After an evening and morning at DEMO in Phoenix, my only observation is:
Great companies. Too bad there is no Internet access here so that we can write about them.
No access in the hotel rooms, no access in the main hall. Only a few lucky people who are allowed into the press room can get on the Internet. I feel like a prisoner.
There is a great story here. 700 people. New innovative companies. Buzz.
This has to be a joke in 2006…
I have found the problem is Wayport not Demo. The connectivity is actually good if you SSID: Demo 2006
Wayport sucks and in room is so bad that the scene in the lobby last night was a bunch of bummed out bloggers and press guys.
That was the second reason to stay at the Ramada next door: rooms for $69 and free Wifi that works!
No, the Demo2006 network is not working, too many people trying to get IPs. So I am sitting in the press room instead of watching companies present. Ridiculous.
Long live Verizon Broadbandaccess!
You’ve got to get on the EVDO bandwagon, Mike
I’m switching to a Mac and the damn thing doesn’t have pcmcia…so I have to wait.
Just blogged about this myself here: http://classv.typepad.com/home/2006/02/initial_impress.html
I actually don’t think that the lack of Internet access – at least in the Main Hall – is necessarily a bad thing, though I can totally understand where you are coming from.
I agree with the thumbs up for EVDO, though I am not using it at the moment to post this comment (needed to get back to my room anyway for a conference call, and the Internet connections do appear to be working in the rooms at this time.)
Can you imagine being at a conference seeing new and fresh stuff, then not being able to write about it while it’s fresh in ones mind.
You can’t put it into notepad and then upload it later on after you’ve had some time to reflect and possibly add some useful information?
The world isn’t hanging on the edge of their seats to hear what Joe Blogger says about a conference while it is happening. Stuff like that can wait hours or days.
Besides people typing away at conferences are annoying and distracting for people around that person.
GPRS-enabled phone with bluetooth, powebook or PC laptop with bluetooth, you know the drill…
I think the network was fixed around 11 A.M. this morning. It is working fine now, i.e. 02/7/2006 @ 02:51 PM, and there are some very cool products here!
Classic – when I complained about this at BlogOn, Blogebrity nailed me as a whiner. http://www.blogebrity.com/blog/2005/10/blogon-2005-out-the-door-edition.php
Seems to be a pattern. See the final comments http://www.blogonevent.com/archives/2005/10/blogon_2005_ope.html for Chris Shipley’s comment at the time. – Jeff
Ouch!
Mike:
Sorry to hear that. Hey you can use my free wifi here at the Resort Suites in Scottsdale. No confrence here sucking up all the bandwidth.
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