What we come to expect from the air

My mother liked the idea of the third place - a gathering place that's neither home nor work. With the nerdification of society, Internet connectivity becomes part of these settings. One thing that I don't think Starbuck's understands (besides not knowing how to serve coffee that isn't burnt) is that free wi-fi brings people to stay. The Panera Bread chain gets it. They offer free wi-fi. They understand that free wi-fi is like free air-conditioning, a part of the business that people come to expect.

I needed to spend an hour someplace today. I'm in Marlborough and had the choice between Starbuck's and Panera Bread. I chose PB because I could get free wi-fi. Simple as that.

[Update 2/11/09: Starbuck's is replacing T-Mobile with AT&T for their hotspot service. AT&T says that, beginning this spring, anyone who uses a Starbucks Card (a prepaid gift card, like one you would give to a friend) will be able to get up to two hours of free WiFi service per day at any Starbucks location with WiFi service.