Laptops All-in-One Desk Reference For Dummies- P56: Okay, I’ll admit it: I’ve got a strange biography. I’ve been a writer all my life. My first semi-pro job was sports editor of my high school newspaper. (Go Commodores!) After college I was a political reporter for daily newspapers in Ohio and New York (I covered four national nominating conventions and two Presidential campaigns) and a correspondent for The Associated Press. And then, in 1983, I gave in to my inner geek and became the first Executive Editor of PC Magazine, back in the days when most people asked, “What is a PC?”. | 524 Seeing Hot Spots Seeing Hot Spots It used to be that the business and tourist traveler expected a hotel to deliver a clean place to sleep a vending machine in the hallway and a television to keep us amused. I still appreciate a comfortable bed but today many travelers have a new requirement in second place on their list WiFi. Hotels have come to realize that for a relatively small investment they can install wireless access points in their buildings to make happy those of you the readers of this book who travel with a laptop as a constant companion. In many places this access is free part of the cost of the room just like the basic cable service to the television. Some hotels charge a fee for access although that may put them at a competitive disadvantage if the place across the street provides WiFi for free. A similar trend has developed at many coffee shops and other casual eateries they have come to realize that they can differentiate themselves from their competitors by enabling a WiFi network along with their double cinnamon dolce lattes. Among eateries offering free service is Panera Bread Company. You ll also find free Internet access at many public libraries and in some public buildings. There are also services that offer hourly daily or monthly subscriptions to WiFi access. In most such setups you can turn on or off your account any time you need to do so. Companies like T-Mobile a major cell phone service provider offer subscription plans to WiFi at many Starbucks Borders Books FedEx-Kinko s and other locations. You can also visit national web sites that allow you to search by airport or ZIP code most of these will give you the locations for paid commercial access. One such web site is . Think of the things we take for granted today cell phones Web-connected personal data assistants and Internet cafes. Although early mobile and cell phones started out using analog signals by now nearly all the people walking around talking into their .
