: This may be the dumbest question of the year, but is there a
: way to 'piggyback' or expand a 6-slot motherboard (all 16-bit)
: to get the usual 8?  My case has slots for 8, and I'd like to
: get a scanner, but with all my other cards I'm already max'd out!
: I'm hoping that a simple solution exists, e.g. an adapter that turns

I'm not sure if this will work, but how about using one of those 'T' expanders
used in the low-profile cases.  They allow 3-5 slots staggered on either
side of the card.  You can install it in the last slot, and then (probably) 
have 2 or 3 sideways slots.  This is actually how it is done in the low
profile cases - a standard motherboard, the 'T' connector in one slot, 
and the expansion cards plugged into the 'T'.  I guess you could do this at 
each end of the slots (1 & 8) to add even more.  

The 'T' connectors are simply tracks with slots on them - no electronics
on it.  The only downside - your case won't close, but for a homebrew system,
that may not be a problem.

Don't know about performance, though.  I'll leave that discussion to the 
engineers.