Laptop Question from Cornwall....

Here is a basic's question from a 60 year old beginner in the world of
Computer Wizardry......!!!! Right ... read on....
If I get a laptop will I be able send and receive emails using the same
email setting as I use on my home PC ? I, using Broadband from BT ....
And this "Mobile Centrino Technology " thingy... I assume that this depends
on being near wireless link up loop or something... ?
What happens when there is no link - do I merely plug it into the phone line
?
Sorry to seem so dim - but at least when I ask a question on a newsgroup I
dont have to face a young showroom assistant who looks at me as though I
should be in an old people home !!!
Thank you for listening - or reading whatever you want to call it....
John in Cornwall !

"Hushup" <H.Hushup@btinternet.com> writes:

>Here is a basic's question from a 60 year old beginner in the world of
>Computer Wizardry......!!!! Right ... read on....
>If I get a laptop will I be able send and receive emails using the same
>email setting as I use on my home PC ? I, using Broadband from BT ....

Maybe. It depends on whom you connect to. Wireless ISPs are in general
different from broadband isps.

>And this "Mobile Centrino Technology " thingy... I assume that this depends
>on being near wireless link up loop or something... ?

Yes, and each wireless access point (AP ) is owned by some company.

Now I do not know how you read your email at home. If you do it through
some web interface then you will probably be able to the same thing from
the wireless--just connect your web browser to the www address from which
you access your email. If your system uses pop or something like that,
things may be more difficult.

>What happens when there is no link - do I merely plug it into the phone line
>?

That depends on what you have. If your system has a modem, then yes, you
can use that modem to make a connection to your provider. Of course it may
cost you long distance charges to make the connection ( eg if you are in
Ulan Bantor, they may be rather steep), while wireless charges can be much
cheaper ( pounds per hour rather than per minute or second). But is is not
the same as the wireless connection. Different connection procedure.

>Sorry to seem so dim - but at least when I ask a question on a newsgroup I
>dont have to face a young showroom assistant who looks at me as though I
>should be in an old people home !!!
>Thank you for listening - or reading whatever you want to call it....

No problem. And here if someone does go into a rant about your questions
you can just ignore them and go onto the next person who may be more
helpful. With sales people turning your back on them is rude. Just ignoring
a rant here is not.



>John in Cornwall !

"Hushup" <H.Hushup@btinternet.com> wrote in message
news:dhgpv3$q8j$1@nwrdmz02.dmz.ncs.ea.ibs-infra.bt.com...
> Here is a basic's question from a 60 year old beginner in the world
> of Computer Wizardry......!!!! Right ... read on....
> If I get a laptop will I be able send and receive emails using the
> same email setting as I use on my home PC ? I, using Broadband from BT
> ....
> And this "Mobile Centrino Technology " thingy... I assume that this
> depends on being near wireless link up loop or something... ?
> What happens when there is no link - do I merely plug it into the
> phone line ?
> Sorry to seem so dim - but at least when I ask a question on a
> newsgroup I dont have to face a young showroom assistant who looks at
> me as though I should be in an old people home !!!
> Thank you for listening - or reading whatever you want to call it....
> John in Cornwall !
>

With just your laptop at home, you will need a wireless router (they
usually come with the wireless access point and four wired ports). With
a new Centrino laptop, it will come with a 802.11g (note the "g") 54Mbps
wireless network card, so you will want to purchase an 802.11g (or 54G)
router. The purchase is simple since the 54G routers are routinely
available. These can now be had in the US for $30. Please set up
security ASAP after you install the router and have a working
connection. All of this is detailed in the user setup instructions in
simple terms.

At home, you could opt for a wired connection to the router also since
the laptop will have an ethernet card. This is helpful for setting up
the router if for some reason you get locked out of router access when
setting up your wireless security.

On the road, all you'll need is your laptop if you can find a wireless
source using the search capabilities of the wireless. Some are free;
some require subscription or per-use hourly fee, etc.

Q

Thanks for a most helpfull reply !!
John
"Unruh" <unruh-spam@physics.ubc.ca> wrote in message
news:dhh7s5$kp3$1@nntp.itservices.ubc.ca...
> "Hushup" <H.Hushup@btinternet.com> writes:
>
>>Here is a basic's question from a 60 year old beginner in the world of
>>Computer Wizardry......!!!! Right ... read on....
>>If I get a laptop will I be able send and receive emails using the same
>>email setting as I use on my home PC ? I, using Broadband from BT ....
>
> Maybe. It depends on whom you connect to. Wireless ISPs are in general
> different from broadband isps.
>
>>And this "Mobile Centrino Technology " thingy... I assume that this
>>depends
>>on being near wireless link up loop or something... ?
>
> Yes, and each wireless access point (AP ) is owned by some company.
>
> Now I do not know how you read your email at home. If you do it through
> some web interface then you will probably be able to the same thing from
> the wireless--just connect your web browser to the www address from which
> you access your email. If your system uses pop or something like that,
> things may be more difficult.
>
>>What happens when there is no link - do I merely plug it into the phone
>>line
>>?
>
> That depends on what you have. If your system has a modem, then yes, you
> can use that modem to make a connection to your provider. Of course it may
> cost you long distance charges to make the connection ( eg if you are in
> Ulan Bantor, they may be rather steep), while wireless charges can be much
> cheaper ( pounds per hour rather than per minute or second). But is is not
> the same as the wireless connection. Different connection procedure.
>
>>Sorry to seem so dim - but at least when I ask a question on a newsgroup
>>I
>>dont have to face a young showroom assistant who looks at me as though I
>>should be in an old people home !!!
>>Thank you for listening - or reading whatever you want to call it....
>
> No problem. And here if someone does go into a rant about your questions
> you can just ignore them and go onto the next person who may be more
> helpful. With sales people turning your back on them is rude. Just
> ignoring
> a rant here is not.
>
>
>
>>John in Cornwall !
>
>