Re: internet connection
I concur. I also used to build PCs in the days before laptops hit the markets. It was fun and you picked and chose the best bits you could afford and which you needed.
Those days are long gone.
Most PCs/Laptops are now tweakable. Lift the back off and you can change memory chips, hard disks, wifi adapters (which plug in and out really easily) and so on.
When you buy you know exactly what's inside because it is all listed in the spec.
Like Bruce I wouldn't waste a USB port on a WiFi adapter. Just get a card to plug into one of the free internal slots.
A direct Ethernet connection to your router is preferable to WiFi if it is possible but logistically it's not suitable for many people.