Duel Systems DuelAdapter

DuelAdapter Doubles Your Connection Pleasure

That slot on the side of your fancy new notebook may look like a standard PC Card connector, but chances are you got stuck with an ExpressCard slot instead: a replacement technology which is incompatible with PC Cards and for which precious few peripherals exist. If you've got old PC Card hardware which you don't want to upgrade, the Duel Systems DuelAdapter provides a lifeline. The device has an ExpressCard on one end and a PC Card dock on the other, connected by a hefty, foot-long cable. Install drivers and you've got a way to use nearly any old PC Card on your laptop. We tried it with a Cingular WWAN card, PC Card hard drive, and Microdrive adapter and had no problems. Just try to ignore the unfortunate homophone in the name.

WIRED Practically plug-and-play, can swap cards in and out without reboots. Works on Windows XP and Mac machines. Broad support even for notoriously "difficult" PC Cards, like WWAN adapters.

TIRED No-frills design; a status light on the unit would have been nice. Extremely old PC Cards probably won't work with it. No Vista support yet. A little bulky at 5.8 ounces and a bit awkward to try and fit in a messenger bag.

• Style: Accessories
• Manufacturer: Duel Systems
• Price: $120
Release Date: March 07, 2007