Having changed from a USB modem to an ADSL WiFi box, I was agreeably surprised that Ubuntu 7.04 immediately recognised it and connected me to the Internet. However, despite receiving help and advice from the forums I couldn't connect wirelessly.
Then I installed Ubuntu 7.10, which told me that it didn't support my WiFi box, but gave me the reference of a driver that might work. It did! So I now have Firefox (with the excellent Foxmarks), Open Office, Audacity, Skype (albeit without the video option) and KDE Patience (similar in looks but much better than Windows Solitaire) up and running under Ubuntu. Am in the process of trying the streaming programmes (e.g. Sopcast) and DVD reader/writer.
But, I really would like to have the equivalent of Autohotkey running under Linux. The programe is great for writing macros to perform regular tasks (putting in passwords, bank numbers, addresses etc) and it comes with a programme that records everything you do which can then be easily transferred to a macro. It is particularly useful for helping visually impaired computer users. Often, it is impossible to navigate within a window with the keyboard and the only way is with the mouse. If you can't see the screen that becomes impossible. Autohotkey to the rescue... By writing a macro that positions the mouse at a particular point in a window, a blind person can click on the right spot. Imagine trying to accept a Skype call if you don't know where the green button is....
So I'm now a 90% Ubuntu user. If ever the equivalent of Autohotkey becomes available, and if I can find a remote screen reader that works under Linux, I will pass to 100%.

you are talking device issues so what you need to tell us is what box what chip what device etc. not programs because this is a hardware issue . love to help need the hardware info. and yes all this stuff can be suported by linux with the right info. wether it be a linux drive with firmware lib. or a ndiswrapper module that uses window drivers in linux.
good luck. open a terminal and type sudo lspci and sudo dmesg and the we will be gettiing closer. if it is a usb then lsusb

I wrote a program that implements the hotstring functionality somewhat of autohotkey. It's here: http://autokey.sf.net/

Let me know if it works for you.

this is a hardware issue.