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Dialup is for Lovers;
broadband is for Wimps |
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At the risk of revealing myself to be a wimp, I have to admit that I am broadband-dependent. I do not say this without some small measure of shame. Not long ago most of us, especially those living in one-zip code towns, had no choice about what ISP we employed to get online. For people in my town, to be online or not was the only choice, but nowadays like with beers, motor vehicles, and Asian food, every American consumer is now bombarded with multiple choices. With choices, comes preferences and the preference we opt for in connecting to the World Wide Web tells a lot about who we are, just as surely as whether we drive a new BMW or an elderly Chevy, drink Heineken or Rolling Rock, order chow mien or sushi defines our personality and image. And the fact of the matter, at least in my neck of the woods, is that real men don't broadband.
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| Americans Love Their Dial-up |
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Compared to the rest of the world, Americans are virtual sluggards when it comes to taking advantage of the latest and the greatest in connectivity. Korea, Singapore, most of Scandinavia are now much more DSL and T-1 focused than the US, which doesn't even crack the top ten in percentage of broadband use. According to some of the latest research, two-thirds of those Americans using the Net are doing it via dial-up ISPs.
No longer is it about availability. It's about choice. The Internet was originally designed to be one of those rare things in life that is free and no matter how damn inconvenient it might make one's life, many of us who are the political descendants of the Boston Tea Party and the Whisky Rebellion are determined to keep it as darn near free as possible. Even many of those willing to lay out three grand for the latest and greatest in PC's and drop another grand or two on software, are determined to keep their connectivity costs at pocket change levels.
I've learned to keep my mouth shut when people in casual conversation get around to discussing dialup speeds. In such company -- where intelligent people earnestly discuss ways to bring 41K up to 45 -- noting the fact that your broadband is delivering at 400K is a major faux pas, about as crass as crashing a conversation among ardent anglers discussing lures and line weight by interjecting that your fool-proof method of salmon fishing involves a stick of dynamite with a waterproof fuse. "Easier ain't the point you moron," their arched eyebrows will tell you.
Oh, I still feel superior to anyone utilizing such high cost absurdities as AOL or Earthlink, especially those who by the time they tack on another 20 bucks for a phone line and 8 more for an accelerator, end up paying more for dialup than I do for high speed. But it's hard to take the moral high road with someone who's cruising a mom and pop ISP for $9.95 a month. Like motorheads who spend weekends tweaking the manifolds on their old Chevy's, these folks are all about getting the most out of the engine they have, rather than slipping a Ferrari engine under the hood, even when they can afford it.
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| It's Not Just the Money |
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Of late, I find myself justifying my extravagance by explaining that with the condition of my phone lines, which top out at about 10K, for me using dialup is like trying to drink a milkshake through a coffee stirrer. Sure, I could do it, but I don't want to. I make my living off the Internet and the 12 hours a day I spend online would have to be about 38 without broadband - in other words impossible. Besides, by getting rid of the extra phone line I'm actually breaking even and by switching to a broadband phone, I'm even saving money now compared to where I was pre-broadband.
My justification sounds pretty pathetic doesn't it?
Fortunately, though, my choice of broadband carriers is limited to one that is significantly inept, consequently forcing me to also subscribe to a dial-up service as back-up, and that, thank God, gets me back in the conversation. I may not be able to brag about my broadband's real-time capability, but I sure get people excited when I tell them about my $9.95 dial-up with real live support and cruising speeds that blows AOL out of the water.
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| Speed is Relative |
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If you end up on this site, you've probably already decided that in the world of connectivity, you're a dial up sort of gal or guy. Maybe you're a starving artist, or are just a cheapskate, maybe you live in the sort of town where electricity and indoor plumbing are still novelties, or maybe you just can't handle the Internet experience without the scratchy whir and high pitch whine that accompanies a successful dial-up connection. Well the good news is dial-up isn't dead. In fact it is still a quite viable option and on these pages over the next weeks and months we will lay on you -- in addition to our usual profound and heartfelt reviews -- tricks and developments to get the most out of your dial-up connection.
Yes, the Internet world is rapidly becoming divided between the broadband aficionados and the old school dial-up folks. We think there's room for both, even under the same roof, but if it comes down to choosing up sides in any virtual civil war, I'm going with the dial-up gang. My bet is that they are tougher, cleverer, albeit slower. And remember that there are some things in life (well I can think of one anyway) where slow and steady is much much preferred by the only person in my life whose opinion actually counts. |
2003-04-29 18:40:48
MegaDial
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