Lap top withOUT a serial port

Ok all you network folks and geer geeks , here is the sernerio , it appaers I am getting a new ( Hand me down ) laptop for work .
My current laptop is a dead battery Pentum 75mhz , running ,,,,,, wait for it ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, DOS 6.2 and Win 3.1 :eek:
Yes I am a command line commando !!!!! :rar:
1 problem , the semi new toy does NOT have a serial port ,
I HAVE to have a serial port !!!!
I HAVE to be able to talk to 232 printers , score boards , AEI tag readers ,bar code wedges , and trouble shoot data streames from scales and PC's , etc,,
I Think it has a usb port , and I am sorta certin it has a PCMCIA slot or 2 .
I have seen USB serial cables , and PCMCIA cards and cables .
I have MANY old ( Most from the 386 days ) serial comm progs that I use ALL the time .
What about IRQ addresses and the such ???
How will this work with my older programs ?????
HELP !!!!!!:mg:

would some thing like this work ???
http://www.cablestogo.com/product_list.asp?cat%5Fid=1529

this is a newer version of one of my best tools(Programs) , serialtest from BlackBox.
http://www.blackbox.com/Catalog/Detail.aspx?cid=151,156,181&mid=1680

This will probably get what you need: http://www.sfcable.com/Merchant2/merchant.mv?page=SC/PROD/72/UB30-40&source=pricewatch

$18 with shipping.

Email BB and see if they have a recommended adapter and the workarounds you need for it.

And we love the BB catalog, it's like nerdcore porn.

If BB is still what they were 5 years ago, they have the greatest support of any other such vendor, and prices damn near double.

If you need that support pay it, otherwise...

Zippy,

My Thinkpad doesn't have a serial port, either. This is why I recommend:

1. A PCMCIA Serial Port card (I have one of these and it was $200 back in the day, but works 100%).
2. A Belkin USB Serial Adapter (not 100%).
3. Purple Computing (www.pfranc.com). These guys are good :).

I recommend 1 or 3 if you're going to do diagnostic work.

Thanks,

Mitch