Based on performance alone, does a wireless adapter work as well as a
wireless card installed inside my pc?

Thanks.

Dawson2

The general answer is yes as most cards and interal installations use
the same specs and general antenna designs.

However, most ppc's don't support external antenna's such as some cards
do and pc usb dongles can easily be repostioned to improve reception or
to use signal reflector/concentrators.

Beyond that, know that wifi "specs" are maximums, so, expect bout a 100'
range in most cases... sometimes more, sometimes less... depends on a
lot of factors such as the sp's antenna, building construction, rf
interference, etc, etc.

Beverly Howard [MS MVP-Mobile Devices]