OK, about this WiFi Stuff . . . .

S

Stul

New member
First off: FOR GOD'S SAKE, PEOPLE, LOOK ALIVE. We've got some of the brightest minds around on this forum (just look at the others!) . . . I'm seeing no activity on this thing to speak of and that's just WRONG.

It's no good being fired up when things are "new;" we've got to be even more fired up NOW because it's NOW that things are changing and possibly for the worse, unless Sony buys PalmOne and we all have Linux. Just my 2 cents.

Now, the point: I was fascinated AND annoyed yesterday when I found out Starbucks hadn't provided WiFi for the coffee drinking, "shot of Red Bull afterward" types (like me) out of the kindness of their "Mom-and-Pop-Coffee Shop-assassinating" hearts . . . . you have to pay T-Mobile $29.99/month (or $6/1 hour, or any portion thereof!) to use WiFi in "their airspace."

California announced yesterday it's putting WiFi in every state park. I did a check for free WiFi and a lot of independent coffee shops have it . . . are you fine lads and ladies using WiFi "outside" (foolish to use it on your cable modem, I suppose!) and if so where? I'm strongly thinking about a laptop with WiFi Card and keeping the T3 - but I'm not getting into a semi "internet cellphone" with limited URL browsing (you have to use "their" browser, and apparently it's limited) or $30/mo to be able to "surf" while drinking a $7 white mocha breve!! Also, the SideKick sales guy told me last night that "I might want to try it first 'cause the coverage can really SUCK but we give 30 days to return it." Great. Probably a T5 owner with Silver Screen. (KIDDING! Relax!)

Please advise if you're using this "stuff" and if it's worth the money - or where you can "WiFi Free-Fi."

Welcome, by the way, to the new posters I've seen on here in the last couple of weeks on and off . . . this forum is usually MUCH more active than this, so if you're new, hang in there til the rest of us have had, well, one of those $7 coffees.

Happy New Year.
 
Hi,
Well said PTL. I live in Singapore where the free-fi is long over. Now we get to pay about SGD10.50 per/mo to enjoy unlimited usage. But its only limited to the airport (Changi), Starbuck coffee and Tea leaf. They claim its over 300 hot spots. But I stil only do surfing on wifi at home. And sometimes in school. Where I need not pay a subscription for it. Its free. And I need not boot up my pc when I just need to check out the soccer news for example.

To get free wifi: 1. Sneak around apartments and hope that residents have wifi. 2. Well, I think there's only a method of getting free wifi. :D

Keep on threading dudes. Keep it lively. ;)
 
Paul,

Well since we have new laptops and they are "wifi" enabled the good news is that I stay at Courtyards most of the time while travelling and most of them have converted to free wifi. LaQuinta's have done the same thing in many cases.

And while working and now using an MS Exchange server for email rather than a pop3, it makes for much quicker exchange of the proverbial communication and restrictions of file or mailbox size.

Can't swear that you'd use it enough but for work and me - it's great!
 
Right - so it's LaQuinta Inns, Marriotts and per T3Gunner's instructions, I'm donning my "catburglar suit" as we speak.

Anyone seeing a frustrated, laptop-equipped Brit wearing a "TealPoint" cap on or near your rooftops -- just wave.
 
Corpus Christi, TX has partnered with Intel and installed a wi-fi network over 20 square miles of the city. The plan is to eventually cover the entire city. They are currently working out pricing details but it is likely that all public sites such as libraries and parks will be free.

I also use an Airport Express to extend the range of my home network, stream music to the stereo, go online with the PS2 and use in hotels where wi-fi is a pay service. It's incredible how much we use the small thing.

Our main access point and cable modem are hidden over the cabinets in the utility room. We use two laptops and a desktop computer on the wireless network. It really cuts down on cable clutter behind the desktop. It makes me laugh to think that I almost pre-wired the house with ethernet during the construction. Wi-fi is far superior.

Wi-fi has fast become a way of life. The exception is my Clie. Although wi-fi is built-in, I rarely use it. It's OK for email but browsing the web on such a small screen is painful at best. I tend to use it more as a wi-fi finder than as a laptop replacement.
 
Paul
I have read and reread your post. I have thought and rethought this WiFi stuff. Although it might be handy to use it, the only hotspot I can find here is one of the local casinos and I don't go there often. So, I have decided that I will forego using any of this WiFi stuff.....now BlueTooth...that is a different story.....
Carol
 
I agree. It's either get a phone that really isn't web enabled for what I want - just what "they think you'd want," plus a small screen . . . . or plough in to a $2200 "Centrino" (thanks T3gunner!!) laptop which defeats the purpose of a PDA except you can get "proper" web and hotsync on the road.

I've pretty much come to the same conclusion; the "internet" will be in our wristwatches soon enough, and spending either $100/mo or $2200 on a laptop (or BOTH) seems wasteful.

My PLANNED biggest usage was traffic/weather conditions on the road with live satellite radar from weather underground or weather.com or others - but what do you do the 8 "clear months" of the year?

It's like a drive-thru gun store . . . "almost" a good idea. If free WiFi takes off (and it may), and I can get a USED/refurb 2 year old laptop with a WiFi CARD . . . I'll consider it. But it's just no cost effective at this point other than having the latest "gimmick."
 
I agree with the frustrations. Those hot-spot locators are not as useful as one could wish, it turns out that all of the ones listed for my city are pay-spots. The single partly useful one is the one in the football (soccer for you US types) field, which has a "try for 3 minutes for free" option. That's enough to synch avantgo.
That "sneaking around apartments" idea is really the only possibility.. in addition to one's own home network, at job, at sister's etc. I don't really sneak around though, I just park on the road for long enough to synch avantgo. Apparently at least half of all installations are done by 'unpack it, plug it in, never configure anything'. I mean, most SSIDs are either 'default', 'wlan', '3com' or other such out-of-the-box names...!
 
Yes, several:

1. You're a hell of a proofreader!
2. I'm not going to bother with it right now, and
3. Having a ball with Firefox extension called BBCodeXtra 0.2, which allows me to do all sorts of BBCode italics/bold stuff with a right cilck menu on any VBulletin or similar forum. Look forward to lots of bold italics, especially when swearing about Iambic. Hehehehe
 
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