Going Online For Free

Access all Areas.

 

Just because you don't own a PC, it doesn't mean you can't get online.
by Lanie Thorpe.

 

These days just about everyone uses the internet, for everything from checking emails to creating a blog to doing research for a school assignment. But what if you don't have access to a computer at home or school? Don't worry, you don't have to stay in the Dark Ages - there are other places to go where you can surf the net to your heart's content. Your first stop should be that trusty establishment we've all frequented since we were little - the library. Yep, libraries are no longer just the realm of dusty old books and grumpy grandmas telling you to be quiet; they've moved into the 21st century! You'll fi nd computers in practically every library around the country, where internet access is readily available, usually for a small hourly fee, but often even free.

 

Rates between libraries vary, with 15- 30 minutes being the smallest amount of time you can buy. Prices can be as cheap as $1.50 per half-hour, or up to $4 per half-hour. The average is around $2 for 30 minutes however, which, providing you're not planning on reading an epic online novel, is pretty aff ordable.

 

In most cases, you don't even need to be a member of the library to use its computers. Payment is generally made by handing over your coins at the front desk, however libraries such as Auckland's Central City Library require you to buy a cash card before you begin. Its card costs a mere $1, can be topped up with various amounts and can be used for other library services, such as printing pages from the net.

 

What's really worth knowing is that loads of libraries also off er free internet browsing. Large selections of websites are free to view, including government sites, most New Zealand sites and general academia sites - ideal for all that important school research.

 

Wellington City Libraries has a database called Ebsco, a free online catalogue of nearly 3,000 publications. Titles range from Vanity Fair to National Geographic and almost everything in between, which means you're sure to fi nd the info you need for any assignment, or just the latest news on Better Bladder & Bowel Control (that's an actual magazine, believe it or not!).

 

If you've had your library fix, however, and want an internet alternative, you might want to check out an internet cafe. You've seen them - they're pretty much a permanent fi xture on every street corner. They're fairly basic in accessories and a bit dodgy in decor, but it's cheap and (somewhat) cheerful that's on off er here, and the prices refl ect that.

 

Basic browsing will cost you $2-$3 an hour, and gaming - a very popular feature - is usually priced the same. Net cafes stay open pretty late, too, which may come in handy when you've left that fi ve-page assignment till the last minute - although it'll probably go down better telling your parents you're going to the library to work, rather than a cafe.

 

Whichever option appeals to you, the fact is you don't have to be limited in where you access the internet from. Prices for browsing are as cheap as chips - literally - so put those Twisties back and head to your local library or net cafe instead. Go on, there's a whole virtual world out there waiting for you!

 

Mathsman

 

New Zealander Alexander Aitken is known as the greatest mental calculator of all time. He could recite Pi to 707 decimal places, multiply two nine-digit numbers in his head in 30 seconds, and render fractions to 26 decimal places in under five seconds. Aitken was born in 1895 in Dunedin and attended Dunedin Boys High and Otago University. Up until the age of 14, however, he didn't do well at arithmetic, as it was called then, and found it boring.

 

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