Thinkpad 380ed + USB PCMCIA-card. Can it work?

As an alternative to replacing the motherboard. Purchase a PCMCIA USB card and insert it into the PCMCIA slot in your ThinkPad. Use this USB card for your USB devices, cheaper than replacing the motherboard if you can get one. This model ThinkPad is old.

There are several PCMCIA USB ports available, I have an IBM T20 and I bought a Belkin USB 2.0 card from ebay for under $20, it has 2 USB ports, (and I've seen them with up to 4) and most electronics store should have them. They also come with Firewire ports if you choose to go that route

get a PCMCIA USB port, I have one with 2 ports, I have seen them with as many as 4, and I found mine on ebay, though most electronics stores would have them, you can also get them with firewire ports, too

You have two choices for a wireless connection, a PCMCIA card or a USB device.
My choice would be a PCMCIA card, because it frees up a USB port.
There are quite a few PCMCIA card to choose from, I favour Netgear and D-Link.
Their instructions make them easy to install and setup.
Let me know if you have problems.

It can't be done on this laptop. If it had a "PCCARD" slot (the 380ED has the older PCMCIA slot) you could get an adapter card to slide in that had USB ports on it, but there is no way to convert your serial or parallel ports to provide a USB interface. Your motherboard must be designed to support USB and yours is not.

You can get an adapter such as an DB9/com port to USB or LPT to USB adapter and you'll be able to connect a USB device or USB hub to your ThinkPad.

If I could be of further assistance, let me know. If this helps or solves the issue, please rate it.
Thanks, Joe

I’m happy to assist further over the phone at https://www.6ya.com/expert/joe_8b8c2cd6ce148309

This is an old system, in order to get it internet ready you will need to purchase an ethernet bus card for connecting via ethernet cable, or a wireless bus card for connecting wirelessly. You can find these at Bestbuy or Walmart. As for the game manager, this system is going to be to old and doesn't have the hardware to support the program, basically, it won't work. Oh, the bus cards are also called PCMCIA slot adapters, just in case you run into some overly technical clerk when you're looking for them.

Well i not shore what to do, but you can go to you local computer store or the IBM factory.

I assume you get a wizard when you insert the card.
if not then you have another issue entirely. bad slot.

yes Windows ME may be an issue for you they had very few drivers that had support for wireless.
if me doesn't recognize the card natively you are searching for just the right card. and most folks who have one do not know if it supports ME without a lengthy search.