Tag Archives: laptop

Is mobile internet usable?

Well, believe it or not, I’m writing this post through a GPRS connection on my phone which is connected to my laptop. And, although being slightly slow, its OK. I can browse GEEK! absolutely fine and general websites/email is fine. 

I mean I wouldn’t use it for anything durastic, since file download speed on GPRS is a little short of 10kbps which is generally useless. But for light browsing and the odd email, it’s absolutely fine. It’s a shame I don’t get 3G here, because that would be more like 4 times the speed and light downloads might be possible.

I’m not one who regularly uses mobile broadband, only because it means I have to use USB to connect to my phone (don’t have bluetooth on my laptop) and then it drains battery like a rocket. It’s not a rip off since I can pay £1 and have full access (no limit whatsoever) for the whole day. Or I can pay £5 and have the week. I’ve never been told off for downloading excessively and I will use whatever I pay for quite thoroughly.

Do you use the mobile internet regularly? What are those dongles that you plug your SIM into like? I’ve never tried one myself – are they any good?

Is the computer taking over conventional TV?

Every time I boot up my laptop TV tuner or go to iPlayer or the likes, it always makes me think. Is TV on your PC taking over normal TV?

I think it is. With a computer, you can now basically watch a programme whenever you want to. BBC’s iPlayer gives you 7 days to watch a program, the same goes for many others, and Five provides TV shows for several months now.

Watching live TV on your PC is also very cheap now. You can get a Freeview USB dongle for a laptop or PC now for around £20 and TV cards don’t cost a bomb either. Windows Media Center is perfect for watching TV on your PC and comes free with Vista Home Premium and Ultimate. You can even use your computer as a PVR thanks to programs such as Windows Media Center, whereas a set top PVR for your TV is costing you sometimes a couple of hundred pounds.

It seems so much better value to use a computer for your TV nowadays. 

Do you think TV on your PC is overtaking conventional television?