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    Card Slots?

    Discussion in 'Lenovo' started by lskeys, Jul 16, 2007.

  1. lskeys

    lskeys Notebook Consultant

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    What is the difference between the Smart Card Slot and the Express Card Slot? Also, any information on the Gemplus GemPC400 Compact Smart Card Reader? What is it for? :radar:
     
    lskeys, Jul 16, 2007
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  2. msiner

    msiner Notebook Consultant

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    SmartCards are basically credit card type cards with a chip on them. For notebooks, they are typically used for user authentication (to log in or boot, you insert your ID smart card). ExpressCard is the new PCMCIA standard to replace CardBus (also known as a PC-Card slot). It is used to expand a computer with things like wireless adapters, solid state/flash drives, eSATA adapters, Firewire adapters etc. So the two are completely different. Most people have no need/use for SmartCard readers. They are typically only used by large organizations as a level of security.
     
    msiner, Jul 16, 2007
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  3. the_passenger

    the_passenger Notebook Geek

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    dont know about others but the smartcard reader option in the t61 is the 4-in-1 cards reader (typical, SD card, MS cards)
     
    the_passenger, Jul 16, 2007
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  4. msiner

    msiner Notebook Consultant

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    The Dell D630 comes standard with a SmartCard reader on the left side.
     
    msiner, Jul 16, 2007
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  5. acaurora

    acaurora Notebook Deity NBR Reviewer

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    yeah, Lenovo kind of screwed up in the description of this option. They are referring to the smart card as in Memory cards as the_passenger says. They do not mean the enterprise-corporate security-class line of smart card readers (I actually still have an American Express blue credit card that features the same chip).

    Personally I'd just go with the ExpressCard/PCMIA card combo - the card reader is so silly to have and can be inexpensively had for a very low price.
     
    acaurora, Jul 16, 2007
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