Magma’s ExpressBox 1 is a new peripheral interface designed to enable laptop computers equipped with ExpressCard/34 slots, including Apple’s MacBook Pro, to work with a PCI Express (PCIe) expansion card instead. It’s available in half-length and full-length versions for $729 and $749 respectively.
The ExpressBox one consists of an ExpressCard/34 card, connection cable and external chassis. Either chassis can accommodate a “single-width” PCIe card. The half-length chassis works with cards up to 6.6 inches; the full-length chassis can handle cards up to 12.283 inches long. Either chassis can be stood vertically on a desk or rack-mounted using an included bracket.
With the ExpressBox 1 installed, a MacBook Pro user could utilize any expansion card intended for a Mac Pro, according to Magma (though whatever card you use must have Mac OS X drivers, of course). The chassis incorporates a “flip open” lid design for quick access to the card, dedicated power and cooling, and up to 250 megabyte per second throughput. The chassis can provide up to 55 watts of power.