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First 802.11 Wireless Movie Theater?
vern@austin802.11.com writes: "Imagine being able to IRC someone to pass the popcorn! The Austin Wireless Group has helped establish what may well be the country's first Wireless Enabled Theatre. The Alamo Draft House movie theater in Austin, Texas now has 802.11b wireless broadband Internet access that covers all screens in their complex. This "retrofit" theater had every other row replaced with tables and offers dinner and drinks with the show. So, you can park your laptop, order a burger/beer, then email in a movie review all w/o disturbing your fellow patrons. Cool! :)"
Movies are for being engrossed in a different world. If people have so little free time that they must read their email during a movie, what is the point of going to the movie at all?
Go ahead and waste your life with your inhibitions, just don't ruin other people's lives with your intolerances.
Neat!
Al Qaeda has ninjas!
No... Laptop displays create *no* distractions in a dimly lit theatre...
The last thing I need is Mr. "Noisy Typist" and Ms. "I Refuse to Mute My Laptop" sitting next to me.
They're usually pretty cooperative when they find out that Mr. "Gonna Break Your Laptop" is sitting next to them.
So, you can park your laptop, order a burger/beer, then email in a movie review all w/o disturbing your fellow patrons.
I hate to burst this capitalistic bubble, but I'm pretty sure I would be disturbed by my fellow patrons typing and ordering.
We've all sat in computer labs before, and I bet we go somewhere else to watch movies. Now, if they used this networking to offer HEADPHONES for the movie, I'd be psyched. Not only would it block the munching and tapping, but it would allow much stronger stereo and volume.
Last movie i saw there was Danny Darko at the Alamo North and I didn't see anyone with a laptop. I'm as big a geek as anyone and i don't see the need for it, espicially at the Alamo.
Typically one orders a large beer, a hamberger and maybe some nachos. Beer, grease and cheese isn't the kind of thing i want next to my $1,000 laptop, besides it would be rude to the people behind me to have that bright LCD screen glaring, not to mention the sound of the keyboard.
-Jon
this is my sig.
I frequent the Alamo Drafthouse quite a bit.
:)
This is a great idea and I really don't think it will take away from the experience that I've enjoyed for years. The atmosphere at the Alamo Drafthouse is different from any other theater because it is expected that there will be some disturbance during the show. This isn't to say that it's a roudy place where you can't enjoy your movie (except maybe during Rocky Horror Picture Show screenings), but the experience is much more like watching a movie with a bunch of friends at home.
Given the shear volume of wireless-enabled individuals in Austin, this can only enhance the experience.
Next time I go I'll take my laptop and hack other patrons if they're noisy
Miked
2002-02-14 17:39:39 Linux movie gets some big screen in Austin (articles,media) (rejected)
sigh.
On March 22, "Revolution OS" will be shown at the north location of Alamo Draft House, in Austin, TX. Not only that, but the owner will be burning Linux cds (dunno what distro) for people in the lobby.
Tell me that isn't a serious geek cool thing to do.
Any connection between your reality and mine is purely coincidental.
...would go something like this:
*** You have joined #MovieTheater
*** Topic for #MovieTheater: The Animaniacs Movie: The Best Thing Ever Ever Ever, Or Just the Best Thing Ever Ever?
*** GreasyGuy has joined #MovieTheater
*** Chanserv sets mode: +o GreasyGuy
<Me> Hey, um, mister Greasy, could you pass the popcorn?
<GreasyGuy> No! Fuck you! What the hell is wrong with you? Get it yourself! Stop making me feel insecure!
*** You have been kicked off #MovieTheater by GreasyGuyMinion_1 (No popcorn-begging)
*** Attempting to rejoin #MovieTheater
*** GreasyGuy sets mode: +b *!*you@seat_37
*** You have been kicked off #MovieTheater by GreasyGuy (Because I'm too afraid to get up to kick your ass in person!)
/quit
bash-2.1# ping -f -s 65535 greasy_guy_seat
.......
--- greasy_guy_seat ping statistics ---
239123 packets transmitted, 103 packets received, 99% packet loss
w00t!
"Remember when the U.S. had a drug problem, and then we declared a War On Drugs, and now you can't buy drugs anymore?"
I'm dead serious. I, and most people I know, would choose a wireless disabled theater every time. I would spend extra money. I would drive further across town to get there.
Someday, someone is going to realize that there is a market for such a theater. If it doesn't happen, I predict that we will start to see "theater rage", and I'm not joking. I don't consider myself a violent person, but I've been on the verge of punching another patron on several occassions, and I don't think I'm alone.