RSSFree T-Mobile Hotspot for Vista Users
By the Betanews Staff | Published January 24, 2007, 2:39 PM
As part of its promotional efforts surrounding the launch of Windows Vista, Microsoft said Wednesday that for 90 days after the debut of the next-generation operating system, customers would be able to use T-Mobile Hotspot Wi-Fi for free on laptops running Vista. Those with advance copies of the operating system would be able to take advantage of the program beginning January 26, Microsoft said.
The service would be available at any of T-Mobile's 8,234 locations across the United States, including Starbucks, Borders bookstores, FedEx Kinko's location, select Hyatt Hotels & Resorts, airports, and the airline clubs of American, Delta, United and US Airways. The only requirement to access the service is a computer with Windows Vista installed.
Well, I can confirm that the deal is real. However, it doesn't work (1/28). The button on the skysurprise site doesn't take you to an account sign up page. I am at a Starbucks (Lubbock, TX) and the t-mobile landing page doesn't mention anything about the Vista promotion. I did manage to find the promotion on T-mobile's website (http://hotspot.t-mobile.com) *after* I signed up for the 1 day free trial. After I got the account, I tried to logon to the hotspot with the new promotion account, but it just kept refreshing the same page over and over, seems like it's trying to figure out if the computer is Vista or not(https://service2.hotspot.t-mobil.com/home). I am running Vista Ultimate, and yes it's genuine. Now, I can't even logoff and log back in with a normal T-mobile hotspot account. They better fix this fast otherwise instead of a promotion it will look more like an embarrassment. Now I am using some random access point around here.
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|Very interesting. I'd still like to see a confirmation on this news bite though. This is definitely a PR move by Microsoft. T-Mobile WiFi is around $30/month in the U.S., so if this is a permanent freebie, it's worth $360/yr.
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|Maybe we should all put down our computers and learn to read.
The first sentence of the article reads, "...Microsoft said Wednesday that for 90 days after the debut of the next-generation operating system, customers would be able to use T-Mobile Hotspot Wi-Fi for free on laptops running Vista."
90 days is unfortunately only 1/4 (.25) of a year. Making it a grand total of $90 savings.
Either way it's a great marketing scheme, having people sit around coffee shops showing off Microsoft's new operating system. I can just see the conversation now...
Dork 1: Is that an Apple?
Dork 2: No, it's a Dell with Windows VistA.
Dork 1: Wow, the edges of the windows are transparent?
Dork 2: Yeah...
[Both put their head phones on and continue to think they look cool with their 17" laptops]
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|I have been looking for a confirmation link on this one. Does anybody have one?
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|http://windowsvistablog....ile-hotspot-access.aspx
http://www.skysurprise.com/
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|The article mentions that this is going on in the US, but what about in the UK? I've got Vista on my laptop and want to know if I can take advantage of this offer?
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|Worth about $20. Not too shabby. I imagine MS wants people to see vista in the public eye.
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|...And how slow it runs on their laptops. =T
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|What an useless free add-on!
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|thats is so sweet, what, are you one of those MS haters. I think is a pretty good idea. free internet and you call it useless.
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|Just steal next-door's open WIFI connection.
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|shuussss, I got so mad at the lady next door that I actually went and secured her network because all my stuff was connecting to her.
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|If all your stuff is automatically connecting to an unsecured network, then you have a serious network security problem yourself. NO device should ever connect to an unsecured node unless told to do so.
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|That's your problem, she have a door unlocked, and you are blaming her for you going in automatically. What are you smoking?
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