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free wireless

GreenTeaDiseaseGreenTeaDisease Posts: 3,359
edited February 2008 in All Encompassing Trip
why don't more coffee shops/cafes offer free wireless? When I lived in Raleigh-Durham, there were actually a lot of free wireless places, but up here near boston, I can't seem to find any. I want to go work somewhere besides my apt or my office, but I don't want to pay the $10. Why do they have to charge so much? it's pretty much a fixed cost so all those people paying $10 is puuurrrre profit. It seems like they could charge A LOT less, if not offer it free.
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  • gobrowns19gobrowns19 Posts: 1,447
    Wow that's weird. I live in a small town in Michigan [think small as in one stoplight in the town, and it's blinking red for that matter] and there are two coffee houses with free wireless.
    Happiness is only real when shared
  • KosmicJelliKosmicJelli Posts: 1,855
    http://www.wififreespot.com

    good luck hope u find a spot...
  • justjoshingujustjoshingu Posts: 538
    i know what you mean. when i lived in amarillo, tx there was quite a few places i went for free wireless, but here in dallas its a little harder to find any.
    mean people suck!
    but nice people sw****w

  • GreenTeaDiseaseGreenTeaDisease Posts: 3,359
    I wonder if it's to keep down the number of people that plunk themselves down for the day and take up all the space? My one local indie coffee shop I like to go to is always packed with students and stuff working there. But some of the places in Durham avoided that by just having a lap top ban during peak hours.

    I would pay the $10 if it were for myself, but I'm not paying it for work. I could probably get reimbursed for something like that, but I'm not sure.
  • 1STmammal2wearPants1STmammal2wearPants Posts: 2,938
    I live outside of Boston and can find plenty of places for free wireless. They are around! But much agreed on the shitty places (i.e. Starbucks, ESPECIALLY them with all the money they have) that feel the need to charge for it. Free wireless = more customers = more profit.
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  • GreenTeaDiseaseGreenTeaDisease Posts: 3,359
    1STmammal2wearPants wrote:
    I live outside of Boston and can find plenty of places for free wireless. They are around! But much agreed on the shitty places (i.e. Starbucks, ESPECIALLY them with all the money they have) that feel the need to charge for it. Free wireless = more customers = more profit.

    where abouts? I'm near davis or teele...there doesn't seem to be anywhere in walking distance from here...and I work cambridge, same deal...
  • 1STmammal2wearPants1STmammal2wearPants Posts: 2,938
    GreenTeaDisease wrote:
    where abouts? I'm near davis or teele...there doesn't seem to be anywhere in walking distance from here...and I work cambridge, same deal...

    Well im in the more western suburbs of boston and there are a few places near me that I can think of off the top of my head (several coffee shops and a Panera Bread)........maybe it's different in boston proper, but i dunno why it would be.
    2003 Mansfield III 
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  • GreenTeaDiseaseGreenTeaDisease Posts: 3,359
    1STmammal2wearPants wrote:
    Well im in the more western suburbs of boston and there are a few places near me that I can think of off the top of my head (several coffee shops and a Panera Bread)........maybe it's different in boston proper, but i dunno why it would be.

    oh the suburbs...I think it *is* different, that's what so weird about it.
  • pjl44pjl44 Posts: 9,475
    Not sure if it's too far, but the Bruegger's in Porter Square has free wi-fi.
  • soulsingingsoulsinging Posts: 13,202
    1STmammal2wearPants wrote:
    I live outside of Boston and can find plenty of places for free wireless. They are around! But much agreed on the shitty places (i.e. Starbucks, ESPECIALLY them with all the money they have) that feel the need to charge for it. Free wireless = more customers = more profit.

    im not so sure that's true. some people will sit down and stay there for hours having just one drink. in the time they were taking up space, perhaps 3 other people would have bought drinks. i was at a place the other day that had free wireless, but not many tables. one guy walked in, saw there were no available tables, turned and left. i left thereafter cos i figured i was taking up their tables and hurting their business. that was a sale they lost becos everybody there was camped out with their computers using the free internet.

    the sensible solution to me is what caribou coffee or argo tea does. you get a password that gives you about an hour of internet access, then you have to log back in. to get a new code, you need to buy another drink.
  • GreenTeaDiseaseGreenTeaDisease Posts: 3,359
    soulsinging wrote:
    im not so sure that's true. some people will sit down and stay there for hours having just one drink. in the time they were taking up space, perhaps 3 other people would have bought drinks. i was at a place the other day that had free wireless, but not many tables. one guy walked in, saw there were no available tables, turned and left. i left thereafter cos i figured i was taking up their tables and hurting their business. that was a sale they lost becos everybody there was camped out with their computers using the free internet.

    the sensible solution to me is what caribou coffee or argo tea does. you get a password that gives you about an hour of internet access, then you have to log back in. to get a new code, you need to buy another drink.

    that was my best guess too. However, at some places, like the local near me, it's cheaper to buy a pass for the whole day or get month pass, and that doesn't limit how long a person can sit there! Of course, it did deter me from bringing my laptop there at all in the first place...
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