Another Day With My PC

A decade ago, accessing the Internet was a task that not everybody could do. Not all PCs were equipped with a modem jack, and even if they were, there weren’t many Internet Service Providers at that time which could make that PC slot useful.

Things have definitely changed since then. Before the century turned, the demand for Internet connectivity went up astronomically. ISPs sprouted like mushrooms on a rainy day, even on areas where providing the service was deemed unprofitable or a missionary’s undertaking.

Going Mobile

One of the things or developments in the IT industry which revolutionized Internet connectivity was the emergence of mobile PCs, such as notebooks, PDAs, or palm tops. Office tasks and business transactions are gradually being taken out of the offices or the conference rooms. Many have realized that time is too precious to be spent inside the workplace.

PC manufacturers immediately took note of this need and trend. Whole design teams were given tasks to come up with notebooks or portable PCs which could rival or even outmatch desktops. After just a few years working on the drawing board, many computer companies have succeeded in threatening the very existence of bulky PCs which adored many desks since the computer became personal.

The notebook’s portability is not the main feature which makes it very popular among students and office slaves today, though. While desktops could bring the user into cyberspace through any of the mode available at present, still it cannot give the user that degree of mobility or freedom that only laptops or PDAs could give.

Wi-Fi

Before the advent of wireless Internet, the only means of connecting to the Internet was either through dial up, cable, or DSL. All these require that the PC be leashed to that yellow cable or phone wire that transports the user to cyberspace. This is one of the reasons why notebooks were not yet very popular 4-5 years ago. Laptops were not exactly portable during those years as far as connecting to the Internet is concerned.

High-speed Internet access made another revolutionary turn when wireless access increasingly became available. Many were enticed by the thought that they could be at their workplace even if they’re blocks away sipping a delicious brew at their favorite coffee shop. Many local governments realized the benefits that municipal-wide wireless Internet access could do to their economy. Hence, cities started to install Wi-Fi transmitters all over their area or jurisdiction.

Potent Advertisement

Local governments and business establishments saw the limitless potential of wireless Internet as far as enticing people or customers is concerned. Hence, efforts were made to make Wi-Fi free. Many cities and establishments around the United States, and even in the other parts of the globe, are already offering free wireless Internet access for their citizens or patrons. The race towards blanketing whole towns or cities with Wi-Fi signals peaked during the last two years when bills calling for the installation of wireless Internet access transmitters swamped various legislative bodies, including the national congress.

To be continued…

• Jan 6 : Close All Apps Before Running a Registry Scan
• Jan 3 : Ways to Rid Your Hard Drive of Malware
• Jan 2 : A-DATA Releases XPG Dual SSD RAID Enclosure
• Dec 30 : Is it Wise to Download and Use Free Software?
• Dec 29 : Acer Unleashes Quad-core w/ Blu-ray Aspire 8930G Laptop