I/O Ports

Bluetooth

Uses wireless technology over short distances (approx. 30 ft) to transfer data between devices. When looking at laptops with Bluetooth, look for models that will let you turn off your Bluetooth without having to jump through a lot of steps. As a security precaution you don't want to leave Bluetooth enabled while traveling.

DVI Port

DVI stands for Digital Visual Interface and is a high quality connection between the laptop and an external display or a television. The biggest difficulty mobile professionals may run into with using DVI is if they have access to older TVs or monitors which do not have DVI connection capability. It's best to be prepared to use another means of connecting to an external screen or monitor.

FireWire 400 & 800 (IEEE 1394 and 1394b)

FireWire ports were originally only found on Apple computers and laptops. It is a high speed connection that is well suited for transferring video, graphics and music. There are now external hard drives which connect by FireWire and this makes transferring information between your laptop and FireWire hard drive very quick. FireWire devices can be connected to each other and then one device is connected to a laptop. You can also transfer data from one FireWire device to another without needing your laptop. This can be handy with video cameras or digital cameras. Rather than lugging your laptop everywhere you can take a portable hard drive instead.

Headphone Port

Again, the headphone jack is easy to understand. You can plug in headphones if you don't want to disturb those around your or use external speakers to share your music.

IrDA (Infrared Data Association)

Data can be transferred using infrared light waves between laptops, your laptop and a PDA and printers. This can be very convenient as you don't need any cables. IrDa ports transfer data at about the same speed as parallet ports and you must make sure that the devices transferring to each other are lined up and within a few feet of each other.

Memory Card Readers

Most laptops now have built-in memory card readers but the laptops will not always be able to read/write all the types of memory cards. In those cases where there isn't a memory card reader such as the MacBook, an external memory card reader will be required. Depending on the type of memory card, an adapter may be required to insert the memory card into your laptop. microSD can be read and written to in laptops with the use of an adapter. Most microSD cards will include an adapter. The memory card reader connects to your laptop via USB. They range in price and capabilities. D-Link and IOGear are makers of commonly found memory card readers.

Memory Cards

Memory cards are a way to expand the memory on your laptop and share files between devices. Memory cards can be specific to a type of gadget, such as the Sony Memory Stick are used in Sony digital cameras. Other memory card formats can be used in any type of device and don't require special software. The most common types of memory cards are: Compact Flash I and II, SD, MMC, Memory Stick, Memory Stick Duo and Memory Stick Pro & Pro Duos XD-Picture, Mini SD and Micro SD. Larger capacity memory cards are best if you can afford to buy them. You'll spend less time transferring data and you can do more with higher capacity memory cards.

Microphone Port

Just as the name implies this is a port to connect a microphone which can be handy when narrating your great movie creation or a PowerPoint presentation for work. You can also use a microphone with different Instant Messaging programs and VoIP programs. The quality of input will vary with laptops and as always, you get better quality and sounds cards with higher priced models.

Modem (RJ-11)

The modem port enables you to connect to telephone lines for either a dial-up Internet connection or to be able to send and receive faxes. You connect a regular telephone line cord to the modem and then to an active phone jack.

Parallel/Printer Port

Some older laptops and desktop replacement laptops will still have parallel ports included. These can be used to connect to printers, scanners and to other computers in some cases. Parallel ports are a slower transfer method and in most cases have been replaced by USB and /or FireWire ports.