History

• The express card slot was developed following the classic PC card slot, or sometimes known as the PCMCIA slot, named after the technological group that originally developed it. The express card slot takes up less room on a computer and boasts higher speeds than previous slots. The original PC Card slot was designed for computer storage expansion, but now serves different purposes. Mostly the express card and PC card slot devices of today are mobile broadband access cards, modems and some external hard drives.
  
  

Function

• The most common function for express card slots today is mobile broadband cards. Mobile broadband cards provide Internet access by use of cellular towers and are usually sold by cellular companies on a separate data plan. The next most common use for these slots would be putting TV tuners in express card slots to watch TV on your computer. Third most common use would be as a card slot expansion port (for example, SD and CompactFlash cards).
  
  

Types

• There are two types of express card slots. A universal express card slot is 54mm wide and accepts both 54mm express cards and 34mm card slots. The smaller 34mm non-universal slot can only fit 34mm cards as its size permits. The 54mm slot is also the classic standard size of the older, slower PC card. The only difference is that inside the Express Card 54mm slot, there is a guide near the back of the slot that moves a 34mm card into place, preventing classic PC cards to be used. There are converter cards out on the market to solve this issue.
  
  

Necessity

• As of 2010, the use of the Express card slot is not necessary, as many mobile broadband, TV tuner and hard drive companies have switched to USB 2.0 capabilities found on almost every computer and technological device today. Many computer manufacturers today have either dropped the slot entirely or switched to a 34mm Express card slot only.
  
  

Uses

• If you still have an express card slot device or an older PC slot device you still use, you may want to shop around for a laptop still carrying the express slot or find a express card to USB 2.0 adapter on your next computer purchase. While the slot is useful in some situations, it is not necessary for common use today.