Lowend WiFi - Wireless Under System 7.6.1 On A PB 5300
Let's get this straight right away. This is not being done as an experiment in lowend computing, but out of necessity. At this time, aside from sleeping at my in-laws (an experience that I liken to having open wounds and swimming in a tank with great whites, by the way), I'm living out of my car. I do not have regular access to the internet. My two primary Macs, both G3's, are packed, and my iBook "Tang" doesn't have an Airport card yet. However, I do have my trusty old PowerBook 5300c "Morgana". This is very much a basic unit, 16 MB RAM, 100mHz, factory standard.
I tried out an Enterasys RoamAbout card in her sometime back and found that it worked well in our home network. As luck would have it, both Morgana and the WiFi card were packed together in my car.
Thanks to the System 7 Today site, I discovered that Internet Explorer 5 is the perhaps the best choice for a browser under 7.6.1, and is still fairly modern (six years out of date, but many pages still load). Considering the low memory overhead of Syste 7.6.1, the combination seemed like one that would work out in the real world.
For my real world experiments (err... usage), I chose a library in Broward County and a nearby McDonalds (oh, what I go through for the cause). Performance? It is a ten year old laptop with low memory (and I might add a cranky keyboard). Still, I am posting this from that McDonalds in Deerfield Beach in between job hunting. The speed might seem glacial at times, but it is comparable to dial-up of recent years. Overall, not a bad experience. And besides, as I mentioned already, it is really the only choice I have right now.
Peace,
Rob

