; Sonnet Technologies, 949/587-3500, www.sonnettech.com; $80
Apple’s decision to not provide an Airport Extreme option for CardBus PowerBooks, including G4 Titanium and G3 models, left owners of those laptops with no immediate hope of reaching AirPort Extreme’s 54 Mbps. Some of those people already felt shortchanged by the Titanium PowerBook’s short range. Sonnet’s Aria Extreme Wireless CardBus Card solves both problems, and it brings wireless to G3 PowerBooks that have no AirPort slots. The Aria extreme relies on AirPort 3.1 software (OS X 10.2.6 or later is required), making installation and configuration a simple matter. The Aria extreme offers a good range and full 54-Mbps speed. When installed in a Titanium PowerBook, the Aria extreme achieved a significantly stronger signal at 50 and 65 feet than an AirPort card. Owners of pre-AirPort G3 PowerBooks will benefit because the card gives their systems the same transmission speed as the PowerBooks with AirPort software. The card’s price and features are comparable to similar products.