Wireless Woes

When I purchased this laptop last year, I decided it was time to “go wireless”. I found an incredibly good deal on a Microsoft MN-700 802.11G wireless router and the matching MN-720 PC card. Within 3 months, Microsoft discontinued all of their wireless products, and after owning these incredibly crappy pieces of hardware, I now know why. There are not many things that have frustrated me to the point of wanting to throw my computer through a plate-glass window, but I can honestly say that these two devices meet that criteria, and have numerous times. Given that the average combined price of these two devices on eBay is about $25, it’s clear that the market has spoken as well. Not that I’d want to foist this kind of frustration on some stranger.

I just wish that when they decided to discontinue these products, that they had done the right thing and announced a complete recall, with full refund. Have a gander through the list of issues and their so-called “resolutions” on Microsoft’s support site. Most of them are not resolutions at all, but merely workarounds that, if implemented, remove functionality. What a joke. Microsoft’s wireless hardware belongs in a landfill. Argh.