Coffee Shops Pull the Plug on Laptop Users
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Coffee Shops Pull the Plug on Laptop Users
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Re: Coffee Shops Pull the Plug on Laptop Users
#2What happens when everyone has an 8 hour netbook battery and a 5G hookup?
Re: Coffee Shops Pull the Plug on Laptop Users
#3What happens when everyone has an 8 hour netbook battery and a 5G hookup?
I think they also need to worry about the growing popularity of smaller devices like the iPhone and, like you mentioned, netbooks rather than laptops. Someone could sit in the shop for hours and use the wifi to watch a streaming movie on their iPhone/netbook and take up a seat. It is only one seat, but if they aren't buying anything it could hurt business.
It is reasonable to ban laptops and other devices from a store during lunch time because of the huge wave of customers, but they should be allowed once the big wave dies back down. Late night coffee shop studying is really popular, especially in college towns.
Re: Coffee Shops Pull the Plug on Laptop Users
#4It is painfully obvious that there is demand for a service here. People who bring their own tea bag and use the free wifi the entire day are never going to be profitable, but what about laptop users who aren't quite that cheap?
I did the working-from-a-cafe thing for a while, and it can be quite enjoyable. Working from home can lead to self-discipline problems. Renting an office can be expensive. Shared workspaces are more affordable, but the atmosphere isn't necessarily great. Working in coffee shops isn't for everyone, but it clearly works for some people.
So what's the business model that can make this work for everyone? There has to be one.
Re: Coffee Shops Pull the Plug on Laptop Users
#5In Canada many of our cafes have 20 min max signs. I've only ever seen it actually enforced once, when someone had stayed for nearly 5 hours without buying more than a simple coffee.
Re: Coffee Shops Pull the Plug on Laptop Users
#6It's funny that this article is on WSJ, owned by NewsCorp, which just said it is going to start charging for access to its online content.
Re: Coffee Shops Pull the Plug on Laptop Users
#7It is painfully obvious that there is demand for a service here. People who bring their own tea bag and use the free wifi the entire day are never going to be profitable, but what about laptop users who aren't quite that cheap? I did the working-from-a-cafe thing for a while, and it can be quite enjoyable. Working from home can lead to self-discipline problems. Renting an office can be expensive. Shared workspaces ar…
Hacker Dojo / coworking spaces. Charge a monthly or daily rate for a place to sit alone or with peers in a facility that has a restroom, tables, and power outlets.
Re: Coffee Shops Pull the Plug on Laptop Users
#8It is painfully obvious that there is demand for a service here. People who bring their own tea bag and use the free wifi the entire day are never going to be profitable, but what about laptop users who aren't quite that cheap? I did the working-from-a-cafe thing for a while, and it can be quite enjoyable. Working from home can lead to self-discipline problems. Renting an office can be expensive. Shared workspaces ar…
How about public libraries start selling coffee!
Re: Coffee Shops Pull the Plug on Laptop Users
#9It is painfully obvious that there is demand for a service here. People who bring their own tea bag and use the free wifi the entire day are never going to be profitable, but what about laptop users who aren't quite that cheap? I did the working-from-a-cafe thing for a while, and it can be quite enjoyable. Working from home can lead to self-discipline problems. Renting an office can be expensive. Shared workspaces ar…
Hacker Dojo / coworking spaces. Charge a monthly or daily rate for a place to sit alone or with peers in a facility that has a restroom, tables, and power outlets.
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Re: Coffee Shops Pull the Plug on Laptop Users
#10What happens when everyone has an 8 hour netbook battery and a 5G hookup?
I think they also need to worry about the growing popularity of smaller devices like the iPhone and, like you mentioned, netbooks rather than laptops. Someone could sit in the shop for hours and use the wifi to watch a streaming movie on their iPhone/netbook and take up a seat. It is only one seat, but if they aren't buying anything it could hurt business. It is reasonable to ban laptops and other devices from a stor…
"It is reasonable to ban laptops and other devices from a store during lunch time because of the huge wave of customers"
But it's okay for someone to sit there and read the Wall St Journal that a previous customer left behind?
Plus, if we're talking about coffee shops, why lunch time? At all the coffee shops I've ever frequented (granted, not in large metros), the busiest time is between 7:30 and 10am when everyone is getting their coffee ...
Finally, I tend to think places like coffee shops do better and gain popularity when they look busy. If a coffee shop is full or near full, other people notice that ...