster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/13edae/32.png) [@Philster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Philster)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2009, 8:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-slot-on-my-laptop/482508/5 "2009-01-22T20:02:32Z")
Ditto. ---
**Author:** ![gotpasswords](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/c57346/32.png) [@gotpasswords](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gotpasswords)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2009, 11:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-slot-on-my-laptop/482508/6 "2009-01-22T23:01:43Z")
[QUOTE=Ethilrist] Yep. Kind of an outmoded way of adding some features to a laptop… [/QUOTE] They’re not really outmoded. Just not as commonly needed as five or ten years ago when laptops didn’t have things that we take for granted like built-in Ethernet jacks and Wi-Fi. Now, the most popular use for them seems to be cellular broadband devices. You can still get PCMCIA cards for Wi-Fi, networking, memory card readers, USB ports, e-SATA drives, and so forth. Good for adding functionality to older laptops or for patching up laptops where the built-in function has failed. ---
**Author:** ![KneadToKnow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kneadtoknow/32/3999_2.png) [@KneadToKnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KneadToKnow)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2009, 11:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-slot-on-my-laptop/482508/7 "2009-01-22T23:06:23Z")
I’m not trying to start a fight, **gotpasswords** but “not as commonly needed as five or ten years ago” is pretty much how I would define _outmoded_. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![gotpasswords](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/c57346/32.png) [@gotpasswords](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gotpasswords)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2009, 12:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-slot-on-my-laptop/482508/8 "2009-01-23T00:46:30Z")
OK, but it’s at least more useful than the serial port that graced the backside of my last laptop. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2009, 12:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-slot-on-my-laptop/482508/9 "2009-01-23T00:54:21Z")
> [@dolphinboy](#): > > I have that laptop and I use that slot for my Verizon aircard so I can surf the web from just about anywhere. Comes is handy when I am stuck in an airport or hotel and they don’t have WiFi available… Excellent. I was hoping that was what it’s for, as I’ve been looking at that service myself. Thanks as always, Dopergeeks. ---
**Author:** ![Bobotheoptimist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/919ad9/32.png) [@Bobotheoptimist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bobotheoptimist)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2009, 1:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-slot-on-my-laptop/482508/10 "2009-01-23T01:01:39Z")
If you’re interested in what PCMCIA stands for, it’s “People Can’t Memorize Computer Industry Acronyms” You’re welcome 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![PatriotGrrrl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/9dc877/32.png) [@PatriotGrrrl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PatriotGrrrl)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2009, 1:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-slot-on-my-laptop/482508/11 "2009-01-23T01:02:29Z")
> [@gotpasswords](#): > > OK, but it’s at least more useful than the serial port that graced the backside of my last laptop. Whereas in my field (electronics engineering), we would never buy a laptop that doesn’t have a real serial port and a pcmcia slot. ---
**Author:** ![ChrisBooth12](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e95f7d/32.png) [@ChrisBooth12](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ChrisBooth12)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2009, 2:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-slot-on-my-laptop/482508/12 "2009-01-23T02:23:32Z")
I use mine for a soundcard on my laptop. ---
**Author:** ![Satellite\_Guy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/258eb7/32.png) [@Satellite\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Satellite_Guy)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2009, 2:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-slot-on-my-laptop/482508/13 "2009-01-23T02:28:24Z")
> [@Bobotheoptimist](#): > > If you’re interested in what PCMCIA stands for, it’s “People Can’t Memorize Computer Industry Acronyms” > > You’re welcome 🙂 Well played, sir. Well played 🙂 S^G ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2009, 2:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-slot-on-my-laptop/482508/14 "2009-01-23T02:30:58Z")
> [@Bobotheoptimist](#): > > If you’re interested in what PCMCIA stands for, it’s “People Can’t Memorize Computer Industry Acronyms” > > You’re welcome 🙂 I thought maybe it was “PC Morons Can’t Identify Acronyms.” 😃 ---
**Author:** ![chacoguy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/50afbb/32.png) [@chacoguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chacoguy)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2009, 3:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-slot-on-my-laptop/482508/15 "2009-01-23T03:08:19Z")
If you go back and reread this thread and read ‘laptop’ as an actual laptop, not a laptop computer; it gets filthy and funny as hell real fast. ---
**Author:** ![Princhester](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/3e96dc/32.png) [@Princhester](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Princhester)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2009, 3:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-slot-on-my-laptop/482508/16 "2009-01-23T03:58:16Z")
Ignore these people. It’s for your sammidge. ---
**Author:** ![Chief\_Pedant](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a6a055/32.png) [@Chief\_Pedant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chief_Pedant)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2009, 4:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-slot-on-my-laptop/482508/17 "2009-01-23T04:03:00Z")
> [@Chefguy](#): > > Excellent. I was hoping that was what it’s for, as I’ve been looking at that service myself. Thanks as always, Dopergeeks. Newer wireless devices also come in USB and are smaller than the PCMCIA form factor (although you can just leave the PCMCIA card in place if you like). I am partial to my Sierra Compass 597 from Sprint. It’s not much bigger than older flash memory sticks. ---
**Author:** ![PatriotGrrrl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/9dc877/32.png) [@PatriotGrrrl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PatriotGrrrl)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2009, 4:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-slot-on-my-laptop/482508/18 "2009-01-23T04:12:10Z")
The thing about USB devices is that, assuming you actually move your laptop, they stick out and keep it from fitting in your laptop bag, or if you don’t put the laptop in its bag, they stick out and are likely to get broken. You can leave pcmcia devices in all the time. My boss has one of [these mice](http://www.geekzone.co.nz/content.asp?contentid=6465) that fold flat and go in the slot for charging and storage. It doesn’t look too ergonomic, but it actually works pretty well. ---
**Author:** ![Ethilrist](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ethilrist/32/4604_2.png) [@Ethilrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ethilrist)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2009, 2:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-slot-on-my-laptop/482508/19 "2009-01-23T14:13:13Z")
> [@PatriotGrrrl](#): > > My boss has one of [these mice](http://www.geekzone.co.nz/content.asp?contentid=6465) that fold flat and go in the slot for charging and storage. It doesn’t look too ergonomic, but it actually works pretty well. … wow. That is amazing. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2009, 5:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-slot-on-my-laptop/482508/20 "2009-01-23T17:19:32Z")
> [@Chief\_Pedant](#): > > Newer wireless devices also come in USB and are smaller than the PCMCIA form factor (although you can just leave the PCMCIA card in place if you like). I am partial to my Sierra Compass 597 from Sprint. It’s not much bigger than older flash memory sticks. Yeah, AT&T is advertising one of those. Verizon’s Aircard would use the larger slot. It’s funny that this thread is sort of turning into the thread I started a few weeks ago in IMHO (that got zero responses), wherein I asked for opinions on the best mobile internet service. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-slot-on-my-laptop/482508.md?page=2)