How Starbucks Saved Me From Microsoft

Artikelrobot

Well-Known Member
Fundamentally, I am not a fan of $4 cups of coffee. Nor am I really the sort to, after consuming said $4 cup of coffee, sit around with friends and savor the experience, though for the price you ought to get more than a hot water extract of the roasted pits of coffee berries.
But I am at Microsoft today--make that was as I finished my meetings a little while ago--and as we know Microsoft doesn't allow outsiders to connect to anything over its internal network.
To avoid being held incommunicado at Bill & Steve's place, I brought a Sierra Wireless AirCard 510 on the trip and even signed up for Sprint's $80-a-month all-you-can-eat wireless data plan. But like those buffet restaurants that attempt to limit consumption by handing out really small plates, Sprint's data rate seemed almost uselessly slow. All-you-can-eat data turns out to be pretty limited. (It's OK for IMs, not ok for hitting Exchange over the VPN).
So before I bail on the service, I will talk to Sprint and see of the modems they sell today, newer than my old 510, are faster and either buy one or give up.
I had hoped the Sprint modem would allow me to work from anyplace I can hit the Sprint network, but when push came to shove I ended up here at Starbucks in Kirkland as I have three hours to kill and need to get work done. This store even has a nice big table and power strips, which I am sharing with the kind woman who watched my notebook while I ran out to the car for sec.
I should probably buy one of those expensive drinks, but doesn't the $9.99 “day pass” I bought for the T-Mobile hot spot also give me a 24-hour lease on this table and chair? I suppose not and a Mocha Frap would be pretty good right now.

http://blog.ziffdavis.com/coursey/archive/2004/04/20/549.aspx
 
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