>I might be changing from dial-up access to either DSL or
>Cable modem connection. The ISP will be determined later
>after i've priced out all the competitors. My question is
>will I need to install a NIC in my desktop PC in order to
>connect to the internet via cable? Right now all i have is
>a winmodem installed in a PCI slot.

You will need a NIC in each computer you connect, you can buy a good NIC for $5 - $20.

>Also, if my roommate and I want to share that one cable
>internet service, will i need to buy a particular type of
>router?

A router is the beast and easiest way to connect multiple computers.

>3rd question is how will a Pent II (450 MHz I think) OS=Win
>98 SE run on cable internet service? I told the person who
>asked me this question that it should be just fine. I guess
>she was thinking since its such an "older PC" ... she might
>not notice much of a difference compared to dial-up. I told
>her it's more a function of connectivity rather than the
>CPU. Which is only partly true since a 2 GHz CPU would
>allow you to process the webpages faster compared to a 450
>MHz CPU. Anyone agree on this?

The speed of the computer will make little or no difference in the speed of a cable connection. A 400MHz computer is much faster than any internet connection.