Steve,
I did all of that stuff for years and have about called it quits....
There is a big problem with open Wifi, it is always slow. Most of the places that let you get it for free are also only g level and not n. Many places shut it off when they close up. This has been the case with McD, Panera, Caribo Coffee, and CRS has wiped the rest.... With everything else considered, look up an Alfa awus036nhr. It may not come packaged with an OS 10.7 driver, but that can be downloaded. It is a simple, clean package and not expensive.
Other problem, free wifi is never be available when you are underway. You have to be parked someplace that you may not want to be.
So, investigate high speed wireless. If you aren't going to stream video, it can be affordable. You can't do what I do because I'm grandfathered in to a good Verizon plan, but you can get a 4G smart phone and one of the buy-it-once apps for Mifi and just be careful of your use. Be cautious, some of the carriers have put in traps so those apps like FoxFi and PDAnet won't work, so you have to find out before you buy into a carrier.
The easy thing to do is get a smartphone and tether - either cable or wirelessly.
Matt
