Local Area Networks (LANs) link a group of computers together, allowing their users to communicate and share important information. There are different protocols or systems and rules defined for this purpose. Ethernet is one of the most common.
LAN capability is becoming increasingly important, but till recently, Palmtop users have had problems interfacing with Local Area Networks. About the only practical solution was to connect an HP Palmtop via serial cable to a desktop PC that was itself connected to the LAN. This approach was cumbersome and slow.
A more direct connection to the LAN was the solution to the problem and the card slot was the obvious choice. Data transfer between the Palmtop and a card in the slot is much faster than serial or infrared port data transfer. Unfortunately, earlier versions of PCMCIA Ethernet adapter cards were designed for full-sized desktop computers and notebook computers. They did not work with the HP Palmtops because of battery requirements