Two things need to be straight in your mind before you start thinking about this issue. First, wireless (and wired, for that matter) transfer rates are quoted in bits per second, not bytes. That means the number you see (like 54Mbps) is actually talking about millions of bits per second, not millions of bytes. 54Mbps equates to 6.75 megabytes per second.
Second, and at least as important, the quoted rate is a theoretical maximum rate. It does not take into account the management overhead used to monitor and control the link. It also does not reflect actual throughput. Depending on distance, interference, and obstacles, your throughput could be a lot lower than that theoretical 6.75MBps. So an approximate transfer rate of about 2megabytes per second is not too bad.
Considering that most broadband connections max out at around 3 megabits per second (again, not counting overhead), the tradeoff isn't too bad. I have an 11Mbps wireless system at home (even though our latest acquisition is a new iBook with AirPort extreme), and we're all quite happy with wireless speed for surfing and printing. If it becomes necessary to transfer large files wirelessly, I either just sit and wait, or I take the laptop into the office and plug it in-which is MUCH quicker than even 54Mbps!
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