Coffee Shop Computer Etiquette 101

Posted by ttblogger on 10/09 at 01:28 PM Permalink
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First and foremost, I would like to express my sincerest condolences to the family of the late great Mr. Steven P. Jobs who has, without a doubt, more than influenced the world’s personal/business computing, engineering, science, and academic industries with the advent of Apple’s products. He will be sorely missed and such a loss of a legendary visionary and pioneer is a blow to the continued advancement of our society’s computing technology and innovation.

That being said, this Tech Tip is a list of experiences that I have found to be a hindrance but can otherwise be remedied for all you mobile tech commuters. Have you ever found yourself trying to get work done at a Starbucks/Panera Bread (or name your favorite go-to spot) but can’t because some inconsiderate customer is making it difficult/impossible to get work done? Let’s dive right in to what this article is all about, coffee shop etiquette!

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    Posted by Donald  on  10/09  at  04:36 AM

  1. Get a DC-AC converter to charge your laptop in your car so you will not need to use the Starbucks outlet.

    2. Posted by Dwayne Hunt  on  10/09  at  05:33 AM

  2. The cliche, “that being said”, has been beat to death and has reached the point of being obnoxious. It is normally used in the wrong context as it is, but the author of this article should be ashamed for using it after the salute to Mr. Jobs. It comes across as the author saying, “now that I’ve got that crap out of the way....”
    Sir, it does not make you sound like one of the “big boys” by saying it. Why don’t you drop it out of your vocabulary?

    3. Posted by IPadder  on  10/09  at  06:27 AM

  3. I have many times spent 4-6 hours at a
    McDonalds without a word being said.  The young kids wouldn’t dis on a grey haired retiree anyway.  And I’ve bought both lunch and dinner there in the same sitting.  If you can put up with the screamers in the play land in the adjoining room, then ditch stodgy SBUX.  And you can always enjoy the comfort of your vehicle parked outside in SBUX, etc lot.  I do this a lot with the instant-on iPad.... I call it drive-by mail collection.

    For shorter times, pick Denny’s, Del Taco, Arby’s, Village Inn (especially on free pie Wednesdays!!) and a host of other places.  Sometimes an adjacent business will have an open (public, guest) Wi-Fi, like the Vietnamese restaurant broadcasting into the Wendy’s zone.  And I note in the iPad a list of passwords collected at hotels, churches, etc.  I’ve even surfed the web sitting on a stack of wallboard at Home Depot.  Interesting stares.

    What I’d like you to address is the inconsiderate boobs who monopolize seats/Tables next to the outlets reading their newspapers and books.  A cup of 50 cent Senior Coffee (bottomless) will keep their butts glued for hours.  I’m tempted to have printed sticky plastic (or brass) signs saying something like “please reserve this space for those with computers who need to recharge them”.

    4. Posted by IPadder Again  on  10/09  at  06:34 AM

  4. And your comment page is iPad unfriendly since the platform has no scroll bar to allow review of what one just wrote.

    Test before publishing a webpage.

    (You should see the nasty grams I send to web masters with pages of endless Flash (videos, forms, etc.)

    5. Posted by Alan Reuter  on  10/09  at  06:36 AM

  5. Great article on common courtesy and common sense! In this world of laptops, smart phones and tablets it is easy to zone out and lose touch with the reality of common courtesy and having an awareness of your surroundings.  When you zone into your device, you can easily lose your inhibitions and forget that you are in a public place and not in your living room or office.

    6. Posted by peet's coffe  on  10/09  at  06:53 AM

  6. one question to who ever post this article.

    ARE YOU A STAR BUCKS EMPLOYEE OR ARE YOU SEND BY STAR BUCKS TO WRITE THIS ARTICLES. BECAUSE STARBUCKS THERE ARE A BUNCH OFF RIB OFF

    7. Posted by iPadder Final Note  on  10/09  at  06:56 AM

  7. SBUX should be grateful their Wi-Fi has attracted customers.  Before the iPad I spent hours on a fast PC at home.  I ate at Burger King, Wendy’s, and other places, Wi-Fi not being a priority.

    Now I choose from the previous list, and Mickey D’s everywhere, where I never went before, is a hub in my city travels.  And despite, and now thankful I’ve owned MCD stock for years… And oh BTW check their chart vs. The market, particularly the non-Wi-Fi places.  Don’t think I haven’t pointed that out to my now abandoned B-K, Wendy’s etc.  Go into THEIR restaurants after visiting the arches and note the difference.

    8. Posted by bryan 314  on  10/09  at  07:01 AM

  8. My modification on the sbux issue is that I use Panera Bread instead.  They’re much larger and I can gauge my squatting “rights” based on how crowded it is.  If I’m managing to occupy one of the last two or three tables, I know it’s time to either buy lunch or dinner or wander off.

    Besides, I have trouble with a $5 cup of really bad tea and an over priced and under flavored pastry.

    9. Posted by Jason  on  10/09  at  07:50 AM

  9. Work from you car just outside of Starbucks or McDonalds after you get your cup of coffee. WiFi range is usually more than enough to easily do that (I should know, I’ve done it many times myself). Use a cheap 100 watt inverter for personal power for as long as you want. This method is by far superior to sitting in the shop. It’s more comfortable, you can listen to music without headphones...and never, ever have to worry about rude customers or any of the stuff mentioned in this article.

    10. Posted by George Chero  on  10/09  at  08:03 AM

  10. I would like to have seen information about security issues in a a coffee shop type environment.

    11. Posted by Larry  on  10/09  at  08:34 AM

  11. Why would you go to a coffee shop to do serious work?

    12. Posted by Raymond  on  10/09  at  09:40 AM

  12. carry a battery jump kit with you that has a cig lighter plug in it. they will last a lone time.

    13. Posted by Donna Peterson  on  10/09  at  11:05 AM

  13. Great idea about the power strip!

    14. Posted by Kat  on  10/09  at  02:08 PM

  14. Hello,

    Thank you for the article.  I am going to do as you said and put a power strip in my vehicle.  I would never have thought of this, so I really appreciate the tip!!!

    What I need to know is how do I gear down my laptop, so it uses less power.  I already dim the screen to use less power, but I do not know how to gear down my laptop. 

    I would appreciate your response.  I have only owned a laptop since April, so I am still learning!!!

    15. Posted by Tony L.  on  10/09  at  05:34 PM

  15. Some places are fine but others need to be supervise more closely by the store managers or staff.I know that customer service is the issue
    here, but some people that occupied some of the
    spaces are not being polite at times.Some are there
    for work,and others are there for fun and a few are
    there just to be there for some reason.There should be like a time place on some of the customer that only get one small cup of coffee and take practically up to 3 to 5 hours in the same seat.
    That is my comment for me at this time,thanks for the space.

    16. Posted by Adam  on  10/09  at  06:13 PM

  16. One more thing: I am tired of having to walk out of Starbucks or Panera Bread to eat my lunch because the people who were there for breakfast are still there on their laptops, and, worse, bring their own food and drink to consume inside the store. I do not own a Starbucks, but I would certainly not tolerate that behavior.

    17. Posted by David Lovelady  on  10/09  at  07:55 PM

  17. I personally find it disturbing when someone comes in an play’s a game and do’es not turn the sound down or plug in headphones.

    18. Posted by H F  on  10/10  at  09:07 AM

  18. Another tip: Don’t be a bandwidth hog. I’ve seen people playing online games while downloading a few YouTube videos and a 10MB pdf catalog. Usually only a problem if the Internet connection is slow and several people are doing it at the same time. Play at home, work at Starbucks.

    Everyone looks at your screen to see what you are doing, so avoid offensive material.

    Use headphones, not your speakers!

    Security: Never do any online financial stuff from an unsecured WiFi location. Same goes for any confidential work for your employer.

    19. Posted by sam  on  10/10  at  09:39 AM

  19. woow
    interesting blog
    keep writing

    20. Posted by jj  on  10/11  at  11:20 AM

  20. I find it troubling that you would worry about your battery life as I worry about anyone that would spend hours in a Starbucks. What bad hand has life dealt you anyway? Now, offering WiFi at a car repair shop where you need something to do while you wait is a great idea. Coffee shops should charge by the 1/2 hour if they offer internet access at all (which I wish they didn’t). And you should have to go to the counter and pay each time so maybe you buy something else too. And there shouldn’t be any access to power outlets. Come on people, get your latte and move on.

    21. Posted by james sons  on  10/11  at  10:46 PM

  21. very nice blog i like your blog ..........

    22. Posted by zeeshan  on  10/11  at  11:24 PM

  22. these are Starbucks customers who buy a cup of coffee and then occupy a table/power outlet with their laptop and basically camp out for countless hours.

    23. Posted by gooost  on  10/12  at  12:07 AM

  23. its great thing to drink in summer!!!!

    hot and spicy

    24. Posted by jhonkrk  on  10/12  at  12:23 AM

  24. nice tips and i also agree with you that mr jobs have make a very large empty pace in business sector.

    25. Posted by harris  on  10/12  at  01:47 AM

  25. nice blog,
    I love technology blogs specially Electronics.
    thanks for providing very good knowledge,keep it up.

    26. Posted by Computer Repair Coventry  on  10/12  at  06:27 AM

  26. This is quite interesting blog...I like it very much and i found it is very informative....
    Thanks for the tech-tips…

    27. Posted by gooost  on  10/13  at  02:21 AM

  27. nice gift for these type of condition

    28. Posted by zeeshan  on  10/13  at  08:54 PM

  28. nice post i like this post

    29. Posted by sam peter  on  10/14  at  05:58 AM

  29. thankx for advice

    30. Posted by denial  on  10/15  at  02:03 AM

  30. Coffee is basically is good if u are working and get tired then it bring a new revolution to work.

    31. Posted by Michele  on  10/15  at  06:42 AM

  31. I live in a small town with no Starbucks :( We do have a few other hotspots though and they’re nearly always full of people sitting around with laptops and such. I know several who go to the various places to work or do homework if they don’t have reliable, fast internet at home.

    I wouldn’t have thought about toting a power strip along to share an outlet. Thanks for that idea!

    My heart still feels heavy every time I think about Steve Jobs not being here any more to share his incredible personality and ideas. Truly missed!

    32. Posted by blue123  on  10/18  at  06:44 AM

  32. hmmm good post in which nice write up.

    33. Posted by mickeyice  on  10/18  at  08:19 AM

  33. I like coffee…

    34. Posted by Mojoe INK  on  10/18  at  11:13 AM

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    Brand New 256GB KINGSTON FLASH DRIVE ON SALE FOR ONLY $67.99

    35. Posted by peter jones  on  10/19  at  12:09 AM

  35. I have found to be a hindrance but can otherwise be remedied for all you mobile tech commuters.

    36. Posted by snow123  on  10/19  at  12:37 AM

  36. Nice post !

    37. Posted by snow123  on  10/19  at  12:39 AM

  37. Nice !

    38. Posted by Umar  on  11/18  at  09:24 AM

  38. It’s a very nice post, great.
    Just remember one thing. You are a great content writer. Keep it up.

    39. Posted by jhonsteve  on  11/19  at  12:16 AM

  39. I wouldn’t have thought about toting a power strip along to share an outlet. Thanks for that idea!

    40. Posted by SHANE  on  11/19  at  05:52 AM

  40. i like it so muuch

    41. Posted by iphone  on  11/27  at  11:46 PM

  41. Title is extra-ordinary.Site content very nice.Thank you for sharing.iphone

    42. Page 1 of 1 pages

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