Both of my units gets download speeds in the 500-700 KB/s range. That's good enough for me, since I don't even have that much bandwidth available at home (my internet provider usually caps it at 400 KB/s or so).
So far, it has worked with all access points I tried: the one at home, the ones at work (in my building and in other buildings), the wifi I get at conferences or in hotels, etc.
Your mileage may vary, but I wouldn't say it is "just awful". It is a bit limited in its range (when I'm too far from my AP at home, I get disconnected while my laptop can go a few meters further), and it's quite power-hungry compared to the current state-of-the-art, but it does the job, at least for me.