How to Use PCMCIA Cards for Networking, Storage, and More
Before USB drives and plug-and-play adapters became standard, PCMCIA cards were the backbone of laptop expansion. Introduced in the early 1990s, these credit-card–sized devices made it possible to add functionality to notebooks that were otherwise limited by size and ports. While largely replaced by modern interfaces, PCMCIA cards still hold value for legacy systems in industries such as aviation, defense, and manufacturing.