Help Identifying this slot on my t4220

Whats is the slot with the green arrow?

 

Pc-card? *x-tra chars*

 

That looks to be your Type I/II PCMCIA slot. If I am reading the arrow right.

 

That is the smart-card slot.

 

Top is PC-card, bottom is smart card. Now can anybody explain to me why I want this thing on my machine??? I know what a smart card is in theory, but are there any actual uses where I'd want one on my laptop?

 

The Smart Card is used primarily in Europe rather than USA.
It's simply a piece of plastic with a chip on board, used in this example for security.
Idea being you insert the card and enter a password.

Having said that, I've never come across one.

 

I've only seen one actually in use, on my friend's Acer... apparently his laptop has a feature which allows lockdown when the Acer smartcard is removed. I have no idea how to get it working on my T4210 though - any software that actually uses it?

 

They're used mostly by enterprise customers that store configurations and/or passwords on smart cards (usually for networking/VPN use). I have several clients that use them when they connect to the corporate network. Even my stand alone Vista T4220 asks for it on occasion. Usually in the "enter your password or insert your smart-card now" type of thing.

 

I think the Octopus (Cash Cards) on Hong Kong's Mass Transit Railway are smart cards. Maybe people can soon deposit money to their cards via the internet instead of going to the station

 

Used mostly by companies for secure network passage to their system. Basically you probably won't use it unless you work for a company that uses it.