From: David Ross (ross_at_math.hawaii.edu)
Date: Wed Oct 31 2001 - 20:13:56 EST
I saw this at techbargains.com
This is the same evil card (the autosensing Xjack version) that I had a great deal of trouble with last spring (and griped
about here). Some warnings:
(1) Some Thinkpad cardbus hardware - this includes the one on my 560X - will not run this card in W95. The
reason is that the set of versions of the W95 cardbus drivers that the TP likes, and the set that this PC card likes, are disjoint.
If you use W95 on a ThinkPad with a TI PCI-1250 series cardbus controller, do not buy this card! Runs OK in
W98SE.
(2) My card gradually died after just a few weeks of moderate use, the only PC card I've ever
owned that actually failed. My subsequent frustrating experience with a 3Com warrantee repair involved lots of
long phone queues, astonishingly dim people in their customer service department, some overt lies on their part, and a wait
of several weeks for the replacement card.
(3) Do not expect the other PC card slot to be usable even if you get the autosensing/Xjack Type II version.
The Xjack connection blocks the other slot for almost any reasonable use (excepting cards like pcmcia hard drives,
or anything else that is 100% contained in the slot).
(4) The combo xjack 'grabs' some phone cables, I think because the combo jack opening is a bit wider than the one on their usual modem cards.
That said, this is a pretty good modem (for a winmodem), the autosensing works well, and the 3com mobile connection
manager software that comes with the card is very useful. Well worth the $60 price, not at all worth the $200 I spent on
mine last January.
- David R.
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