I just don't get it

I really don't get the people who make wireless internet cards/adaptors. I've installed or at least tried to install five of them now on five different computers. I've helped friends and family do it, being the 'computer guy' can sometimes be a pain. I've installed PCI, USB, and the plain laptop PCMCAI cards from Linksys, Netgear, some random company and whoever makes the Compaq ones (I know it isn't Compaq). They should be easy to install and get to work, they really should but they aren't.

Everyone of them has produced the same problem. They each come with their own software that wants to manage how the computer connects to a wireless network. Windows XP also has its own software to manage how the computer connects to a wireless network. With both pieces of software doing the same thing, using the same hardware to do it, well it doesn't work. Instead of one working neither of them works and the computer doesn't connect to the network. What really gets me is there has been almost an entirely different solution for each brand/type of wireless adaptor. Some you must disable the Windows software and let the adaptor's software do its thing. Others you must disable the companies software and let Windows do it. Others you must unistall the software and just install the driver, usually not included in the disk that came with the adaptor. My favorite was the one that wanted me to disable both and then manually look input the IP address, lots of fun if you're traveling and want to use a wireless access point.

Everyone has been different. I've actually had to talk to tech support for two different ones, the first one and then my most recent one. Typically I can figure it out myself, there is only so many possibilities, or I can find the information on the web. The first one was because well it was the first time. The most recent was for a USB adaptor we recently purchased to move one of our computers to a different part of the house.

I had to talk to tech support, after being on hold for 25 minutes twice yesterday. The first time was someone who just refused to deviate from his script. I told him where I was, what the problem was, etc. He just kept starting from the beginning. "Make sure to insert the installation CD into a working CD drive", "Now plug the adaptor into the USB port", and on and on. The guy was an idiot. The second guy was helpful but we still didn't come to a result that I like. This is the one that wanted me to input the IP address manually. Not good at all. Everytime I would restart or shutdown the computer Windows would reset the settings and start looking for it automatically. I would have to then manually do everything all over again. Also my ISP resets my IP about every three to six weeks, I would also have to change the settings then. We've just to buy $20 worth of cat 5 cable and hardwire it.

What gets me is how these things actually ever sell. I've made a living in the past building and fixing computers. I'm not saying I'm Michael Dell or Bill Gates, of course they probably couldn't do it either, I'm saying I'm okay with a computer. If I've spent an hour or so the first time plus any phone/hold time getting it to work how long does a computer novice spend doing this. I would like to say it is an isolated incident but literally every one has involved some sort of conflict with Windows. It isn't like these adaptors aren't going to be installed on a Windows XP machine, design the things to work with XP not against it.

My advice, just buy a computer with a built in wireless adaptor. Both of our machines have one, no problem :)