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On the side of my Dell Latitude laptop, above the DVD drive, is a slot marked 'EC'. Pulling on it revealed a strangely shaped ruler with a temperature converter tool on the back. What is this? Why is it there?
EleventhDoctor
Posted 2013-08-15T14:09:32.390
Reputation: 992
83
It is a cool little multi-tool that Dell used instead of a plain slot keeper to keep dust and crud out of the Express card slot. It is actually pretty cool that Dell put this handy little tool in place of an otherwise useless hunk of plastic. There is a letter opener and everything.
Pretty cool.
Asus has one that stored flash Cards as a storage area:
And there is one that you can get if you are bored with your multi tool:
Seems there are a few other remotes you can store in this space.
Carl B
Posted 2013-08-15T14:09:32.390
Reputation: 6 430
I see a wire stripper (possibly) and either a can opener or a bottle opener. And a way to check screw sizes. Cool! – Journeyman Geek – 2013-08-15T15:28:59.357
1@JourneymanGeek - if it could open my Guinness bottles, I would get one for my pcie slot!!! – Carl B – 2013-08-15T15:32:49.370
Express card is not a PCIe slot though. It has both an USB port and a single PCIe lane. – Hennes – 2013-08-15T15:51:55.550
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@JourneymanGeek - Probably not strong enough to be a bottle/can opener. That looks like a letter opener, along these basic lines: http://s7d5.scene7.com/is/image/Staples/s0345069_sc7?%24splssku%24
– KeithS – 2013-08-15T18:48:29.650@CarlB, what is the device in that last picture, labeled Genius? – Ben Miller - Remember Monica – 2013-08-15T21:19:03.333
@BenMiller - a remote control with laser pointer for presentations. – Carl B – 2013-08-15T21:24:59.883
2Coolest answer. – MGOwen – 2013-08-16T03:19:08.490
38
A clever soul at Dell has turned the plastic spacer filling the ExpressCard slot into a small ruler, wire diameter measurement tool, and letter opener. This is maybe not an essential feature, given that the ruler is only 2in long, but it shows an amusing level of design imagination.
Read more: http://www.itproportal.com/reviews/laptops-pcs/dell-latitude-e5530-advanced-review
djhurio
Posted 2013-08-15T14:09:32.390
Reputation: 543
9
The Express Card (EC) slot is a PCI Express card slot used for various hardware options, such as a wireless card. PCI Express Card technology is the latest PCMCIA standard. There aren't very many cards (relative to USB) to put in them but you can add USB ports, media card readers, bluetooth and wireless cards.
Phone compnanies often hand them out as part of their mobile broadband offerings.
Solid State Drives (SSD's) are available, as well as Serial ATA (SATA) cards for adding external SATA drives.
vfbsilva
Posted 2013-08-15T14:09:32.390
Reputation: 356
Thank you @vfbsilva - I wonder if there is anything clever that we can do with the little ruler? It is a strange shape. – EleventhDoctor – 2013-08-15T14:21:33.473
@user39951 can you provide a picture of it? – vfbsilva – 2013-08-15T14:23:06.387
1I have a picture but need ten reputation before I can post it. I presently have eight reputation :-/ – EleventhDoctor – 2013-08-15T14:45:32.893
@user39951 - So use a comment and somebody will add it to your question. – Ramhound – 2013-08-15T14:47:17.797
@vfbsilva Good news, I now have 13 rep so I have added a picture of the little ruler. There is also a degrees F to degrees C converter on the back. – EleventhDoctor – 2013-08-15T14:58:12.013
@user39951 this might has to do with the bios temperature display so you have a converter in hand to check if the system is sane? but I'm only guessing. – vfbsilva – 2013-08-15T14:59:16.463
One note on "CI Express Card technology is the latest PCMCIA standard". Hmmm. PCMCIA is based on ISA, PC Card is based on PCI, and EC is based on USB and PCIe. To call it the latest standard is to say that a Volvo station car is the latest version of a bicycle. Both are transport tools, but they are not quite the same. – Hennes – 2013-08-15T15:53:53.247
@Hennes PC Card formally is PCMCIA v5 even though it switched from ISA to PCI internally; and Express Card is the officially designated successor. The vehicle analogy would be a car in a specific model getting a redesign everything inside but keep the name update; followed by being replaced with a new design/new name model in the same market segment. – Dan is Fiddling by Firelight – 2013-08-15T21:23:39.640
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In some computers, these rulers are used by engineering and computer aided design students and professionals. When they work from their home or dorm room, They use these to scale drawings and sketches onto the computer from a sketchbook or piece of drawing paper. There are computers that contain a longer, built in ruler or scaling tool like a slide rule. This Dell C1P22 Express Card ruler is only there because it is a dust guard for a slot where an internet card would be placed.
Brandon Bandelt
Posted 2013-08-15T14:09:32.390
Reputation: 1
68It looks like you can use to to measure very small spaghetti portions. – Jack – 2013-08-15T15:29:31.177
7It looks pretty useless... You should mail it to me, and I'll get you the proper plain-jane dust cover in return – Canadian Luke – 2013-08-15T15:31:06.347
1I wish it was a weight watchers points tool. I do not get enough exercise. – Carl B – 2013-08-15T15:34:45.830
1That seems to be a fairly new enhancement. My 6420 (along with the 6400, 630, and 600 I had before) all came with fillers that just had enough plastic framing to hold their shape. – Dan is Fiddling by Firelight – 2013-08-15T15:57:53.007
5Hold at arms length and use holes to identify planets in the night sky while waiting on login prompt to appear or security patches to install. – zundarz – 2013-08-15T19:04:29.600
What I really want to know is why there is a fake thermometer on the back side of it. – EFeit – 2013-08-15T19:13:31.667
3That is sooo coool! – drwatsoncode – 2013-08-15T20:27:31.877
I want one for my laptop. – Ron Smith – 2013-08-15T20:46:47.173
1Give me hackable firmware for all your peripherals, and keep the cheap ruler. How about that? – Kaz – 2013-08-15T20:58:45.957
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@RonSmith - available at e-bay. Someone is selling theirs for $25.Must be the rare white version. http://www.ebay.com/itm/Dell-Latitude-E6430-M92YV-Gray-Express-Card-Blank-/190868213519?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item2c70a1cf0f
– Carl B – 2013-08-15T21:08:08.0531It is kind of funny - this device to open letter (when we get e-mail) has a temp converter (when we can look it up on line) - but it is still pretty good use of otherwise useless plastic blank. – Carl B – 2013-08-15T21:52:17.010