Reply to: Internet Cafes

[Sysman]

I have to admit, I've never been to one, because I always had internet at home/work so didn't really see the point.

The problem surely is that being seen in an internet café implies that you're poor, whereas these days it's all about showing off the manufacturer badge on your generic but overpriced laptop (you know the type I mean).

The last time I used one was 5 or 6 years ago when I was in the middle of a house move. I found a quite upmarket place where you could connect your own laptop into their LAN via a cable (supplied if you didn't bring your own), and they had mains available too. This was in the era of slow Wifi and short battery life. Non-existent or exorbitantly priced internet access in hotels too.

The cafe side of things was good as well, with decent sandwiches/snacks and beer/wine. It was a pleasant place, and the customers were mainly business types with decent laptops and phones.

It's still there

The Internetcafe is not just a peaceful place for surfing the web, but definitely a place where you better bring your appetite. We serve fresh sandwiches and bakery products, excellent coffee, refreshing drinks and good wines.

[Aman]

I use them when I am away and they are often quite busy.

[Saddo]

For example The Gadget Show reveiwed 5 phones for under £50 last week. ....and works as a phone too

You can laugh, but I bought a Smartphone a while back (but kept my other mobile for taking calls). And then set about entering all the useful data which a Smartphone expects.

This device was sitting on my desk at work, and it suddenly started ringing. Took me a while to figure out how to answer the incoming call.....

[fullyautomatix]

I have heard the Nigerian internet cafes are always over flowing with the scammers at it all day long.

[MarillionFan]

My UFO business has been a little slow but by the sounds of it looks like it will take off soon

[OwlHoot]

aye.
what about 'we will buy your gold' shops

springing up all over the place

And the storage space firms sprouting like weeds round the south east, because most under forties can't afford properties large enough (read "bigger than a shoe box") to store all their goods.

[OwlHoot]

There was a time , not so long ago , when the internet cafe was a saviour. Web access when you were away from home. They were often full to bursting.
This year I have used four, and they were all dead, virtually empty, and prices were very low. It sort of brought home to me how fast things are moving these days.
A niche can be spotted, developed, exploited then become redundant in the space of a few years.

Yup, you don't see many Blockbuster DVD hire shops any more either, and offies will be next for the chop - Only the other week Threshers in Earls Court closed down, and that is a busy road with hordes of tourists - But there's a Sainsburies just down the road selling cheaper booze.

At this rate, in a hundred years there will be no shops but one fifty square mile warehouse in the middle of the country, with a vast fleet of robot operated flying saucers delivering goods to everyone's front door.

[dang65]

A local library can be used for printing, or even an internet cafe.

Talking about libraries... has anyone used the British Library recently? I was amazed at the facilities there. They don't just have free wi-fi, but very comfortable desks with power sockets. You can sit there all day if you want. You have to get in early to get one of the good seats, but there's always somewhere to sit. Plus loos, a posh cafe, a cash point and so on. I can make a coffee last quite a long time in Starbucks if I need free wi-fi access, but the British Library is for hardcore freeloaders.

[PRC1964]

I have to admit, I've never been to one, because I always had internet at home/work so didn't really see the point.

The problem surely is that being seen in an internet café implies that you're poor, whereas these days it's all about showing off the manufacturer badge on your generic but overpriced laptop (you know the type I mean).

Surely it's more a case of in an internet cafe is frowned upon. That removes 1/3 of the point of the internet.

[VectraMan]

I have to admit, I've never been to one, because I always had internet at home/work so didn't really see the point.

The problem surely is that being seen in an internet café implies that you're poor, whereas these days it's all about showing off the manufacturer badge on your generic but overpriced laptop (you know the type I mean).

[DimPrawn]

aye.
what about 'we will buy your gold' shops

springing up all over the place

That's a brilliant business model.

You give them valuable gold and they in exchange give you worthless paper currency.

[TimberWolf]

I suspect the Internet cafe's future was brought to an end with the arrival of mobile broadband together with these small laptops which only started appearing in the last couple of years - you just buy a USB stick and pocket sized laptop and you can get onto the Internet from virtually anywhere, including a motorway services car park. Same general idea as WiFi but you don't have to hunt around for a WiFi hotspot.

Mobile phones are becoming pretty powerful (smart) these days too. Even the cheap ones. Youngsters use them for social networking or something, facebook and the like, apparently. These devices increasingly do email and internet to an acceptable standard and costs can be relatively low.

For example The Gadget Show reveiwed 5 phones for under £50 last week. Top came the Samsung Genio Querty which has 2 MP camera, internet, email, keyboard, easy access to networking sites, maps, music player and works as a phone too. I'm half tempted, as places like Asda provide interesting looking PAYG plans too. WiFi is still at a premium though. One day Rodders.

[Saddo]

I suspect the Internet cafe's future was brought to an end with the arrival of mobile broadband together with these small laptops which only started appearing in the last couple of years - you just buy a USB stick and pocket sized laptop and you can get onto the Internet from virtually anywhere, including a motorway services car park. Same general idea as WiFi but you don't have to hunt around for a WiFi hotspot.

[Dearnla]

When I bought my iPad, I bought a Wi-Fi only model, on the grounds that I can get a signal 99% of the time where I need it.
I was reading a 4 year old contract this morning that made provision fro accessing a system via WAP - how quaint!

[EternalOptimist]

Does anyone claim anymore to earn a living from Google ads? Always seemed a short term fad to me.

aye.
what about 'we will buy your gold' shops

springing up all over the place