<p>Ok
I admit I have dial up- and I am ready for something faster now that my computer can handle the size of files I am likely to download
I also have a MAC and know that some companies don’t have great service for Macs
Already have wireless card- but admit I don’t really understand difference between broadband- dsl- or what equipment is required.
The techs are often not familiar with Macs and so to get info is tedious and I am not sure accurate
Its like when I was looking at insurance coverage- they wouldn’t tell me what doctors were on the list unless I was already a customer!
Anyway any help is appreciated
I also don’t need one of their “package” deals, to “save” money- cause we don’t have cable TV-</p>
<p>How old is your MAC? Service is quick and easy even for MAC really. You shouldn’t need a lot of tech support to get established. Really. I know lots of MAC users who are high speed.</p>
<p>it is a G4 running 10.4.6
and has a 1gb of Ram
its um less than a year old- I am also going to get D a new computer- either a new macbook or a desktop</p>
<p>EK, isn’t your neck of the woods a paradise for wireless hotspots? </p>
<p>Could you not take your MAC for a spin at one of the many eateries, coffee shops, or libraries that offer almost free wireless service. I am pretty sure that you’ll find a ton of people willing to help you connect and explain the finer points of broadband.</p>
<p>OK that is new. Is your question what ISP? The cost? I would choose cable high speed but right now there is competition and thus you might get a better cost DSL. Do you have a choice of multiple cable providers? Some areas do.</p>
<p>I was mainly wondering what companies were good to deal with- I hear about not having as many lines as advertised or having the system be down, and still being charged for it.
I was also asking specifically about Macs, because I often get offers that I call about, and they admit that those are only avalialbe for windows. 
I think it also helps to be informed * before* I call them up so I don’t get talked into something I don’t want or need- just cause I don’t understand it :)</p>
<p>COMCAST never had a problem at home, away during rentals. Only been down less than 3X in multiple years. Good as they advertise. Other folks may tell different story but it is many times what area you live in.</p>
<p>Apparently Comcast has a hold on local Seattle access</p>
<p>*Are you saying that up until now you’ve been on <em>dial-up</em>? God. This is like finding out that someone you admire hasn’t bathed in a year.</p>
<p>My condolences and congrats on the new connection.</p>
<p>in response to
Anyhow, long story short, we got ourselves cable. We asked around and finally settled on Comcast as our Internet provider, which was akin to asking around about which gas we should use to respirate and then settling upon oxygen. Comcast, you see, holds a local monopoly on the Seattle high-speed Internet market. Oh sure, we could have opted for DSL, but, as near as I can tell, DSL compares to cable in being just as obscenely expensive and half as good. Perhaps is recognition of this, Qwest (the biggest local DSL provider) is trying to entice new customers by offering bundle deals. They have, for instance, teamed up with America Online to offer substandard broadband and AOL in one package. Maybe the two companies realized that they were both essentially targeting the same set of victims and decided to join forces, Legion Of Doom style.</p>
<p>Not that I’m Comcast’s biggest fan either. I just cannot trust the business acumen of a company that uses a flash-intensive website to sell a service to folks on dial-up. Dude, I wouldn’t need cable if it took less than a fortnight for your home page to load. It’s like a billboard campaign for the blind.*
lol</p>
<p>If you have Roadrunner in your area (Time Warner Cable), we have had good success with them. We have both PCs and MACs (H is a MAC-rabid type). It is true that fewer of the tech support people know MACs than know Microsoft, but that has gotten better and there is always one available in a short period of time.</p>
<p>Also, we have rarely, rarely needed tech support anyway.</p>
<p>Our “reception” (speed, access, not being kicked out, etc.) has been near perfect. Seamless, really.</p>
<p>Comcast/other cable or DSL, pick the cheapest. You won’t know the difference. Get a wireless router at Wal-Mart or Fry’s. You should be up and running in a few minutes. Next, change the access passwords on your router before all the neighbors “borrow” your internet service.</p>