My OperaEvolution of the Internet
Wednesday, May 11, 2005 3:32:18 PM
The internet has gone through a massive change over the years. From its humble beginnings as a text only medium available to a few, it has become one massive media centre open to all that can access it - whether that be at home, college, public libraries or internet cafes.
When it first began, isps were few and far between and there was no such thing as a package you could use at any time to access the net. Home users had to pay per the minute on their phone bills. This could create a huge phonebill for unsuspecting punters who forgot to disconnect their line when finished.
After years of campaigning, we finally saw the advent of "Anytime" packages where you can surf as much as you like for a flat monthly fee. Fantastic stuff, I could surf all day for £15 a month and not worry about the phonebill. The problem was the speed. Internet content has changed rapidly from text only, to websites with big images, videos, streaming media and so on and so forth. 56k modems started to crack in the seams with this new content and viewing a video online was often a painstaking experience.
Cue Broadband... Broadband comes in several flavours to enhance your internet speed and thus, your experience. You have cable, adsl and satellite (although satellite mostly requires a dialup service for uploads). With broadband, the possibilities are increased greatly. I finally managed to get broadband last September and it has opened up a whole new world to me. No longer do I have to wait for half an hour just to download a small video clip. I can download big videogame trailers in a moment or two and have it playing at a reasonable speed and quality.
Everybody should get broadband if it is available to them
When it first began, isps were few and far between and there was no such thing as a package you could use at any time to access the net. Home users had to pay per the minute on their phone bills. This could create a huge phonebill for unsuspecting punters who forgot to disconnect their line when finished.
After years of campaigning, we finally saw the advent of "Anytime" packages where you can surf as much as you like for a flat monthly fee. Fantastic stuff, I could surf all day for £15 a month and not worry about the phonebill. The problem was the speed. Internet content has changed rapidly from text only, to websites with big images, videos, streaming media and so on and so forth. 56k modems started to crack in the seams with this new content and viewing a video online was often a painstaking experience.
Cue Broadband... Broadband comes in several flavours to enhance your internet speed and thus, your experience. You have cable, adsl and satellite (although satellite mostly requires a dialup service for uploads). With broadband, the possibilities are increased greatly. I finally managed to get broadband last September and it has opened up a whole new world to me. No longer do I have to wait for half an hour just to download a small video clip. I can download big videogame trailers in a moment or two and have it playing at a reasonable speed and quality.
Everybody should get broadband if it is available to them
