[Leica] Re: [off topic] Not so Urgent: Long Distance Charge for Internet?

[Jim Brick <jim@brick.org>]

Hi Oddmund,

That's the difference between living in the geographic center of Silicon
Valley, having two sons that are Internet engineers, and living in the
French countryside.

Many times, however, I wish I could trade places with you. Or at least
become your neighbor.

My wife has relatives in Bellerby (northern) England. 300 people, 400 year
old town. When I visit there, I don't want to leave.

Someday...

Jim

At 03:25 PM 12/4/98 +0100, Oddmund wrote:
>At 20:39 03/12/1998 -0800, Jim Brick wrote:
>
>>At home, I use ISDN. $30/month. Period. It's two 64k B channels + one 16k D
>>channel. Basically, the equivalent of about four phone lines running in
>>parallel at with 56k analog modems. For $30/mo. I don't pay any other fees.
>>For normal e-mail, only one 64k channel is used. On downloads or large www
>>images, both channels connect. My computer and network at home is up and
>>online all of the time. 24 hours a day. I don't pay an timed connect rate.
>
>I am far from such a fancy setup. My phoneline is running through trees and 
>woods, coming up to our house through a huge chinese palm in front of it, 
>into an old, strange connector box, and into a 14.400 modem... When it's 
>windy, and when the palm starts moving, the connection is interrupted quite 
>frequently. No use sending e-mails... pray for wind you disgruntled LUGgers! 
>I don't have TV, but good books, a wonderful Irish wood stove, and a lot of 
>fine wine in the waiting time. 
>
>The computer is a completely outdated, portable PC, with a blacked out LCD 
>screen, 4 mb of RAM, and a full 100 mb HD...  Strange enough, it's efficient!
>
>You understand better now why I don't have any web site, or look at yours...
>
>I pay about $16/mo for the connection, and as usual in Europe, a per second 
>connect rate, which is normal local tax, about $2.30/hour day time, and $1 
>during the night, with a special internet reduction arrangement (+$6/mo). 
>
>Oddmund
>