You'll remember I wrote a few weeks ago about McDonalds plan to roll out free Wi-Fi in all their UK restaurants? Well, they seem to have done it already. Below is my illustrated report on how this works out in practice. Summary: it lives! - but perhaps not that convenient for lightning quick access...
Read on in the full article.
Sorry, btw, that I failed to get a screenshot of the actual McD check-in page... I was a bit distracted, trying to juggle placing our food order and getting online at the same time!
Did you check out how good a signal you get outside, or close to the front door?
It'll obviously vary to a degree, depending on the restaurant. The fact that I had to try several times to connect suggests that it's probably not the most powerful transmitter in the world.... 8-)
Still, it adds yet another place in the Reading area where there's legally free Wi-Fi for emergency/casual use.
I hope it's the start of a movement that forces down the price of Wi-Fi hotspots. As I see it at the moment the Wi-Fi hotspots are not competitive against 3G. There's no way I'm setting foot in a McDonalds though, not for free Wi-Fi even.
This is good news since I'm going to have to get a sucky 2G iPhone at some point.
The thing that bothers me is that McDonalds+WiFi = Nice gadgets + grease.
No thanks. Not too keen on getting my N95 and XDA Orbit nicked by McD chavs. Especially during half time.
Beyond a marketing gimmick, does anyone really want to use this kind of service in this kind of place?
Maybe if you wanted to make a free/cheap internet phone call, but no one is seriously going to settle down to a web-surfing session in most of the Mcdonalds I know, certainly not with anything expensive enough to be wifi-compatible.
"if I were McDonalds I'd forget the form altogether as it only slows people down."
It's probably one of the conditions of the deal with BT, BT possibly wants to get lots of free email addresses to sell onto goodness-knows-who.
I'm currently studying abroad in Cairo, Egypt and McDonald's is actually one of the few places here that has a reliable WiFi connection. No log-ins, no surveys, nothing. I've been making full use of it with my Nokia 770 and laptop, as have all of the other study abroad students that I live with.
but mcdonalds is getting pretty swish in some places these days - and the coffee isn't terrible and they do porridge for breakfast.
Hi all,
Well as they say there's no such thing as free lunch pun intended, we could always give them a certain MR G Brown's e-mail and home address the results of that could prove quite amusing.
But on a more serious note again as pointed out before this really isn't the sort of place that is good to be eating whilst using your device re grease etc. Also it may not be the wisest place to bring out your shiny tech gadget either depending who else is around. But it is good they are offering free web access and the more places that follow this the better off we may all be. I think it would only be fair to have to put up with some advertising if it's free.
Marc
Burger and browse, how nice.
Do you legally have to buy something to avail of the free wifi.
How about a competition to come up with the best details to leave on the login page, jamie oliver or morgan spurlock would be good names to use.
Having used the McDonald's WiFi I was quite pleased with it. It worked and cost me nothing!
But I noticed on the login that McDonald's say they won't use my details for marketing and that they need it for legal purposes. I guess they do need to make sure it isn't being used for dodgy things?!?!? Not sure how that works?
I'd rather Starbucks introduce free Wifi (the one where I am uses a T-Mobile hotspot, which charges) but I suppose this is a step in the right direction.
For UK AAS members, the Farnborough McDonalds has free wifi and it works well. Steve thanks for instructions.
fIn time to come ast food outlets and supermarkets will offer free pre paid minutes for moblile calls for purchases made .Next they will offer disposable moblie phones pre loaded with calling minutes.Just like disposable Kodak cameras. When u return the phone yowill get more minutes.
Sachdeva R
i pulled up outside my local mc donalds and i had a very good signal sitting in car outside so no need to buy any shit food or go in the place
i work for mcdonalds in the north, i havent used our wifi personally but am gettin a sony w960 in a few days and intend on using it on breaks to pass the time
we get alot of customers especially in the mornin and at night that use their laptops, come in get a coffee and relax and unwind or just carry on with the day.
i also know a few people that have used ipods and psp's on the wifi no problems
i sit in the coffee shop opp the muck d's in bolton, decent food,coffee and muckys free wi fi,
And completely chav free.
How can I use it with a psp? I have to register with a pc connected there as it ask me only password.
Phil MaCrackin