Ha-WiFi-cation

Perhaps I've gotten spoiled after living in Seattle for a couple years.  No matter where I was in Seattle, there was a coffee shop offering free wireless internet access.  I thought that Hawaii stores would have caught on while I was away, but upon returning I was frustrated to find only a handful of coffee shops offering free WiFi on Oahu.  Here are the three shops I've investigated so far, in decreasing order of quality and convenience:

As far as I can tell, Coffee Talk on Waialae Avenue has the best free WiFi service.  You just purchase something and ask for the password.  The signal is great, and everything is pretty easy.  Simple and swift -- as it should be.

I recently visited Bad Ass Coffee in Downtown Honolulu and was pleased to discover that they also offer free WiFi (with a purchase).  I bought a chocolate muffin and sat down to enjoy my lunch break online.  Unfortunately, it took a while to start the connection, which ended up being disappointingly slow.

Starbucks recently began offering free WiFi.  In fact, it is through their service that I am posting this blog.  I should warn you, though, that it has taken a ridiculously long time to load a few pages -- not something you'd want to spend your precious time doing.  Still, I'm glad such a ubiquitous chain has finally jumped on the bandwagon.

I don't know how much it costs to provide free WiFi, but I recall with fondness many long days and nights camped out at Tully's, cranking out my graduate degree project.  As I sat there people watching (during very necessary study breaks), I realized that Tully's had succeeded at creating a community center of sorts.  Some people came alone.  Some brought computers.  Some met business partners.  Some met up with friends to catch up.  I even overheard a few interviews being conducted in the store!  I eavesdropped on personal conversations, business meetings, students' group meetings, and the occasional kid screaming.  There were usually spots to find the day's Seattle Times, community news, pamphlets, and advertisements.  There was a great relaxed vibe that made me keep going back for more -- come to think of it, maybe it was the caffeine.  I don't know whether my daily coffee and baked good made up for the electricity I consumed there, but I do know that I recommended Tully's as a go-to spot for friends and family even when we were contributing our dollars in return for just a table and chairs.

Of course, Seattle is also pretty rainy and populated with pretty well-educated folks.  You could argue that Hawaii's good weather and generally lesser-educated folks reduce the demand to sit in a coffee shop for hours while browsing the internet, doing business, or reading a book.  That's a completely legitimate and likely argument, but I'd ask you to consider the implications if the causal relationship was reversed.  In other words, maybe with some Ha-WiFi-cation, we'd have more venues to comfortably and thriftily engage in cerebral activities and learn more.