What is Digg?199 Comments
- midriscoll09, on 06/04/2008, -4/+89Another tip for more customers: Lower prices
- Surferess, on 06/03/2008, -1/+72Gee, do you think they overbuilt?
- ralphthemagi, on 06/04/2008, -1/+64I love how "free" WiFi requires a minimum balance of $5 + a purchase every month.
- daGUY, on 06/04/2008, -3/+55What is with Starbucks and charging for Wi-Fi?? This is NOT free - you have to purchase a $5 (minimum) Starbucks card, then register it online, AND use it at least once a month (meaning you have to buy something), and you STILL only get 2 consecutive hours of Wi-Fi a day. (Also, I've heard that you have to be an AT&T customer, although the article doesn't confirm or deny this).
Someone should tell them to look at Panera - free Wi-Fi, all day, every day, and you don't need a card or anything. - hobbeszero, on 06/04/2008, -0/+36Or I could go to the local coffee shop which always has free wi-fi without all the annoying steps. If you want to provide a service for your customers don't half-ass it.
- ScottDaMan, on 06/04/2008, -1/+30I hope this will lead to unlimited wifi or free except for lunch hours type stuff.
- nociva, on 06/30/2008, -3/+30... a library? i know, it sounds really crazy, but...
- rebelcommander, on 06/04/2008, -1/+22Perhaps, however 2 free hours should be more than enough for most people. Starbucks probably doesn't like the people who buy one drink and sit in their store for 5 hours since they take up space and don't generate much income for the branch, so I doubt it will get extended to unlimited usage!
- thatsmyaibo, on 06/04/2008, -0/+19I'll stick to McDonald's kick ass ice coffee and free Wi-Fi. Hell the one by my house even has a "business zone" for people 18 years and older. No kids, cheap delicious caffeine, free Wi-Fi...it's better than my house.
- Mootabolife, on 06/04/2008, -2/+20Not a bad way to hack without getting caught either.
- mal1964, on 06/04/2008, -0/+15A hacker needing to use free wifi at Starbucks to hack?
- metaliq, on 06/04/2008, -1/+16Wtf?
I live in Minneapolis, and there are a TON of coffee shops here, most of which offer free wifi all the time. Since ever.
Maybe it's because most of them aren't chains, but still. There behind on the times.
Lame on them. - houndeyex, on 06/04/2008, -0/+15Our Starbucks has a Panera next door. Score.
- pyry, on 06/04/2008, -1/+16Starbucks is pretty much the only place in Minneapolis that charges. Maybe one or two other places. It's pretty much just assumed here, in fact, that it will be free. We may pay for it through higher prices and other things, but the idea of paying specifically for wifi in addition would probably scare people off.
- JaredXM, on 06/04/2008, -0/+13Yeah my local coffee shop has had free wi-fi ever since it opened. Plus a lot better product.
- louiebaur, on 06/03/2008, -4/+17That is one more way to get people to come in and pound coffee and get stuff done for sure
- nvisn, on 06/04/2008, -0/+13Microsoft Word does not require internet access.
- italics, on 06/04/2008, -1/+13You know, the self-aware, arrogant hey-look-at-me writer in Starbucks is what people tend to, uh... make fun of?
- darthzaphod, on 06/04/2008, -1/+13I find it laughable that they think 2 hours of "free" wi-fi is some sort of deal, or incentive for customers. Handfuls of smaller, cheaper coffee shops offer unlimited wi-fi--how can they expect to compete with that?
- sunspots, on 06/04/2008, -0/+11agreed, how about free internet 24/7. #$%& Starbucks, support local bussiness whereever you may live and drink.
- jakatak, on 06/04/2008, -1/+12The problem is greed. Mcdonald's puts out a better coffee than Starbucks for half the price and ALL the Mcdonald's around here are offering WiFi for free for as long as you want.
Starbucks is greedy so they charge too much for poor coffee beans and still can't find it in their tight wallets to give WiFi away all the time. That is what will kill them. Greed always does. - LanceUppercut, on 06/04/2008, -1/+12I am pitching a tent at the sheer thought of being able to watch you write your novel.
- Gryffydd, on 06/04/2008, -2/+12$5 coffees? What Starbucks have you been going to? A 20oz coffee is like $1.95. And you can get free refills if you pay with a Starbucks card. I guess if you mean $5 20 oz foo foo cocktails with a hint of coffee flavor...then yeah, they're almost $5. But then those types of drinks cost about the same from anywhere else.
- Hilsee, on 06/04/2008, -0/+10Scary thing is.... I'm not sure he was kidding.
- TrevorBelmont, on 06/04/2008, -0/+10That's especially amazing news if you live over a Panera!
- lukas88, on 06/04/2008, -0/+9My neighbor is nicer than that, free internet whenever I want it. At least as long as he/she uses WEP encryption.
- peestandingup, on 06/04/2008, -0/+9Why the hell not just do away with the stupid access cards & make it a free unlimited hotspot just like every other damn coffee shop on the planet??
- ZutroyZuuts, on 06/04/2008, -1/+10They're going to have to try harder than that. My nearest two Starbucks are on the same street about 500 feet apart. There are two free wireless hotspots in between them.
http://www.wififreespot.com/ - mal1964, on 06/04/2008, -0/+9Dude!, It was the best secret in town.
- Shaman760, on 06/04/2008, -0/+9Too little, too late if you ask me. Why not just do like all the other coffeehouses and open up the hotspot without all the strings attached?
I have not gone into a Starbucks for months now, and feel better for it. My little coffeehouse up the road appreciates it, and I know for sure that they won't be opening up a "Jungle Java" inside another "Jungle Java". - dleesgeetar, on 06/04/2008, -0/+9who needs two free hours at Starbucks when you can go to ten other places and get it for free the whole day?
- RustySparks, on 06/04/2008, -11/+19free wifi...$5 coffees, hmm i guess it's a fair trade
- suntzusputnik, on 06/04/2008, -4/+12great, more annoying people pretending to look intellectual inside
- Mootabolife, on 06/04/2008, -2/+9Nah, but the coffee doesn't hurt.
- wolfofwar, on 06/04/2008, -2/+9Ma'am, my coffee tastes like tub girl...
- KibibyteBrain, on 06/04/2008, -0/+7Unfortunately, you are describing most communities in the United States.
- dudefaceguyman, on 06/04/2008, -0/+7I agree more with Surferess.
I know my grandparents just got back from Israel and a Starbucks opened there.They tried to make it a big deal with a grand opening and everything but NOBODY went there.
Starbucks just doesn't work for some countries I guess. - sportscrzy33, on 06/03/2008, -6/+13Not a bad deal, I not really a huge coffee drinker, but trying to find a decent place to get some writing done can be a pain in the ass! I am sure I will be visiting a starbucks in the near future.
- infinitus64, on 06/04/2008, -0/+7only two hours, Fine there will be plenty of internets when we get over californy way
- samfishercell, on 06/04/2008, -0/+6"If you buy a scone each time you visit Starbucks, the chain is looking at programs that would reward you in the future with a free scone from time to time, he says."
How ground-breaking.
Also, congrats Starbucks, on somehow constructing the world's most complicated "free" Wi-Fi service. I will just be visiting my regular local shops that actually offer...you know...free Wi-Fi. Nice try though. - farfromsubtl, on 06/04/2008, -0/+6Agreed. Unless your community is seriously lacking in quality coffee shops, there isn't much of a reason to hit a Starbucks.
- Klowner, on 06/04/2008, -3/+9Unfortunately the ones you visited in Taiwan actually had California addresses, they merely reached critical mass and overflowed across the Pacific
- Cattywampus, on 06/04/2008, -0/+5J.K. Rowling wrote part of the first Harry Potter book in a coffeehouse. Voltaire and many other famous authors also wrote in coffeehouses.
Yup, none of them ever contributed anything to society. - mal1964, on 06/04/2008, -0/+5The one by my house has a plasma TV leather couches and chairs it nice. I fell asleep on the couch and woke up a 1/2 later.
- eatkitten, on 06/04/2008, -0/+5No, updating the blog about how "great your story's coming along," instead of actually writing is what requires the internet access.
- KibibyteBrain, on 06/04/2008, -0/+5Panera has always been good too for free Wi-Fi. And Panera's free wifi seems to be nation wide, while McDonalds' is only free in certain regions.
- tunginobi, on 06/04/2008, -3/+8Am I the only one who got this joke?
- waynechng, on 06/04/2008, -1/+6In Malaysia, Wi-Fi at Starbucks is free at all locations for any duration. Enough incentive for me.
- edwartica, on 06/04/2008, -0/+5My thoughts exactly. And that way I actually get decent coffee. Besides, they don't care how long I use it either, 20 minutes, 8 hours, as long as I buy something every so often.
- hpcjosh, on 06/04/2008, -0/+5Man none of the McDonald's have wifi where i live.... then again if you brought your mac book to my McDonald's you'll probably get jacked.
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