NOTE: This is not a review of AirPort (we all know it's awesome!). This review covers a new subscription service called Mobilestar which provides wireless internet access via the 802.11 protocol in public places like Starbucks and some hotels and airports. This review is here because Epinions is not yet letting us add new products to categories.

WWW.WIRELESS.LATTE.PLEASE!
Recently I heard a story on c|net radio about a new service called Mobilestar that offers subscriptions to wireless Internet access in public places like Starbucks, hotels, and airports. What really caught my attention is that they're doing this via the 802.11 protocol, which is what the AirPort card already installed in my PowerBook uses. Being a big AirPort and Starbucks fan, I surfed on over to,

http://www.mobilestar.com

and checked it out.

CHOICES, CHOICES, CHOICES
I have to admit that I was skeptical. I figured that they were probably only offering this service in "test markets," or if they were offering it in my area (Silicon Valley), then it would be expensive. I was wrong on both counts.

After looking at the location maps, I saw that Mobilestar is offering service in just about every Starbucks in CA and WA (OR is strangely unsupported). With my first assumption dashed, I then moved on to check out the pricing.

My second assumption soon proved unfounded as well. Mobilestar offers a number of different subscription plans ranging from monthly plans to "each instance" pricing. Since I just wanted to see how well the system works (or if the system works...), I plunked down $20 for a 120-minute, "virtual pre-paid card" (a username and password), and headed for Starbucks.

COFFEE COFFEE EVERYWHERE...
Wouldn't you know it? The first Starbucks I tried (a large one near my house), didn't have a Mobilestar connection. I was bummed, since my wife and I were leaving for a week long road trip to Seattle and I knew I wouldn't be able to try Mobilestar until we got there.

As it turned out, we ran into "unseasonably" terrible weather (it rained a half inch in less than a minute!), and were forced to spend an unscheduled night in Olympia. How fortunate that right across from the hotel was a Starbucks! The Mobilestar location list only lists the Starbucks street address, not the city, so I wasn't sure whether this store would have Mobilestar, but I decided to try anyway.

Paydirt! I was delighted to find that the moment I fired up my web browser inside the store, I was prompted to enter my Mobilestar username and password! I was further delighted to find that once I was online, the connection was lightning fast! Noticeably faster than my DSL connection at home. I was able to do everything I expected to do on the web, without interruption. The connection was so fast, in fact, that I finished the trip with 75 minutes still remaining on my v-card.

Upon returning home, I found that Mobilestar is offered in the other two Starbucks that are also near my home. It was simply dumb-luck that I went to the one in my area without Mobilestar coverage.

DON'T LEAVE HOME WITHOUT IT
If I worked in sales or system engineering, or some other field that required me to travel a lot, I would definitely get a monthly subscription to Mobilestar. As it is, the pre-paid v-card is going to serve my needs nicely. If you enjoy using your laptop while having a refreshing beverage at the local Starbucks, or if you spend a lot of time in hotels and airports, then it's worth your time to check-out Mobilestar.

Recommended: Yes