Laptop users shun Wi-Fi hotspots

Laptop users are still reluctant to log into Wi-Fi hotspots, research reveals.

Of 3,330 people questioned, just 11 per cent make use of hotspots in hotels, 7 per cent on trains and 3 per cent in coffee shops.

A quarter of users with wirelessly equipped notebooks said they didn't use the technology because they don’t want to pay for it with 19 per cent claiming that security concerns prevented them using it.

A further 19 per cent claimed they simply didn’t know how to use the wireless functions of their notebook and 15 per cent claimed there are not enough wireless locations for them to truly capitalise on wireless technology, despite there being more than 10,000 Wi-Fi locations in the UK.

Fear of theft (35 per cent) and privacy fears (27 per cent) were also given as reasons for not using mobile PCs in public.

The research from Toshiba also revealed that 90 per cent of those questioned believe that owning a laptop meant that they worked more hours.

According to the survey, price (77 per cent), followed by portability (67 per cent) are the main criteria when buying a laptop.

Meanwhile, the number of Wi-Fi hotspots across the UK is growing rapidly. As we reveal in the current issue of Web User magazine, nine UK cities, including London, Birmingham, Oxford and Liverpool, will soon offer widespread Wi-Fi to residents.

UK ISP Cloud plans to deploy the networks by March 2006, and estimates that four million people will be able to access the hot-spots.