Direc PC

Pros: Fast connection, has it's uses
Cons: Expensive, dropped connections, cannot perform downloads, set up is difficult

Yes, there is a place called Feline Meatloaf, Montana. But, the town of Feline Meatloaf is not what this epinion is about. Actually, this epinion is about the future of the internet and how you access it. And, more precisely, about a way in which you...

Pros: Spastic service
Cons: I do not have DSL or Cable available in my area

I live in an area where there is no DSL, no Cable, and the phones will only provide 3600 Baud at the max because of bad line quality. I moved here 5 years ago, figuring maybe someday I would be able to have a choice. I'm still waiting. In the mean ...

Pros: fast download speeds - was awesome when it worked
Cons: very erratic service, very poor technical support

Two years ago (June 1998), I was seduced into buying a DirecPC system. I had been a DirecTV customer for about a year and I fully expected the DirecPC dish to be an answer to my wish for faster web downloading. I figured that if DirecPC worked as well...

Pros: Available virtually anywhere in North America
Cons: Rain fade, dial up connectivity, slow uploads

The introduction of broadband internet access opened up the pipeline for downloading larger files in less time and browsing the internet without long wait times for web pages with large graphics to download. One of the ways to get broadband internet...

Pros: High speeds, multi thread capability, available almost everywhere
Cons: Fair Access Policy, Really can't expect a certain speed, Have to dial-up to access internet

Let me give you some background information about my predicament: I live in Columbus, Ohio, an area that is actually bigger than either Cleveland or Cincinnati, yet I do not have a broadband solution in my area. I do like to use the internet quite a bit,...

Pros: Download at around 400k
Cons: use dialup for uploads

For all of those people looking for faster internet access I have one piece of advice for you. What ever you do, do not got with satellite! Please I beg you. Get broadband cable, or DSL, but not satellite. You might as well settle with an ISDN line...

Pros: If you must have broadband access and have no alternative
Cons: Slow. Frequently unavailable. Fair Access Policy very restrictive. Bad support.

I moved to my new house last July, and no other broadband access to the Internet was available. I ...

Pros: Might load pages fast.
Cons: Many pages and web site types will never work (Java mostly). Unreliable.

To begin here is the list of what they say it will do:

Up to 40 times faster than dial-up
It takes the place of your dial-up service
You can use it on a home network

What the truth is:

1. They have a Fair...

Pros: You have 90 days to return it for a full refund
Cons: Expensive, Bad tech support, False advertising, Slow

This item is attractive and seemingly marketed toward heavy downloaders. Unfortunatly, Hughes has something called FAP (fair access policy.) This means that once you hit some unknown limit, your speed will be throttled back. This makes this product...

Pros: seems like a good idea
Cons: high cost, low performance, poor support

How bad is this system? Let me count the ways... First of all, this system is installed in our vacation home. At the time of installation, I didn't realize DSL was availabe out here in rural east Texas. We wanted a high-speed connection so we could...

Pros: None
Cons: The entire system

Living in a rural area as I previously did, I jumped at the chance to have a high-speed connection. At the time, this was the only option available to me beyond dial-up.

I eagerly sent off for the system and anticipated it's arrival, being...

Pros: Excellent Download Speed
Cons: Regular Dial Up Through A Modem

Direct PC I have seen at 3 of my friends places. After seeing it in person and all I'd have to say it has a few advantages and disadvantages to it. First of all to dial in you still have to have a regular modem like a 56k or another internet service...

Pros: Just about everything.
Cons: No Win 2000 drivers.

We have been using DirecPC for about a year now and love it.

It cost us approximately $350.00 total to purchase and have the dish, modem, lines, installed.

We have three computers networked to it with great speed in all three...

Pros: Dish makes a good birdbath
Cons: Hidden restrictions defeat the purpose

I used DirecPC for nearly 2.5 years. In early 1997, the system was great. When I moved last summer, I didn't even bother to bring the dish with me.

In January of 1997, I saw that DirecPC was offering an instant $100 rebate at the time of...

Pros: Faster than a modem; TV option
Cons: Setup issues; slow outbound data; supports one computer only

In December of 1998 I faced the decision between DSL and DirecPC (DirecDuo actually... more on that below), and decided to go with the DirecPC solution.

The basic idea behind the satellite system is that you get incoming data over the...