Several people on the list keep trying to convince the rest of us that PCMCIA cards are not really needed, in their efforts to explain why the days of the 2400 are numbered (in favor of the PCMCIA card-deprived ibook). If I am hearing correctly, they believe the iBook is quite adequate and don't understand how others might want the flexibility that a couple of card slots offer; that PCMCIA card slots and the flexibility they offer are passe.
I previously mentioned compact flash cards, used in my Nikon camera, as being a good example. I was countered with "use a USB adapter." My CoolPix (900) predates the use of USB by Nikon. So, direct USB is a no-go. And anyway, even if I bought a USB compact flash reader (another suggestion), the card option is still faster than USB. And I already have it. I mentioned high-quality audio that I have with my Digigram VXPocket PCMCIA card. << High quality audio? Better than that line out jacks already present on the iBook? >> Damn Right. Much better: Professional XLR balanced line level in/out, with quality mic preamps built-in. And SPDIF digital in and out, too. Yes, it's one hell of a clumsy dongle, but the VXPocket is one very special card. Does the iBook even have audio INPUTS? I continued... >Oh, yeah, I do have a USB card ... and a 56K modem ... and 100baseT >ethernet...So none of these things in an iBook would get my anything new. And the response was: << Must be fun swapping all those devices. >> No, I guess I couldn't call it fun, though since I very rarely need more than TWO of them at a time, and since the 2400 has TWO slots, it's not much of a problem. The big hassle is rebooting after changing cards, which is needed because the system (I'm using 8.6) won't load certain extensions unless the card is present. But that is STILL not my main complaint of the 2400c. I can manage the occasional card swap and reboot. What I really want is to be able to run OSX. I also wrote... >And THAT, my friends, will be the straw that eventually breaks >this lovely compact camel's back. Because we use OS X on my >main computer and my wife's, and we love it. >Give me an iBook with PCMCIA and I'm there. After reading the comments concerning the viability of the 2400 versus iBook I've come to this conclusion: I guess we all have our personal reasons for keeping our 2400s, which may not always make sense to other 2400c users. And we all deal with the idiosyncrasies in our own ways. For me, my 2400 has been really useful on the road. I ride in coach all too often, and even though it can't play DVDs, the 2400 can be easily opened on a fold down tray table. Since I can't use Mac OS X anyway, 80MB (with RAM Doubler) hasn't been much of a problem, and an hour and a half of battery life, while not great, is at least useful. My Comet is Cardbus-enabled, with the 400MHz G3 upgrade and a 10G hard drive. I have an external CD-RW, SCSI (remember SCSI?) that I normally don't take on the road. Saves weight, you know. Did I ever tell you about how my 2400 fell over 6 feet from a luggage rack to the floor of a train? It kept working as though nothing happened. And while I admit the days of my 2400's usefulness to me are numbered, what I'll do next for a laptop is undecided and not of immediate concern. Gotta love the little 4.5 lb. Comet. David Reaves ---------- Duo/2400 List, The friendliest place on the Net! A listserv for users and fans of Mac subportables. FAQ at <http://www.themacintoshguy.com/lists/DuoListFAQ.shtml> Be sure to visit Mac2400! <http://www.sineware.com/mac2400> To unsubscribe, E-mail to: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To switch to the DIGEST mode, E-mail to <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Need help from a real person? Try. <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> ---------- Dr. Bott | 10/100 Ethernet for your 2400 is finally here! MPC-100 | <http://www.drbott.com/prod/mpc100.html> RoadTools $30 PodiumPad available at Apple retail stores, $20 Traveler CoolPad at Staples. Both in white for iBooks at <http://roadtools.com> Midwest Mac Parts ][ <http://www.midwestmac.com> After-market parts for Macs. ][ 888-356-1104 ][ MacResQ Specials: LaCie SCSI CDR From $99! PowerBook 3400/200 Only $879! Norton AntiVirus 6 Only $19! We Stock PARTS! <http://www.macresq.com>
