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nduetime · Jan 30, 2007, 05:58 PM

I recently purchased a pcmcia wireless card from cingular to use with my dell laptop I had. The laptop stopped working and I made the jump to a apple macbook pro. However, the macbook has an expresscard slot. I have a few questions:
1. Is there an adapter that would allow me to use my pc card in my expresscard slot?
2. If not, Cingular has their option GT Max express card. Is there any other option I have that will allow me to use my Cingular SIMM card and service to access the internet wirelessly? Possibly a differnt expresscard?
I need to be able to use my laptop to access the internet. Going to cingular to purchase the card seems easy enough. However, I was told at the store that it's not a product they stock so I have to go online and MAYBE I can get it there. I asked about special ordering one and they said only with the purchase of a new service contract. I explainned I already have one and I just want the card and am willing to buy the card at retail price. Can't be done I was told. I looked online and it said I have to do the service contract.
If I wanted to buy a phone without a contract, I can do that. But not with this expresscard? I find it hard to believe that a company has a product and won't sell it for any price to any willing customer.
Does anyone have any suggestion?
Thanks for the help-b.

mduell · Jan 30, 2007, 09:42 PM

1. No; at least, not at any reasonable price.
2. No, that ExpressCard/54 card won't fit in the MacBook Pro's ExpressCard/34 slot.

nduetime · Jan 31, 2007, 05:46 PM

okay...now I see it's a /54 and not a /34. I know verizon has an expresscard/34. Would there be anyway of using this card with my cingular SIMM card?
I guess i'm a little confussed. Help me out here...they have an adapter that allows you to take a expresscard and use it in a pc card slot but not the other way around? Why...from what i'm reading, the two are incompatable...yet they have an adapter...and only one way? This is crap. Here I bought this macbook pro thinking I could get wireless internet with a card and it appears to be impossible now. What a crock-b.

mduell · Jan 31, 2007, 08:38 PM

No, vzw and att use totally different wireless network protocols.
PC Card slots are bigger than ExpressCard slots, so the converter would have to have a cable and an external box to put the card in. I think they're available, but quite expensive (hundreds of dollars).

nduetime · Jan 31, 2007, 08:44 PM

a couple hundred dollars is no big deal considering i need it to run my business. i travel a lot and need to access the internet, hence the reason i got the pc card. price and cords are no big deal for me. not being able to use my new macbook with wireless card IS!!!!
one thing....you can buy a verizon phone or any other phone from different provider, unlock it (what ever that means) and place a simm card from another provider and use the phone. i was wondering if the same can be done with the express card.

this possible expensive adapter...what is it called, where can it be found or any links would be greatly helpful. thanks-b.

mduell · Jan 31, 2007, 09:53 PM

Sorry, I was incorrect, there are no general purpose PC Card to ExpressCard slot adapters.

Why not just get a USB cellular modem?
Why are you chained to att? Why not switch to vzw? EVDO Rev A has some pretty nice speeds.

Mister Elf · Jan 31, 2007, 10:32 PM

Why not just use your phone as a Bluetooth modem?

nduetime · Feb 1, 2007, 09:36 AM

I'm chained to Cingular because I'm to a two year contract that cost several hundreds of dollars to get out of. However, more importantly, I travel to other states to do business that if I didn't have cingular which has no roaming in the continental US, no matter where I am, it would cost me extra to connect and use.
I'm not sure what a USB cellular modem is.
So it's impossible to use a EVDO Rev A with a Cingular SIMM card?
As far a using my phone as a Bluetooth modem...that uses up my minutes for my phone which are very low because I rearly use my phone to make calls.
I understand the express card is the way of the future but come on Apple...this was a stupid move considering there are only a couple of options out there in general right now. I love the newer technology but when I can't take advantage of it for another couple of months, 6 months-a full year after I purchase my compter just isn't right.

nduetime · Feb 1, 2007, 09:39 AM

Originally Posted by Mister Elf

Why not just use your phone as a Bluetooth modem?

actually now that I'm thinking about it...can you explain this to me a little more? I just got to thinking that maybe I could put my SIMM card of my pc card into my phone and it not use my cell phone minutes. Does this sound like something that is possible?

jdrumstik · Feb 1, 2007, 02:41 PM

It is possible but it uses a dial up connection, not a LAN type connection.

Additionally you could not recieve or output calls.

Mac OS X has the features integrated. I believe that if you connect your phone to your compy it comes up as an uption somewhere.

You may want to consider breaking that contract, cause um I've done it before and I simply never paid them the cancellation fees. Sure I can never get another contract with AT&T my entire life, but oh well. Every once in a while they call me the try to get me to pay them money and I tell them I will come back if they wave all the fees, give me better rates, and buy me out of my VZW contract and then I hang up. They can't effect your credit, Its unethical, but you can do it. Especially considering that they don't even have the hardware you need it sounds okay to me.

Also if its for your business and you don't mind dropping money to make it work, You could get a VZW contract just for the wireless abilities, and maybe they would give you a deal if you said you would switch all your lines over after your cingular contract expired.

nduetime · Feb 1, 2007, 02:55 PM

at this point I don't want to drop my cingular coverage. I'm open to possibilities of making it work with the existing pieces I have or can get. I'm interested to know how to use my phone as a modem. I don't mind if I'm not able to make or receive phone calls while using it at a modem. I just want to be able to access the internet from where ever I am regardless if the hotel I'm staying at has a connection or not. Thanks-b.

MrN79 · Feb 2, 2007, 03:20 AM

My suggestion which may not be the best, but will get you on the internet at DSL speeds...try Sprint, they have a USB GSM modem (DSL Speeds), sell your existing contract to someone with a PC Card(54) that needs that service.

jdrumstik · Feb 2, 2007, 11:44 AM

here is a guide from apple

Using a Bluetooth phone to connect your computer to the Internet

and here is another source

GSM Phone as Mac OS X Modem

However, you will need some sort of Dial Up internet proggy for your computer, or at least some dial up service which may cost $10 a month, or maybe free. I don't really know.