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Apple Ditches 56k Modem!
- Thread starter garzy
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Absolutely not.
I'm on the verge of switching (as soon as an updated 15" PowerBook comes out, or I can convince myself that the 17" just really isn't that much more money...and I can have it relatively soon
).
I don't travel a whole lot, but when I do, I need a modem in my laptop to connect to the internet at friend's houses, hotel rooms, or with my cell phone as a wireless modem.
If Apple removed this anytime in the near future (before public wireless that covers the entire US), I'd be hard pressed to ever leave Wintel.
I'm on the verge of switching (as soon as an updated 15" PowerBook comes out, or I can convince myself that the 17" just really isn't that much more money...and I can have it relatively soon
). I don't travel a whole lot, but when I do, I need a modem in my laptop to connect to the internet at friend's houses, hotel rooms, or with my cell phone as a wireless modem.
If Apple removed this anytime in the near future (before public wireless that covers the entire US), I'd be hard pressed to ever leave Wintel.
Yeah, but most hotels do not currently offer internet access. Who the hell wants to take an external modem? And for what reason? Modems are SMALL, and make little difference in the size of a machine.
Originally posted by vniow
Welcome to the real world where not eveyone has access or can afford high speed internet.
Yeah please be realistic.
Apple computers cost money, and now you want to stop people who can't get high speed internet to 'go F*** yourself' no.
I don't think so.
If the government ever establishes nationwide WiFi access with 100% nationwide coverage, I'll drop my modem. Until then, I need a modem.
I've got broadband at home, but what happens when it goes out and I need to send an e-mail, pay bills (Quicken), or get information? Plug in the phone line and use my backup access.
Many hotels/motels I visit don't have broadband access available. Those that do force you to pay ~$10/day to use it.
You may not have use for a modem. Others do. Like vniow said...welcome to the real world.
It's not ideal, but it's the best solution some have at the moment.
1. i still use floppies.
2. dial up may not be fast but it's an excellent backup when the cable modem goes offline.
Modems will be a standard piece of hardware on every machine I'd say until 80% of American homes have access to broadband access. I doubt this will be happen for at least 10 years.
Broadband is great, but not everybody can get it or afford it, and external modems are a PITA. Plus the actual modem card is very tiny these days, and not too expensive. It really doesn't hurt anything to keep including them.
Broadband is great, but not everybody can get it or afford it, and external modems are a PITA. Plus the actual modem card is very tiny these days, and not too expensive. It really doesn't hurt anything to keep including them.
True...I wasn't as much advocating a government implementation, but rather expressing my reservations about a 'roaming' broadband.
I use Earthlink (on top of Time Warner's Road Runner) for cable access. They're a pretty big company, with good saturation. But at the same time, if I'm out in the middle of the West Texas (or Wyoming, Arizona, wherever), I won't be able to get WiFi access, and I doubt that Earthlink would cover areas like the middle of West Texas just so that the random person will have access.
Like cell phone companies, any possible 'nationwide' WiFi carriers would provide access where it's financially attractive for them (high-density areas), and would surely have huge and numerous gaps in coverage.
The only way I see that happening (aside from Satellite service) would be with government backing...either with their own implementation or with requirements. Similar to what happened with GPS...originally a government project that has been opened up to let us common folk enjoy the benefits.
But to your point, no, I really wouldn't like to see the government doing that.
out of town now, and what do I do? I dial up and check MacRumors... I'm so addicted. In any instance, I'm in a little town and currently the quickest I've ever had here was 28K....but there's nothing else.
If this iBook didn't have a modem, I'd be highly pissed. I would not have had even bought the thing frankly.
If this iBook didn't have a modem, I'd be highly pissed. I would not have had even bought the thing frankly.
Re: Re: Apple Ditches 56k Modem!
Cut the cost? Have you seen the price of modems? I can get them for five bucks most of the time--without rebates.
Cut the cost? Have you seen the price of modems? I can get them for five bucks most of the time--without rebates.
The new Powerbook 12, TiBook 15, DDR Power Mac, and old LCD iMac are listed as having internal USB modems (architectual diagrams folks).
The internal bluetooth module is a USB version also...
But until modems are as useful as floppies, expect them to still be around -- except on the educational systems, where the machine is more attractive without a modem.
The internal bluetooth module is a USB version also...
But until modems are as useful as floppies, expect them to still be around -- except on the educational systems, where the machine is more attractive without a modem.
If you don't want the modem you can get rid of it at apples store with a custom PM. I wish I had broadband where I live, but my towns population is less then 1000.
Does anyone know what the average ping is for FPS like quake on a satilight connection? I have herd there bad for games.
Does anyone know what the average ping is for FPS like quake on a satilight connection? I have herd there bad for games.
Originally posted by Pablo
Absolutely not.
I'm on the verge of switching (as soon as an updated 15" PowerBook comes out, or I can convince myself that the 17" just really isn't that much more money...and I can have it relatively soon
I don't travel a whole lot, but when I do, I need a modem in my laptop to connect to the internet at friend's houses, hotel rooms, or with my cell phone as a wireless modem.
If Apple removed this anytime in the near future (before public wireless that covers the entire US), I'd be hard pressed to ever leave Wintel.
They only got rid of it on the new pro towers. Besides, I still think it is an BTO option on those. Most people who buy pro towers are near an etherenet connection. Every other computer still needs a modem.
EDIT: I stand corrected. It is only on the eMac's for education can you get one without a modem. The Power Mac's still have a modem installed, but it can be removed as BTO option.
Re: Re: Re: Re: Apple Ditches 56k Modem!
5 bucks for a modem vs. thousands of people not buying it because it doesn't have one. Sheesh, imagine the Gateway ads to follow. Apple would have to be run by idiots to cut the dial up.
Maybe they can drop keyboards while they are at it, forcing people to only use tablets. I mean, how old are keyboards anyways? No one uses them anymore and we have Ink. Get with the times!
5 bucks for a modem vs. thousands of people not buying it because it doesn't have one. Sheesh, imagine the Gateway ads to follow. Apple would have to be run by idiots to cut the dial up.
Maybe they can drop keyboards while they are at it, forcing people to only use tablets. I mean, how old are keyboards anyways? No one uses them anymore and we have Ink. Get with the times!
I have Roadrunner and have had it for 5 years. I have yet to use the modem on my iBook, but I'm glad it's there just in case. It would be slow, but it would be helpful if I travel anywhere - and it would allow me to fax directly off my machine. It's so small anyways that subtracting it wouldn't cut any size at all - and it would make people who need one have to lug an external modem around - or stick a card that fails often in their PCMCIA slot. I understand getting rid of the floppy, but not the modem.