If you want more information than you can digest about wireless in Linux,
then check out
Jean Tourrilhes' site.
Ndiswrapper is an app designed to allow you to use a Windoze driver.
Madwifi contains a Linux kernel driver for Atheros-based Wireless LAN
devices.
So you can buy a card that uses a Windoze driver, or you can buy a
card that uses a Linux driver. Your choice...
There are currently 3 "programming generations" of Atheros 802.11
wireless devices (some of these have multiple hardware implementations
but otherwise appear identical to users):
5210 supports 11a only
5211 supports both 11a and 11b
5212 supports 11a, 11b, and 11g
These parts have been incorporated in a variety of retail products
including cardbus cards from DLink, Linksys, Netgear, Orinoco,
Proxim, and 3Com; and mini-pci cards from some of these same vendors.
In addition many laptop vendors use Atheros mini-pci cards for their
builtin wireless support. For an up-to-date list of cards based
on Atheros parts visit:
http://customerproducts.atheros.com/customerproducts