Compaq iPAQ Expansion Pack PCMCIA Card

Rating:
Summary: Q: Why so much more than the CF sleeve? A: a battery
Review: In case you're wondering, the PCMCIA (PC Card) expansion pack costs more because it's got its own rechargeble battery (PC Cards need more juice than CF cards). I assume it recharges from the cradle along with the iPaq. It's bigger the the CF sleeve, of course, but if you want to be the first on your block with proper wireless web access (none of the Palm web clippings nonsense), you'll have to take the PC Card expansion route.

Rating:
Summary: Do you need this?
Review: This expansion pack for the Compaq iPAQ Pocket PC will extend the features of your iPAQ -- taking it from the toy catetory to a productivity tool.

You will need this accessory if you want to:

- Use the PC Cards you currently own, such as a modem, ethernet card, wireless card, cell phone modem, barcode scanner, etc.

- Have the only device currently available that includes additional battery power. The iPAQ has a non-removable battery. This is the only way to add battery to the iPAQ, short of building your own batter extender and lugging it around. The extra battery is required to support the power needs of a PC Card.

This expansion pack is bigger than the compact flash expansion pack -- it adds 3.5cm thickness and 132 grams of weight to your iPAQ, more than doubling its thickness.

You want this if you currently have PC cards that you'd like to use with or iPAQ or if there is a card that you want to use (such as a wireless one) that is not available in Compact Flash format.

Rating:
Summary: Bulky is true, but very usefull......
Review: This sleeve is bulky. There are reasons though. For one, you get a battery built-in that powers the adapters or storage devices without draining the main iPAQ battery source. This pack also has a power port that allows you to plug-in and charge the PDA battery and its own.

I bought this expansion pack to run the Compaq WL110 wireless LAN adapter, so I am a bit envious of the Toshiba e740 Pocket PC that has wireless built-in. Even the latest iPAQ does not come standard with wireless built-in. I suppose Compaq wants to continue the Expansion Pack sales.

There is a wide variety of Compaq Flash Card adapters. I would consider getting the CF card sleeve over this one if I had the choice over. The reasons would be the smaller size of the adapter cards, the standard CF memory cards which I use for a number of reasons such as digital photos and file storage, would fit natively without a CF card to PCMCIA adapter. Compaq makes a dual PCMCIA and CF card Expansion Pack. If you have the dough, that is the probably the ideal way to go.