I read recently that McDonald's is considering introducing WiFi networks in a number of its branches in America. Well here at Kyoto station they already have and the good thing is that it's actually outside the restaturant (is that what they're called?) and they've even installed power outlets for the convenience of those of us with dodgy batteries. The article linked above talks about the possibility of charges being applied to use these WiFi networks, but I think any company that does that is on to a loser. Hotspots are useful, but charge and you're as likely to drive customer traffic away as you are to bring it in. As for the Big M., I don't mind buying a coffee here but the Bloggs boys know better than to ask if they can eat at one. They even joke that my tag-line for the company is 'I'm hating it'. Now, if they had waitress service for that coffee ...
Posted by Joe at March 15, 2004 06:48 AMHere we have the scuffed ruminations of a blogger with time to kill in a Shinjuku stage set anchored in Kyoto.
Posted by: martin at March 15, 2004 08:21 AMI'm hoping this means you'll check your mail while you're on the road, Mr Bloggs!
I was looking around Tokyo for something like that. I didn't try McDonalds. It's probably just as well for my waistline that Bagel Bagel doesn't have WIFI and an outlet. I'd have done more of my novels there but ...
And of course, there was always the job placement office. Fast connections, slow PCs, cheerful and attractive staff, but yes I did have to fetch my own coffee. If they went WIFI I could use my own laptop and I've have no need of anything more!
Posted by: DJ at March 15, 2004 10:15 AMOur local MD's has just installed internet terminals, but you have to pay for them. Seems a bit pointless to me. The place is almost always too packed to eat in, much less sit and browse. You even have to pay to see the McDonald's own content! Yeah, right.
Posted by: Lisa at March 15, 2004 05:13 PMThere are several WiFi hotspots here in Oulu including the university, airport and areas downtown. And coincidentally, my internet connection is wireless.
The thing about WiFi hotspots is that as long as you are _somewhere_ near them, you can get online. So as long as I didn't want to use MD's power outlet, I could have just as well have stood 10 meters away and got online. I could probably have done it from the bullet train platform even. It was interesting being in a meeting on the 18th floor of a building in Tokyo and showing potential clients some information on a Norwegian website using their WiFi network - or at least I thought I was using theirs until they told me they didn't have one. I must have got on via the network of the people on the 17th or 19th floor!
Posted by: Joe at March 16, 2004 12:57 PMI saw a related news story in the telly yesterday: a quick test in Helsinki revealed that a vast majority of local WiFi networks are totally open to anyone with a little bit of skill. You can practically walk through a street in Helsinki and see ten different networks that you could access as they are not encrypted.