USB vs. PCMCIA wireless adapters: which is better?

So, I've been staring at my screen for ages trying to figure out if it's actually worth grabbing a wireless USB dongle or if I should just go with one of those old-school PCMCIA wireless cards instead?
Has anyone here actually messed around with these wireless setups lately and dealt with the headaches?
I’d love some solid advice on which brand is actually reliable—any specific manufacturer you guys swear by?

It’s all basically the same thing... at least if you ask me..

but hey, you can always just run a USB stick on a long cable to catch a better signal by the window or whatever..

still, PCMCIA feels a bit more seamless in a laptop... looks a lot cleaner that way...

1) PCMCIA will tend to have a larger antenna (eg a double quad) built into the circuit board - this will get you a decent signal, but only if you are facing the right way. some PCMCIA cards will have an external antenna connector and this can make a massive difference, but is pricey.

2) USB dongles tend to have tiny folded antennas, BUT you can reposition them on the end of a USB cable to get a better signal. This can be really handy.