It's been quite a while since cable became available in my area, but I can still remember the frustration with dial-up. And when I first got dialup, it was even worse. I live in the country so even my dialup was exceptionally slow. I often couldn't get online at all......would get the infamous busy signal, meaning they were already at their capacity. When I needed to download something big, I had to do it in the middle of the night, etc. I don't miss those 'good' old days at all.

Shirley

It is one of the things I research an area we may be moving to prior to the move!! I just can not go backwards that way. I cringe to think of those dial up days, even the dsl days were bad.

Dotmom, you must be a very patient person. If I had to go back to dial-up I think I'd just as soon give up my computer.

I was satisfied with dialup, even though everyone wasa growling when they used my computer.

So I changed and love it! Now I don't sit tapping my fingers on table waiting for things to load.

Well worth the change.

I decided it was time to give up dialup when I went to Vista and with the 50 mb updates and patches it couldn't be done on dialup. Had to take the computer to a wifi and that got old real fast. For run of the mill surfing, especially using Opera, dialup was fine for me. It's the downloads that were the killers.

Dotmom, wish I knew you were looking for one. I still have Sunny's soft carrier that is in the package - never used. I'd have gladly given it to you.

I have dial up here too, when it rains, it even slows down more. I don't think we can even get satellite here as I have inquired before, probably too many trees. No DSL is available to me either.

Sue

I seriously didn't know dial-up was still even an option. :(

Usually the dial-up's slowness is tolerable, especially when it costs me $13 a month for 50 hrs.

That is so nice, friend Cynic, but don't you still have a furbaby?

I realized, last night that I better replace the carrier I lent out, post haste, whe bad weather roll over us and the sirens went off. Soon the local police and a couple firemen were knocking on Apt doors saying we were under a tornado watch, and we had to go into the center hall, which we did but I didn't have anything to put Buster in and he is too big and strong for me to hold him. So when we got the all clear, I started researching for a new carrier. Even when the fire alarm goes off in the building occasionally, the first thing I would do is put him in his carrier...just in case. So far they all have been false alarms, but It is unthinkable for me to leave him behind in case of an emergency. We lost two kitties in a fire we had in 1990, because I couldn't find them and the firemen made me leave the place. That still haunts me.

I went to satellite internet a few months ago, due to my kids taking some online classes. The dialup would not work for that and it was important.

But the cost is CRAZY!

Dotmom - when I was on dialup I would load multiple pages at once. Although it was probably slower for each page, I could get a bunch going and go do something else until they were loaded. That way I could at least compare things.

iowagirl: I have a couple of curiosity questions about your satellite internet. You say the cost is crazy, would you mind sharing just how 'crazy'? Second, my sisters have satellite tv and often lose reception (especially when it rains). Does that happen also to your internet reception?

Shirley

$70 month for the "Gold" package. They have a less expensive package, "Silver", for $50 month. It is through Dish Network - but it is actually WildBlue.

With satellite internet you have upload/download thresholds. When you go over that amount in a 30 day (rolling) period, they basically shut you down to a speed that makes dialup look blazing!

With 5 of us using the internet I had to go to the Gold package. If we do any Youtube or try to stream any TV/Movies it would use up all of our allotment of time.

Not the greatest option - but that is all we can get.

My TV/Internet bill is $187 a month. We do have the big Dish Network TV package - HD DVR, HD package - everything except HBO and Cinemax.

We do lose TV reception with a very heavy rain or snow. It isn't as bad with the internet - have had a couple super foggy mornings and a heavy rain that did bother it. Also had a sticky snow that covered the dish - that kept it off until it melted when the sun hit it.

Thanks so much, iowagirl, for taking the time to answer my questions. I have my internet/tv through cable, but my sister has her tv through cable and her internet through dsl. Ever since Verizon sold out their landline company, it's been the pits for dsl.

Shirley