Worried about wi-fi hot spots

[roxics]

The biggest selling point to me for the touch is the wifi, but I know most places charge for wifi. I'm in the Detroit area and this is a very horizontal metropolitan city. It's not like new york city or anything. You drive everywhere you want to go. Wifi is either at peoples houses or in stores/resturants, the latter of which you usually have to pay for.

I used to have an iphone for a short time. It was great. Although I got rid of it because of AT&T. But I could get on the internet anywhere with it because of AT&T. Double edged sword. I really want the features the iphone offers but without AT&T, so that's why I'm looking into the Touch. But I don't even have internet at home right now. So if I get a touch, I'm kinda limited as to where I can use it and what I can do with it. So I think.

How have the rest of you faired with wi-fi access? Where do you usually get on?
Has it been troublesome?
Last but not least. Would you consider the Touch a good device to own with extremely limited wi-fi access or would the money be better spent on a classic?

[mc4]

If I'm not on my own wi-fi, it's pretty impossible to find an open, unpaid wi-fi network. I wouldn't get a touch if you don't have access at home.

[Touchmyipod]

Depends on your city, I live in Los Anegeles, and work in Burbank, and there is a free wifi spot every five feet. When we go to film in New York, there is also tons of free wifi, most likely the bigger the city, the better chances of finding open wifi, but literally, I never have problems! did you try googling some free spots near your residence or local business establishments??

[batmania15]

if you go to iphone.jiwire.com it will show all free hotspots in your area

[Phoenixfury]

Of course it's just best to have your own wifi. However there are many places you could go to pick it up free and legal. Some but not all fast food joints do offer free wifi access. There are many coffee shops out there that also offer free wifi. Panera Bread is my favorite place to hang out for free net access away from home.

I've heard some nonsense about some mobile phones that can share wifi access with other wifi enabled devices. However I'd be really concerned about the terms of the data plans.. They usually hide in small print some ridiculously small cap so beware if you consider going this route.

[kornchild2002]

The biggest selling point to me for the touch is the wifi, but I know most places charge for wifi. I'm in the Detroit area and this is a very horizontal metropolitan city. It's not like new york city or anything. You drive everywhere you want to go. Wifi is either at peoples houses or in stores/resturants, the latter of which you usually have to pay for.

I used to have an iphone for a short time. It was great. Although I got rid of it because of AT&T. But I could get on the internet anywhere with it because of AT&T. Double edged sword. I really want the features the iphone offers but without AT&T, so that's why I'm looking into the Touch. But I don't even have internet at home right now. So if I get a touch, I'm kinda limited as to where I can use it and what I can do with it. So I think.

How have the rest of you faired with wi-fi access? Where do you usually get on?
Has it been troublesome?
Last but not least. Would you consider the Touch a good device to own with extremely limited wi-fi access or would the money be better spent on a classic?

Also don't forget that many hotels/motels offer free wi-fi. I have used my iPod touch in a couple of them without any problems. I also take my iPod touch with me to stores like Best Buy and Hastings (similar to Best Buy but they sell books as well and don't sell electronics) to see if I can get cheaper prices online. Best Buy doesn't offer free wi-fi but the Hastings across the street does and I pick up on it.

If you don't plan on using the wi-fi feature then stay away from the iPod touch. Yes it has the best iPod screen out there, the OS is very intuitive, navigation is a breeze, and videos are great. But once you take away wi-fi, the iPod classic would be better. I suggest that you think about how many times you are going to come across wi-fi. Many places offer it for free. I do a lot of traveling so it made sense for me to get a iPod touch. You live in a big city as well so you should have no trouble finding hotspots for free. I live in a very small city and can still find 12 free hotspots within a 10 minute drive of my house. McDonalds, Hasting, Jack In The Box, the hair salon, Arbys, the Motel 6, and so on. Since Detroit is about 4875 times bigger than my city, I am sure you won't have any trouble if you look enough.

[mach_zero]

Yeah, wifi is getting pretty ubiquitous, even in cowtowns like the one I live in. My town only has a population of about 42,000 and we still have about 20-25 public wifi hotspots so it's not a huge concern. Living in Detroit you should be even better off.

[Trumper]

I too am dismayed with the lack of WiFi...well, with WiFi I can access. That was a major selling point for me and I've had to give up on it.

I also have an iPhone (work supplied) and it's great because it uses broadband...works super. An iPhone ***with no phone***--just a low cost data plan would be perfect.

I've found that even though I live in one of the most wired areas in the US, WiFi is usually not available. I'm in the Bay Area near Stanford.

--I usually see 6+ WiFi networks available in residential areas, but it's not like the old days where you could just jump on one; they are *all* locked down. I guess it's part of the "security" paranoia thing.... Point is, it's a screen full of locks.

--I recently traveled and went through 5 different airports. Each one wanted from $8 to $15 to use the WiFi system in place...for the day.

--Fancy hotels also want from $8 to $15 a day to use their networks. It's the little Mom and Pop places that often have free WiFi... Odd, but true. (And I was ####ed when on a business trip and the $200 a night hotel wanted another $15.95 to use their WiFi...nickel and dime BS).

--Downtown Palo Alto: rich, wired, hotspots all over. I can't get in any of them without a password or payment. The few that let you (e.g., *$), have all kinds of hoops they want you to sign up for and register and if I was gonna sit there for half an hour, might be worth my time. If I just want a coffee, check my email, move on...it ain't worth it.

YMMV of course. I find it frustrating....

Oh, and what's the point of having WiFi on *your* router in *your* house? I don't need the iPod there...I use the computer or the phone or the TV...I don't sit on the couch using the WiFi to browse or anything....

[Phoenixfury]

The point of using your own wifi at home is so you don't have to boot up your computer just to check or respond to email. Also I find it more convent to browse from bed than using my notebook. Also this makes for a cheap replacement of magazines in the bathroom. :)

[batmania15]

i definitaly agree with phoenixfury :) lol , i find it nice to when im at a friends house or in an apartment complex theres always someone that has there network unlocked = free hot spot

[Trumper]

The point of using your own wifi at home is so you don't have to boot up your computer just to check or respond to email. Also I find it more convent to browse from bed than using my notebook. Also this makes for a cheap replacement of magazines in the bathroom. :)

Well there's YMMV in action!

I never turn off my computer at home--nor do we anywhere on campus (I work in IT). If I did, I would take your point.

I never want to browse from bed or the bathroom....

If you do, great! Works for you. Different strokes....

[mach_zero]

--I usually see 6+ WiFi networks available in residential areas, but it's not like the old days where you could just jump on one; they are *all* locked down. I guess it's part of the "security" paranoia thing.... Point is, it's a screen full of locks.

Heh, it's "paranoia" until some kid starts using your access point to do nefarious crap on the 'net and they trace the IP back to your house and blame you. Suffice to say without going into too many details that I had personal experience with just such a situation a few years back and it wasn't pretty.

That sucks about the hotel charging you for access. I can't recall a hotel I've been to business or otherwise in the last two years that actually charged me for wifi. Usually they just give me a password when I check in and off I go. And I'm really surprised to hear about the lack of public access in the Bay Area. I would've thought with the general majority liberal stance on just about everything down there that free wifi would be everywhere.

[Touchmyipod]

Hey Trumper, when did the iPhone get broadband speed? Edge certainly isn't broadband is it? I have edge, onmy work phone, it slow....

[Trumper]

Hey Trumper, when did the iPhone get broadband speed? Edge certainly isn't broadband is it? I have edge, onmy work phone, it slow....

I'm just bulking EDGE, EV-DO, and EIEIO (or whatever cell network it is) in to one "broadband" category...to differentiate it from WiFi.

I'm even OK with WiFi networks for occasional email checking or looking at weather or google maps...I don't have a need to use a web browser on teensy devices (thank the gods). If I did, I'd prolly be in that "damn, EDGE is slow" group....

[Stay Alive 305]

It's been annoying me so much lately that I can't go on the internet while in the car.

So I decided I am getting an iPhone today.

Maybe you should consider it.

[kornchild2002]

I am sorry but why would you want to connect to the internet while in a car? I can see that if you are the passenger but not if you are the driver unless you are pulled over looking for directions to something.

I guess Apple should put a big sticker on iPod touch boxes saying "this uses wi-fi only, you can't access the internet everywhere with it." Wi-fi is fast becoming a standard for internet and most people just need to look. There is a difference between trying to steal internet from your neighbors (or local businesses) and actually being a patron there and using the internet.

[Stay Alive 305]

I am sorry but why would you want to connect to the internet while in a car? I can see that if you are the passenger but not if you are the driver unless you are pulled over looking for directions to something.

I guess Apple should put a big sticker on iPod touch boxes saying "this uses wi-fi only, you can't access the internet everywhere with it." Wi-fi is fast becoming a standard for internet and most people just need to look. There is a difference between trying to steal internet from your neighbors (or local businesses) and actually being a patron there and using the internet.
I don't drive (I'm 14). I am always in the passenger seat (lol) and I want internet in the car (or wherever the hell I am) so that I can access forums, myspace, IM, etc.

[Touchmyipod]

If you need internet on the go that bad, wait until the new iphone, because edge service is real bad, real bad, real bad! :)

[kornchild2002]

If you need internet on the go that bad, wait until the new iphone, because edge service is real bad, real bad, real bad! :)

That and the paltry 8GB (actually around 7.4GB) of usable space on the iPhone make it not so much of a portable media device but rather a all-in-one cellphone for people who want to take some media content with them along with other important documents (when will the iPod touch/iPhone get a damned word processing app?!).

[skruggie]

Depends on your city, I live in Los Anegeles, and work in Burbank, and there is a free wifi spot every five feet. When we go to film in New York, there is also tons of free wifi, most likely the bigger the city, the better chances of finding open wifi, but literally, I never have problems! did you try googling some free spots near your residence or local business establishments??


I'll second this - I live in Burbank, in the greater Los Angeles area there is free wifi all over the place. This is probably true for most large cities.

[gowanis]

i have the same dilemma.

i have a Treo 700w with Verizon (great quality voice and fast data up to 800 kbps) and an iPod Touch. After adding the iPhone apps i love the thing even more, but I find that I don't have wi-fi when I need it - namely anywhere outside my house!

Mostly I need it on my train commute to work, but it would be nice to have for maps in your car, or simply anywhere else (restaurants, stores, etc.) I find that there's not much free access in central New Jersey. The places you assume are free are NOT FREE! McDonalds and Starbucks are NOT FREE!

I'm considering an iPhone, but AT&T is terrible for voice in NJ, and from what I'm hearing, EDGE is just awful. Maybe I'll downgrade my Verizon account to the cheapest plan (no data) and get a simple cheap phone, and also get the iPhone. But if the EDGE data is as bad as I think, maybe its not worth it.

So close to the perfect all-in-one device, but just not there yet!

[Trumper]

gowanis:

I concur. I did an experiment this morning. I have a Touch and an iPhone at work.

I put both on the google home page, then simultaneously had them load in the Yahoo home page. The Touch using campus WiFi blew the iPhone using EDGE away. Like 5 seconds for the Touch to load in and nearly 20 for the iPhone. (yahoo has become a nasty page with all kinds of crap to load in so it's a good test).

A Touch with all of the new apps (check mail, weather, maps) would be a *perfect* tool for me (since I don't care about the phone)...and I love the way it works with a good wireless network.

But there aren't enough wireless nets out there...or they are locked down and otherwise ($$$) unavailable.

So I haven't even bothered to buy the new apps...I know I'd just be frustrated trying to use them cause no WiFi would be available when I was off campus or away from home (which is where I wouldn't have a computer handy and I'd want to check mail or weather or maps...).

[studogvetmed]

One thing to consider is to look up T-mobile hotspot areas in the area you live. You can sign up for various plans and be a recuring customer to these hotspots if they are in areas you frequent. Would be similar to having a recuring dataplan charge. Only worth it or course if you have lots of such hotspots.

On the touch you can at least access the iTUnes wifi store in starbucks for free (as they continue to roll out the service).

What would be interesting would be if any company out there would be interested with teaming up with one of the cell companies to make a dock connector 3G modem that would work with the iPod touch, then you could forseeably sign up for a dataplan with a cellular carrier to use with your touch whever you were. That would be an awesome accessory from sprint or verizon with their EV-DO rev A service!

[rootbeersoup]

Wow, I live in New Orleans and I can name a handful of places that I visit that have free wifi. In fact, I've never come across a place here that I had to pay for wifi.

[gowanis]

What would be interesting would be if any company out there would be interested with teaming up with one of the cell companies to make a dock connector 3G modem that would work with the iPod touch, then you could forseeably sign up for a dataplan with a cellular carrier to use with your touch whever you were. That would be an awesome accessory from sprint or verizon with their EV-DO rev A service!

yes that would be great.

i wonder, is there a way to have a Verizon Treo broadcast wi-fi to the ipod touch ?

[RompaRoom]

What would be interesting would be if any company out there would be interested with teaming up with one of the cell companies to make a dock connector 3G modem that would work with the iPod touch, then you could forseeably sign up for a dataplan with a cellular carrier to use with your touch whever you were. That would be an awesome accessory from sprint or verizon with their EV-DO rev A service!

Sounds awesome that is what I want. Internet on the go.

Maybe we should look into - buying a Pocket PC? Im wondering what would be the cheapest route to go, iphones are 60 bucks a month is there anything cheaper that would allow me/us to have internet on the go? (I can really care less about the phone)

[kornchild2002]

Pocket PCs would be the same thing. In fact most Pocket PCs have bluetooth and wi-fi only which means you have the same access as the iPod touch. Now there are smart phones that can use their cellular service to access the internet anywhere there is a digital connection (analog will not work). I actually had a Motorola MOTO Q for 8 months back when I was working for the government. It ran Windows Mobile 5.0 and I could make phone calles or get on the internet anywhere I wanted. It really was nice but I was only allowed to use it for work related phone calls or work related issues with the internet (I mainly used it for e-mail as it had Outlook on it). The government was paying about $40 a month for my phone and that was at a discount rate. The group I was with all had either MOTO Q's or Treo's (running Windows Mobile, none of that Palm crap) and we all had the same plans. There was 20 of us in the group and Verizon would only give a $20 a month discount.

I was on the market for a new cellphone this past December and I looked at getting an iPhone but I have had terrible service with at&t before. I took a trip back in 2003 to Washington D.C. and at&t said I was roaming. So I racked up a $300 phone bill because all my calls were roaming. So the iPhone was out of the question unless I wanted to unlock it but the carrier that I prefer doesn't use SIM cards. I then looked at all the smart phones and the cheapest plan I could get was $60 a month and that included free calls/data transmission after 7:00 PM every weekday, free weekends, 500 minutes a month (this includes minutes for phone calls and data), and I still had to pay for text messaging ($0.15 for incoming and outgoing messages).

So yeah, these data plans are still pretty damned expensive. Even with at&t and the iPhone, you still have to pay quite and bit and learn to balance your minutes. You don't want to get a 500 minute a month plan and use 200 minutes just for data, then you are stuck with 300 minutes for talking on the phone and that includes the minute or two to send and receive text messages as well as calling your voice mail and other phones.

That is why I think that now is not the right time to go with these data plans just yet. Maybe the costs will come down in another year or two once smart phones/iPhones begin to take over the market. It is true that you see a bunch of people with data capable cellphones but for every one person like that, there are 100 mid-high/high school students using $20 cellphones that their parents bought them. These data phones need to have a greater market share before their monthly fees decrease.

[Touchmyipod]

^^Since when do data plans count as minutes? I have data plans on my phone it never takes away minutes, or di dI just totally read your post wrong? Umm, so yeah, my data plan never takes my minutes away on AT&T

[kornchild2002]

I don't know, that is what they told me. I always thought that data was separate from the minutes that you use. I don't know if it was just because it was a cheap plan or what. I don't know about at&t as I never looked at their plans. Then again, the sales guy at the Alltel store could have been dumb, that has happened before. I once went to an Alltel store near my house and they wanted $180 for the new ROKR (the one I have now but Alltel's version is much better than everyone else's). I then drove to the store that was 5 minutes from my house and they had it for $80, same everything just a lower price. I did all the data plan thing at that $180 store, not at the $80 one.

I was told that the store I went to wasn't actually an official Alltel store, it was an authorized re-seller. Basically they look exactly like an Alltel store but are run by a 3rd party company with Alltel's permission. The cheaper store I went to was run by Alltel themselves, it was a corporate store. You didn't read my post wrong, maybe I was just miss-informed by those #######s at that 3rd party store. I have yet to purchase anything from that store as every time I go in, the item is either more expensive or the people don't want to help. I asked the guy there which smart phone would be the best and he told me that they didn't have smart phones, all they had were cellphones.

[nakile]

All of the service plans that are available with the iPhone have unlimited data. Voice starts at 450 daytime minutes from what I understand.

Either way, they are both separate.

[Touchmyipod]

Cool Kornchild, I was going to try and help you out had they been screwing you like that, because that wouldn't have been proper of them to take minutes for data. I was ready to file a class action for ya! ;)

[kornchild2002]

Cool Kornchild, I was going to try and help you out had they been screwing you like that, because that wouldn't have been proper of them to take minutes for data. I was ready to file a class action for ya! ;)

Thanks. I just don't trust that store but that was the only store where I researched about getting a smart phone. I don't have a smart phone but plan on purchasing one in about a year whenever I have a job that actually requires it of me.

It is nice that at&t is offering unlimited data with the iPhone as the transfer speeds are very slow. It would suck if they took away from the minutes.