You poor bloody dial-up bastards

Hardware and technical stuff
1

I had an on-site setup call today for a client who had recently purchased a brand new Vista-based machine. They gentleman also wanted an ATI Radeon X1650 Pro installed, as well as his antivirus and antispyware.

That meant ATI driver updates, patches and definition files for the protection software, as well as software for his ISP.

Not a problem and rarely something that will take more than an hour and a half at most. Except that the house was located in a broadband black hole. The fastest his dial-up modem could obtain was 24kbps. Even worse, my EvDO card could only get 110kbps due to the hills surrounding his house.

The AGONY … I know there’s a few 56Kers here. How do you handle life in a technological world that is increasingly simply assuming you have some form of broadband?

2

I have 56k dialup at work. It sucks.

There is no internet at work, because the former Chief Justice was a complete technophobe and wanted a hard separation in between the court’s systems and the outside world. Thus, no computers are connected to the intarweb, except on dialup and some special computers that are totally separate. If you want to transfer files to your work computer you have to do it via USB drive or burnt CD.

I had a discussion with Jefe’s secretary the other day and he subscribes to the same theory, apparently.

3

Cursing Steam.

Overnight downloads.

Cursing at all those who can watch nifty YouTube videos anytime they wish.

Using broadband at work to get game patches, etc.

Cursing when an update is only available through the game.

Spending quality time with that gal 'o mine.

Cursing the phone company.

I’ve never had to worry about getting hooked on an MMO.

Cursing the Mom & Pop Wisconsin cable company that provides service to freaking Oklahoma.

Cackling with glee that my place would cost a gazillion dollars on either coast.

And an occasional sob.

4

Dial-up still exists? I thought it was extinct by now. I must be spoiled.

5

I still keep a 56k modem around, just in case a global thermonuclear war destroys my broadband access but mysteriously keeps my phone line intact.

6

I played EQ2 on a dialup modem for months and it worked flawlessly. The only thing was the innitial patch took forever. I’d assume WOW can work on dialup as well.

Life on dialup isn’t as atrocious as you may think. Sure it sucks when you need to perform a bunch of downloads but for day to day web stuff it gets the job done.

Of course that was when I didn’t have a choice. Now I’ve got a thick net pipe and torrent all day. :p

7

“Daddy, what’s a phone?”

8

That’s scarry…

9

I still have dialup at home. Though now that my workplace has blocked YouTube, I’m most likely going to shuffle over to DSL.

I guess that makes YouTube broadband’s killer app.

10

I’m still working on an 56K dialup at home.
They are getting ready to do another broad sweep and block a bunch of sites here at work. So I may have to breakdown and give either Verizon or Comcast my Money.

11

Ahh, the fabled Ostrich security method.

12

It’s an application that runs over the internet and lets you use a USB headset.

13

I’m stuck on dial-up and still play some games online but its really getting hard to find ones that will play decent anymore. My area just had a tower put up for wireless (512 up/ 512 down) I’m waiting for the price to drop a little before I get it ($200 equipment/ $60 month), but I’m getting so frustrated with dial-up and might have to take the plunge soon, (aka) convince my wife that $720 a year for online gaming is reasonable 8-<

Its funny that people mentioned youtube.com people always sends me links to it, maybe someday I’ll see what all the hubbub is about but for now its quicker to draw my own pictures on cards and use my thumb as a media player :-)

EDIT: After I posted this I noticed that my Status on Qto3 changed to Broad Band, It must me a sign!