If you have a Wi-Fi network at home or the office, you know that there's a little bit of noodling that takes place when you get started. Windows XP does a good job of showing you the available Wi-Fi networks — in this case, I wanted the one on the list called "tmobile" — but it still took me three tries before it would willingly hop onto the right network.

After the software assured me that it was on "tmobile", I launched my Internet Explorer. Instead of going to my homepage, it re-routed me to a sign-in page. After I signed in, a small pop-up appeared at the top left of the screen, and I was free to surf the Web. I could even load other Net apps like AOL. A word of advice: to avoid being double-billed, don't try to change networks or close the "logged-in" box while you're working.

Contrary to the what Intel might have you believe, it doesn't take a Centrino laptop to access these hotspots, nor is it any easier with a Centrino. I tested two different PCs — the Gateway 450 Centrino and a Compaq laptop with LinkSys Wi-Fi card. Both were running Windows XP, and the experiences were almost identical — the only difference was that the 450 has exceptional battery life.

While I was surfing at Starbucks, I discovered several other active Wi-Fi networks in the area, and I was able to hop on one that didn't have protective security measures. It may have been slower than the Starbucks net, but it was free. And it made me question the high price of the T-Mobile network. Still, T-Mobile's is reliable and you can't always depend on the kindness of strangers.