Word: fi
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...service say they like it. "The connection is great," says Swapan Chakrabarty, 31, a graduate student and network administrator for a software firm, who goes to the Astor Place store about four times a week and stays two to three hours per visit. About the only complaints from wi-fi users are that some stores don't have enough electrical outlets...
...ourselves, TIME sent reporters to four stores that the chain identified as being especially popular among wi-fi users. And while we found lots of people using notebook computers, few were online. For example, at the Astor Place store in New York City, there were more than 100 customers one Sunday night, including 15 with laptops--but only three said they were using Starbucks' wi-fi service...
...will wireless ever pay off for Star-bucks? It's hard to say. After all, who would have predicted that we would be queuing up every morning to hand over $3 for a cup of coffee? If Starbucks can manage that trick, perhaps it can make wi-fi profitable too. But one thing is almost certain: relying on cash-strapped students isn't likely to work. Trouble is, the much sought-after mobile professionals who can afford the wi-fi fee also prefer a more private space where they can conduct business and talk on a cell phone in peace...
...there is one group of road warriors for whom wireless works well: Starbucks' employees. Before wi-fi, the 600 regional managers--all of whom work with laptops--had to drive back to the office every day to file reports and order supplies for the six to 10 shops that each of them oversees. Now they can do all that during their store visits. The company says wi-fi has increased its managers' presence in stores as much as 25%, since they spend less time shuttling back and forth from the office...
...rule, wi-fi users tend to spend more time in Starbucks--about 45 minutes per average customer. Bob Macala, 61, says he is at the Piper's Alley store every weekday from 8:30 a.m. until noon and then sometimes in the evenings as well. The retired English teacher is working on a novel and poring over his stock portfolio. He's even made some wi-fi friends, mostly other retirees who hang out at Starbucks and trade stocks online...