A Service Apple Should Provide
I live in San Jose where all these wireless providers are starting up. Thing is: In all the coffee shops there are about 4 different providers - only ONE is free (with ads).
I think that Apple should provide this service. You see, the companies providijng the service hook it up for free in these coffee shops (most notibly Starbucks - which costs the most for service), then they charge laptop users a fee to use it - whether it by monthly flat or by the hour.
Apple should provide this service - free to Mac users, windows users pay a minimum. And they should hook it up in all major airports around the country. And, if it's feasable, on all airplanes. That way all business travelers will use the Apple connection service and many will switch to mac when they see that it's free (and Apple can always advertise their products on the service)
However you slice it I think it would be a smart move for apple to make. And then I'd want to get a laptop so I can go use it for free in the airports and stuff.
Andrew
I think that Apple should provide this service. You see, the companies providijng the service hook it up for free in these coffee shops (most notibly Starbucks - which costs the most for service), then they charge laptop users a fee to use it - whether it by monthly flat or by the hour.
Apple should provide this service - free to Mac users, windows users pay a minimum. And they should hook it up in all major airports around the country. And, if it's feasable, on all airplanes. That way all business travelers will use the Apple connection service and many will switch to mac when they see that it's free (and Apple can always advertise their products on the service)
However you slice it I think it would be a smart move for apple to make. And then I'd want to get a laptop so I can go use it for free in the airports and stuff.
Andrew
Comments
<strong>And they should hook it up in all major airports around the country. And, if it's feasable, on all airplanes.</strong><hr></blockquote>
1. It's to my understanding that most major airports already do (or are in the process of implimenting) have airport compatable hookups. Why should Apple (read:higher prices) pay for this? Perhpas Apple should install a DSL C.O. in my neibourhood so that I can have DSL access. It'd be nice if they did but it's not thier job to. They only provide the hardware, it's other peoples job to implimnet it.
2. The airline industry is already in the process of equiping their planes for internet access (perhaps they should spend less time on this & figure out how to get them from stop blowing up/crashing ...). To my understanding it won't be wireless (since you'll be stationary, in your seat), rather it'll be via ethernet (faster speeds, more notebooks equiped with ethernet then 802.11b)
<strong>I think Apple should offer a broadband service. Have it available at no charge to anyone who buys a new Mac.</strong><hr></blockquote>
??? Broadband ISP's charging $40+ a month are struggling, how's apple going to maintain a profit & offer this?
Who'd they offer it to? Everone in the G8 nations? How much would it cost to set something up like that?
How's Apple going to come & offer it to their customers when less 1/2 the US population doesn't have access to any kind of broadband? I mean with all these different companies not bieng able to completely cover even the major metropolitan areas, how's apple going to do this, not to mention the people who live in whirl areas ...
No, Apple should focus on what they do best, making the computers we love. Afterall, in the end you'll end up paying higher prices for the computer to support this service which you may not even have access to.
Do you really want Apple to take resources away from their other areas? I guess they could cut 1/2 their R&D to help fund this ... who needs fast computers when we can have broadband ...
It'd also be nice if Apple would give each customer a free car with purchase of an iMac...
What Apple could do though, is cut a deal with say, earthlink, to give mac users a discounted rate Dialup/Broadband rate. This way they don't have to do anything or really invest any major ammounts of money. Perhaps they could work out a deal where Apple customers got $10 off/month broadband service for one year after they bought their mac. In turn, they'd advertise Earthlink as the default ISP as they already do.
<a href="http://www.apple.com/scitech/stories/skycorp/"; target="_blank">http://www.apple.com/scitech/stories/skycorp/</a>;
Is it a free service or do you have to pay for a password?
Is it a free service or do you have to pay for a password?
<strong>...
??? Broadband ISP's charging $40+ a month are struggling, how's apple going to maintain a profit & offer this? ...
</strong><hr></blockquote>
This is strange. Here in Japan ADSL is dropping to between $20 and $30 a month and they are boosting speeds. This spring I signed up for 1.5Mb/sec service. Now everyone is offering 8Mb/sec service at the same price (actually cheaper). Of course, you don't actually get 8 megabits/sec but I have heard of people getting 2 or 3 Mb/s. Yahoo Japan is leading the charge at something well under $20. Why is broadband so expensive in the US?
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Why is broadband so expensive in the US?</strong><hr></blockquote>
I think it's partly greed and also the cost of setting up the new lines and the hardware. Also given that so few people have broadband the ones that do have to spend more to cover the cost. The industry is having a lot of problems at the moment.
Chris
They could call it iWorld.