There are several ones in the Boston/Cambridge area. They generally fall into three categories:
1) Game-centric. There aren't any more of these around here, but they're still out there (I know there's a huge one call "LanWorks" in Seattle for example). The first here was called "CyberSmith" it featured many virtual reality arcade machines (skiing, motorcycling, full VR visors, etc) all of the latest console games (at the time Playstation, N64, etc) and many LAN gaming stations. It also had the basic caf� area with Internet-connected PCs. All systems were activated via a card reader and you'd put so much credit on the card. Playing a VR machine might cost $4 for 10 minutes, but playing an N64 might be only $5 an hour. This was purely geeks and gaming. More updated facilities would host LAN game parties, online tourneys and such. 2) Internet-centric. This kind of place tends to be much more laid back. There's (generally overpriced) food and gourmet coffee drinks by the gallon. Each table features a PC with internet connection. Some of the places around here do live performances, open-mic poetry or literature readings. There's a few places like that around MIT and Harvard. They're really just places for people to go and study with friends while still being able to suckle at the Internets swollen teat. 3) Wired cafes. These are ALL OVER now. Basically these are just cafes that offer, at least, wireless net access or, at most one or two permanent stations and perhaps some Ethernet jacks. It's mostly a bring-your-own-PC affair. Places that offer this are littered throughout Back Bay and Harvard Square. All of the larger book shop cafes offer this (Borders, Barnes and Nobel, etc), most of the Starbucks in the area and dozens and dozens of smaller bookseller cafes and coffee shops. The nice thing about this kind of place is that they cater fairly equally to both techies and non-techies. The technical aspect of things is just an extra and isn't the core. Jim Davis ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~| Special thanks to the CF Community Suite Gold Sponsor - CFHosting.net http://www.cfhosting.net Message: http://www.houseoffusion.com/lists.cfm/link=i:4:183887 Archives: http://www.houseoffusion.com/cf_lists/threads.cfm/4 Subscription: http://www.houseoffusion.com/lists.cfm/link=s:4 Unsubscribe: http://www.houseoffusion.com/cf_lists/unsubscribe.cfm?user=11502.10531.4 Donations & Support: http://www.houseoffusion.com/tiny.cfm/54
