I'm sitting here with my trusty RIM in the Air Canada lounge waiting for a morning flight. The entertainment portion of the pre-flight is watching this very well dressed women crawling under a desk trying to plug in a laptop.
This, of course, is in the brand new Maple Leaf Lounge. The one where IBM and host of others spent a good deal of coin to make it modern, state of the art, etc.
No power at the desk. You have crawl under the desk to find, if you are lucky, a plug. Amazing.. The person who designed and approved this setup probably doesn't even own a laptop.
Many of you may remember the good ol days where the big thing was broken RJ11 phone lines and glued/stapled cords. All those people ripping phones off the wall to get to a dial up connection.
We're making real progress. We now have wireless (free in the lounge) and people crawling on the floor looking for a power connection.
Don't build it if you don't live it. Not a bad mantra. If you'll excuse me, I'm going to help the nice women.
(Live from the Maple Leaf Lounge)
I too encountered this at York University. Extreme lack of power plugs in their "Technology Enhanced Learning" building. Fully wireless, nice Sun stocked server room, but no power outlets to be seen until around the second or third floor, way off to the side, hidden behind a chair...
Posted by: Adam | February 15, 2005 at 12:03