PowerBook G4 won't recognize AirPort Extreme card

[satpyo]

I got this PowerBook G4 15" FW800 a while ago from a friend and just recently tried hooking up an AirPort Extreme card, because the ethernet card it came with was lousy. I've tried two different used AirPort Extreme cards now, and the laptop refuses to acknowledge the existence either one, even though I tried updating the AirPort software, and even reinstalling the OS and upgrading it to 10.4.11 again. Apparently when I go into the Network pane in System Preferences it should just say "card found", like it does with the ethernet connection, but it doesn't.

After a lot of no success, I thought it might be a hardware issue, so I took the laptop apart and snapped this pic (http://img13.imageshack.us/img13/7209/airportmystery.jpg) of the area around the AirPort card slot. I have no evidence the slot in question ever worked, by the way.

Can anyone tell from that pic or anything else what the problem might be? Feel free to request a different pic with more parts removed or whatever if that will help.

 

[dtravis7]

Are you sure the card is seated all the way into the slot/pins?

What was the issue with the ethernet card? A Powerbook has a built in ethernet port.

 

[satpyo]

Yeah, I had it in there pretty tightly, antenna well connected, tried unplugging and replugging a fair few times.

The ethernet card is an Orinoco WiFi card, which plugs right into the side of the laptop, and it works, but the signal isn't that great (it stutters when streaming video) and just a few walls or other physical obstacles completely obliterate the signal.

 

[satpyo]

Still no luck, even after taking some compressed air to the logic board connectors.

One last thought: Maybe it has to do with the AirPort Express card itself? Not necessarily saying it's defective, but maybe the model in question simply doesn't jive with this laptop? I heard that can be a problem sometimes. The model number is A1026. Anyone know if that could be an issue with a PowerBook G4 15" FW800?