New computer does not equal faster Internet

Submitted by Rick on July 5, 2007 - 9:50pm.

Riding Shotgun with Rick

I believe that I've written about this before, but since I ran into this phenomenom at least three times over the past week, it bares mentioning again. Many dial-up Internet users using Windows 98 or Me buy a new computer and after taking it home setting it up and jumping online with their dial-up systems find that the Internet and email are just as slow as their hold systems. I then get the question, "Why?"

The reply I give usually is followed by a look of disbelief and disappointment in the new computer owner's eyes. Internet speed is soley determined by the connection used. A phone line is the slowest connection maxing out at the rare 53 kbps (kilobits per second). Entry level DSL and microwave wireless Internet connections hover around 250 kbps. Mid-level DSL and satellite connections can perk along at more than 500 kbps. Max speed DSL connections and most cable Internet connections start at 1500 kbps and average more than 5000 kbps.

And the neat thing about high speed Internet is that the speed doesn't depend on the age of your computer system. A Windows 98 machine with a cable Internet connection will perform Internet duties at about the same efficiency as a brand new computer running Windows Vista Ultimate...maybe even faster.

For computer users who primarily use the Internet and email, the cost of buying a new computer can pay for almost two years of the highest speed Internet and maybe four years of entry level DSL which is 10X faster than dial-up.

Save the money and hassel of a new computer and instead get a new Internet connection!

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I AM stuck with dial-up

Submitted by Smart Computer User on July 18, 2007 - 12:53pm.

That is pretty presumptuous of you Rick. I live in a rural area just outside a metropolitan area and I can't get DSL. The costs of these other options like cable and your "satellite" are just too much for my budget. Yes, there is access "available" but it is not a guarantee. So, yes, I am stuck with sucky dial-up! Over the last year it has gotten more and more frustrating. It takes forever to open my Yahoo mail and there are some times when it just never happens, no matter how many times I hit reload! I get so mad waiting for a site to load and after 5 minutes, I have to give up. What's a girl to do? Dial-up sucks.
~~Stuck in the Sticks

Faster Internet - Without Broadband

Submitted by Smart Computer User on July 7, 2007 - 5:11pm.

Some of us are stuck with phone lines & dialup modems. Internet surfing is MUCH faster if you turn off Javascript, and ActiveX, and Pictures, and ensure that "Flash" is not loaded on your computer.

Once you get to a site you want and see content you want, you can see the pictures by right clicking on the picture placeholder and selecting "show picture". Similarly, if a website absolutely requires Java or ActiveX, you can turn these back on and refresh the website. To turn these on and off, select Tools/Internet Options/Security tab for Java and ActiveX, and Tools/Internet Options/Advanced tab for pictures.

After doing this awhile, you will find you don't need most of the fancy stuff websites try to feed you. You will also get fewer virus attacks.

sure that works...

Submitted by Rick on July 7, 2007 - 8:14pm.

But why bother? Without Java, Flash, and pictures, the Internet is a pretty dull experience, but you are right it will be faster.

Also, no one is "stuck" with dialup (which gets more and more out moded every day). Anyone in North America has access to satellite Internet services at reasonable prices.