Using Enabler with a Laptop
The Enabler system requires an Enabler PCI card in order to operate. This requires special consideration if you want to use Enabler on a laptop PC. For example, if you wish to give demonstrations to customers without taking a full-size PC. There are two solutions available that we are aware of.
External PCI slot via PC-Card slot
If your laptop has a PC-Card slot (also known as CardBus, PCMCIA, ExpressCard - check your laptop specifications for the correct model) then you can buy an adapter to let you mount PCI cards externally.
Laptop Docking Stations
Until recently Dell offered a Dock for some business laptop models which can be used to run The Enabler PCI card. Dell stopped selling this D/Dock (docking station) product early 2009. At present we are not aware of any other manufacturers that offer PCI slots in their laptop docking solutions.
Tips on using Docking Stations
You can usually remove the laptop by telling Windows you are about to undock, without restarting, but you will need to shut down Enabler Pump Server first, and restart it later if you plug the dock in.
Small Form Factor PCs
This option doesn't allow you to use your laptop directly, but small form factor (SFF) PCs may be an option to provide a more portable Enabler PCI hosting option than a full size PC.