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Wireless Creates Laptop Office Phenomenon"I'll take a double latte with my Wi Fi today." Ah, the rich, languorous language of the future. Or the present -- depending on where you live. The folks in Cincinnati and surrounding areas are already tuned in to that particular turn of phrase -- or ones like it -- mostly at hip, upscale coffee shops, where laptops spring open and successful businesses run every day by snagging the local Wi-Fi base station signal -- and maybe a blueberry scone or two.It's a trend most speculate will soon catch the wave of the wonderful wireless world and become just another everyday drill -- a familiar, run-of-the-mill routine. And at the rate it's going, Wi-Fi laptops may soon be a menu option. But today, at Mammoth Coffee in Newport, Ohio, more and more business owners are competing for "office space" in the coffee shop -- to the modest tune of a large Cafe Au Lait, no decaf. Right now, it's the fastest, easiest, and certainly least expensive way to run a bona fide, successful business -- and other coffee shops, restaurants, sports bars, and even fast-food joints are lining up to offer their Wi-Fi services to these lucrative laptoppers. It's a win-win situation: "Hey, I'll trade you my wireless service for the price of several cups of mojo -- and a person's gotta eat! Want fries with that?" Anybody who would turn that swell deal down ought to be thumped on the head. Luckily, Cincinnati have sharp business sense: Chains, like Starbucks and Panera Bread, have their eagle eyes keenly trained on the Wi-Fi World. In fact, Panera is now the nation's leading provider of free Wi-Fi access, with 573 stores hooked up to base stations. As more and more eateries offer Wi-Fi service, the debate to be "free or fee-based" remains. Starbucks, which also offers Wi-Fi, charges a fee, which turns a lot of potential business customers away. Cost plans range from $6 for the first hour and 10 cents per each additional minute, to a standard, $39.99 flat fee per month. And though many have signed up, it's likely Starbucks will cave to consumer demand -- FREE WIRELESS! It sure looks like pretty soon, you'll think nothing of hearing, "Wi-Fi with the filet mignon and your best Merlot, please." Source - Cincypost.com Related story - Wi-Phishing Monday, March 21, 2005 |
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