Idea for Internet Cafes

Neuro

I don't know if any Internet cafes allow this but, wouldn't it be a good idea to set aside one or two spaces with just a monitor, keyboard, mouse and network connection and allow people without broadband to bring in their PCs so they could quickly download content that would otherwise take a long time to download over their dialup connections.

I spend a lot of time downloading music from iTunes and radio programmes from the BBC website. I only have a dialup connection and the chances of broadband becoming available in my area any time soon are zero. Downloading any type of digital media is extremely tedious. I'd much prefer to be able to bring my PC into an Internet cafe once a week for an hour or two to quickly grab what I want.

Just an idea...

HelterSkelter

Why don't you get a USB memory stick, you could save your downloaded files to that.

formatman

buy a USB2 case for your Hard drive and bring that instead ...

Neuro

HelterSkelter wrote:

Why don't you get a USB memory stick, you could save your downloaded files to that.

No good for iTunes though as you can only download to an authorised PC. Plus, you need special software to record streaming media from the BBC website.

aidan_walsh

Neuro wrote:

wouldn't it be a good idea to set aside one or two spaces with just a monitor, keyboard, mouse and network connection and allow people without broadband to bring in their PCs

No. An owner has no way to know whether a users PC is properly protected, and should someone infected with a network propegable virus was to connect their PC, then the entire network could easily be infected (especially since most internet cafes I have seen depend almost entirely on point of entry protection i.e. scanning incoming traffic).

Also, there would be little or no protection from a user whose computer gets infected while at the cafe from turning around and claiming that it was the responsibility of the cafe owner.

CuLT

Probably doesn't happen because there'll be no market for it in couple of years.

It sounds incredibly archaic, plus netcafés market themselves at people wanting to check emails and browse the web, or play pc games. Heavy downloading is frowned upon, or at least was the last time I used a café.

Plus what doodle_sketch said

Blaster99

Some internet cafe's allow you to hook up your own laptop. They effectively have to in order to stave off competition from WiFi hotspots. I'd say if you brought in your own desktop to one of those places, they would let you at it as well.

CuLT

Blaster99 wrote:

Some internet cafe's allow you to hook up your own laptop. They effectively have to in order to stave off competition from WiFi hotspots. I'd say if you brought in your own desktop to one of those places, they would let you at it as well.

Hmm, good point, hadn't thought about the ol' hotspot competition...

Would be worth looking into.

monkeyfudge

You can do it in my internet café if you want. It wouldn't be standard policy, but I could make an exception.

Where abouts are you based?