Hardware Review Website and USB WiFi Adapter advice Needed

If anyone knows of any really good websites for reviews and side by
side comparisons of hardware, feel free to post them in this thread.


Recently I found a need for using wireless ( wifi ) to access the web
and all I need is a couple of good USB WifI adapters ( dongles ) to
build myself a cantenna. But I'm on a tight budget and trying to find
one that works with Windows 98, that offers as many of the benefits
available as is possible, isn't all that easy.

So, I was thinking that someone out there in html land might consider
making a website where people could actually find information for
comparison of factors other than just price. I'm thinking of a web
page where I could enter my needs for the USB WiFi adapter, such as;
being able to state the one or more operating systems that I might use
with it, whether or not I want, or need wpa2, 802.11"b", "g", or "n",
etc... Then have it tell me which USB WiFi adapters are compatible and
show me ratings, reviews and pricing (as the last step) for each
device.

The websites I've seen so far, (keep in mind I'm using painfully slow
dialup), include CNET, ZNET, along with assorted other NET and geeky
named sites that are so bloated with advertising with minimal useful
info. The one site I found semi-useful was Amazon, only because the
item I was looking at had high ratings on other sites and most people
who reviewed the same USB WiFI adapter on Amazon said it had poor
reliability and got seriously hot, to the point of being a potential
fire hazard, (it was a big name brand item).

As things stand, I've had to do so many searches that I'm ready to say
screw it and buy some cheap piece of junk from China, (which is likely
where most of them are made anyway), and just go with that for now. I
know that so long as I continue to use Win98, I'm going to have to
make due with slower speeds anyway, but I do plan to upgrade to Win2K,
or Win XP soon, so for now at least I need something that is Win98
compatible.

(/vent)

K.

> But I'm on a tight budget and trying to find
> one that works with Windows 98

Just stop. Brand new or refurbished machines can be had, with the operating
system, for less that $300. That's brand new, much faster, CPU, memory,
drives, etc. Just end the madness of 98.

> but I do plan to upgrade to Win2K,
> or Win XP soon, so for now at least I need something that is Win98
> compatible.

Stop <vent/>ing and bite the bullet.

On Jan 22, 9:13 am, "Bill Kearney" <wkearne...@hotmail.com> wrote:
> > But I'm on a tight budget and trying to find
> > one that works with Windows 98
>
> Just stop. Brand new or refurbished machines can be had, with the operating
> system, for less that $300. That's brand new, much faster, CPU, memory,
> drives, etc. Just end the madness of 98.
>
> > but I do plan to upgrade to Win2K,
> > or Win XP soon, so for now at least I need something that is Win98
> > compatible.
>
> Stop <vent/>ing and bite the bullet.

I'll have a look at my virtual stock portfolio. j/k

Actually, I'm on a very modest fixed income and just don't have the
extra cash for new computers right now. (Guess I should have mentioned
that in the first post.) I currently use 2 P2's that both run Win98, 1
for selling some stuff online and 1 for personal use. I do hope to
have enough cash to pick up a couple of high end P3's, or low end P4's
by summer, but I'd save a lot of cash by being able to access wireless
now using what I have.

The place I rent is about 500 to 600 feet from the owner's place and
WiFi is actually included in the rent, "if" I can connect to it. I
also need to consider portability, since I rent this place in the
winter by the month, that is normally used in summer by regular
customers, (at much higher rates). Which means that in the summer I'll
be living in an old travel trailer I'm restoring, (which I don't mind,
since I'm into gold panning and plan to spend the summer doing that).
So, I'd planned on getting at least 1 newer laptop, but I know that
theres no laptops that are going to get that sort of range. I also
expect that while touring around in the summer months, I'll be pulling
into areas that have hotspots and I'll be having need of extra WiFi
range,

K.

In article <076a9692-6eff-45c5-937d-36e2690073a5@v67g2000hse.googlegroups.com>, kickofthecat@gmail.com wrote:
>On Jan 22, 9:13 am, "Bill Kearney" <wkearne...@hotmail.com> wrote:
>> > But I'm on a tight budget and trying to find
>> > one that works with Windows 98
>>
>> Just stop. Brand new or refurbished machines can be had, with the operating
>> system, for less that $300. That's brand new, much faster, CPU, memory,
>> drives, etc. Just end the madness of 98.
>>
>> > but I do plan to upgrade to Win2K,
>> > or Win XP soon, so for now at least I need something that is Win98
>> > compatible.
>>
>> Stop <vent/>ing and bite the bullet.
>
>I'll have a look at my virtual stock portfolio. j/k
>
>Actually, I'm on a very modest fixed income and just don't have the
>extra cash for new computers right now. (Guess I should have mentioned
>that in the first post.) I currently use 2 P2's that both run Win98, 1
>for selling some stuff online and 1 for personal use. I do hope to
>have enough cash to pick up a couple of high end P3's, or low end P4's
>by summer, but I'd save a lot of cash by being able to access wireless
>now using what I have.
>
>The place I rent is about 500 to 600 feet from the owner's place and
>WiFi is actually included in the rent, "if" I can connect to it. I
>also need to consider portability, since I rent this place in the
>winter by the month, that is normally used in summer by regular
>customers, (at much higher rates). Which means that in the summer I'll
>be living in an old travel trailer I'm restoring, (which I don't mind,
>since I'm into gold panning and plan to spend the summer doing that).
>So, I'd planned on getting at least 1 newer laptop, but I know that
>theres no laptops that are going to get that sort of range. I also
>expect that while touring around in the summer months, I'll be pulling
>into areas that have hotspots and I'll be having need of extra WiFi
>range,
>
>K.

You sound like you are on the Carolina coast. Where do you do most of your
panning, Kersaw, Waxhaw?

fundamentalism, fundamentally wrong.