29. Cafes cater to Internet
junkies
By Mark Alberstat
From Perth, Australia, to Perth, Scotland, and from Hanoi to Halifax,
cybercafes have been sprouting up like weeds on corners and in coffee
shops. They are a 21st-century phenomenon that anyone computer-savvy
enough to know how to log on and receive e-mail may enjoy while on
vacation or simply sipping a cup of java at a local cafe.
According to cybercaptive.com,
a website dedicated to tracking and listing cybercafes across the globe,
there are almost 7,000 of these public Internet access points or kiosks in
170 countries. They are now found even on cruise ships to help passengers
surf the Internet as they cruise the Caribbean.
Like computers, however, not all cybercafes are created equal. Some have
more machines, allowing easier access. Others have faster links to the
Internet. Some are cheaper than others. Some have knowledgeable staff,
while others will have crews that can barely get your coffee order right.
While at a cybercafe, don't expect a serene environment for you to polish
off those last edits of your novel before e-mailing it to your editor in
New York. Most are small and pack the computers in with an electronic
shoehorn. The more computers per foot, the more money that can be made
from that space. If you expect the quiet atmosphere of your home office,
with a steaming cup of java and some light music in the background, look
elsewhere. The coffee may be good, but the music is likely to be Top 40
and blaring.
If you don't like the idea of hearing the latest Britney Spears song as
you write to your Aunt Edith about the serenity of the Rhodes beach
resort, do a bit of research and legwork to find an Internet access point
more to your liking. By the way, there are two cybercafes in Rhodes; The
RockStyle Internet is the better of the two but can be a bit edgy in its
decor. If you are there before the party people arrive in the evening, the
place is relatively quiet, has good computers and is inexpensive.
In Europe, most cybercafes charge four to six euros per hour (about $8
Cdn). That might seem high, but many places allow you to pay by the
quarter hour. If all you are doing is checking up on your e-mail and
writing a few "The weather is here, wish you were lovely" letters, 15 to
30 minutes is plenty of time.
This side of the Atlantic is often even cheaper. For example, the world's
largest cybercafe, created by easyeverything.com in New York's
Times Square, has 648 PCs at only $1 US per hour. This company also offers
multi-day passes, which allow unlimited access during a set-time period.
Many hotels now offer public-access (hotel guests only) computers.
Sometimes these are free of charge and may range from the 486 with barely
enough RAM to boot up, like the one I found recently my Ottawa hotel, or
the screaming new PC in the lobby of a hotel in the south of France. Be
warned, however, that these PCs are often not kept up to date with the
latest security patches and cleaned of all spy-ware like good cybercafe
computers.
If you are thumbing your way across the world and feel that free is
definitely better then cheap, check out public libraries. Many offer free
Internet access, although you might be hard put to find a decent cup of
coffee at the Ballajura Library in Perth, Australia.
The Mousepad runs every two weeks. It's a service of Chebucto Community
Net, a community-owned Internet provider. If you have a question about
computing, email mousepad@chebucto.ns.ca. If we use your question in
a column, we'll send you a free mousepad.
Originally published 29 February 2004
