Airport card substitution?

[macbrooke]

I have one airport card and two laptops than can run it.
I would like to get a card for the clamshell (my daughter uses this)
Am I forced to pay the insane prices for the original airport?
Or is there some sort of substitution.. can a regular wireless card be somehow modified?

I have a linksys card laying around here somewhere...

 

[WildCowboy]

You're pretty much stuck if you want an internal solution. The original AirPort cards were manufactured by Sony and were available (with a removable antenna) as Sony-branded products, but I think they're even harder to find than the Apple-branded one. I don't think there are any other products that would fit into the AirPort connector and allow your computer to close back up.

That more or less means that you'd be stuck with an external solution. There are some decent USB wireless adapters, but I've never used any of them, so I can't recommend any.

 

[macbrooke]

Darn darn.. I saw one on craigslist today for 130.00

I think its just extortion....LOL

 

[WildCowboy]

I think its just extortion....LOL

It's just supply and demand...unfortunately for those who need them.

Check around on the Marketplace forums here...you'll sometimes spot one for ~$100. Still a lot of cash, but better than you'll often find on places like eBay.

 

[mad jew]

The USB dongles are pretty notorious for causing kernel panics so unfortunately I agree with WildCowboy; it's gotta be an AirPort card.

Good luck in your quest, young macbrooke.