Questions about wi fi and computers

[mommykim]

Hi all,

I know there are a lot of very traveled and informed people on this list and I need help for a change :D My husband and I are thinking about maybe getting a laptop computer so we can use wi fi while traveling as it appears that it is turning up all over the place. We are likely going to get a PC unless there is a reason Mac is better for this. My question is have any of you used wi fi in far flung places or coffee shops or McDonald's and how fast is it?

[billybob123]

There are very few places where I have gone where wifi signals are NOT available - most cities in Europe, Asia, and North/South America are well-connected. That being said, I'm sure you'll find places that are dead zones. It's not always free either, but with some searching, you can usually find something free somewhere. Speed also depends, but usually it's fast enough that unless you're doing some serious downloading, you won't even notice the speed.

 

Good luck!

[Colo Cruiser]

I think the only slow response you will get will be onboard. ;)

[FredS]

Realize that if on board ship you will pay for wi-fi access and it is only in the computer center and the atrium; not in staterooms. If you are Cap'ts Circle Platinum level then you will be charged but then you received a credit for the amount that you bought, this does not apply to wi-fi access on-board. Also, remember that internet access while on board can be very slow, non-existent, and can be lost while in the middle of a message.

 

I would not take a laptop and try to find wi-fi access while in port. Almost all major cities and some small towns have internet cafes and usually the cost per hour is very cheap. This would probably be faster and a lot less trouble than trying to hook into a wi-fi system somewhere. McConald's charges for wi-fi access, at least in my local ones in CA. If you do a search for cyber cafes on the internet you will find web sites that have list of them for almost anywhere in the world. Here is one such site: http://cybercaptive.com/ also be aware that anytime you use a public system it is not secure.

 

by the same token you can often find telephone sites that allow cheap telephone calls. One thing I do is ask crew members where in the port city I can find internet access cheap or where cheap telephone calls can be made. They are often using these sites to keep in contact with home.

[Roadpossum]

I travel all the time with my laptop and quite often I can get a free wi-fi signal from my balcony while in port from one of the local restaurants around the ship. I also like to bring it because I can play any number of card games by myself if I get bored while waiting for my wife to get dressed (lol). I started with Mac (Mac 512) computers years ago and stayed with them for about 10 years. However, in order to run many of the business programs we used, I switched to a Windows based PC quite some time ago and have been happy for the most part.

 

However, I just walked into our IT guy's office (he's a dyed in the wool PC based techie) and I noticed he has switched to a new Mac laptop on which he is running both the Mac OS and Windows Vista. He swears by the Mac since there are very few viruses that can render it useless, it's easier to load and organize photos and videos on, and with the new Intel processors they can run both operating systems at the same time (according to him). I'm thinking my next laptop just might have a fruit logo.