How Many Ways Do You Connect To The Internet?

from the are-you-hyperconnected? dept

Wed, May 14th 2008 5:45pm — Mike Masnick

A new study points out the rather unsurprising fact that the number of "hyperconnected" individuals is growing. The definition of hyperconnected is anyone with seven or more connected devices and nine or more applications on those devices (though, it's not entirely clear how they define an "application" since it seems to include certain websites. Apparently 16% of people surveyed fell into that camp. Another 36% are in the "increasingly connected" group that counts those who connect via at least four devices and uses six or more applications. To be honest, this seems like an odd way of defining connectivity. If I had a really good "all-in-one" device meaning that I wouldn't need that many other devices but could use that one in more circumstances, why should that make me seem less connected? Of course, then there are the unconnected. A different study has found that approximately 18% of homes in the US have no internet access whatsoever.

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Filed Under: connectivity

32 Comments

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anne, 14 May 2008 @ 6:38pm

Only Four For Me
Let's see. I have a desktop, a laptop, a cell phone with internet access (although Verizon has crippled it so that it majorly sucks), and a PDA through T-Mobile. That makes only four devices. Guess I'm less than cool, eh?
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- mkam, 15 May 2008 @ 4:43am
  
  Re: Only Four For Me
  No game system like a 360 or the wii? They probably count work computer and home computer separately, which would increase the count for most people.
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- Ted, 27 Nov 2009 @ 8:02am
  
  Re: Only Four For Me
  What counts? And how is this changing the world around us? Wiis, XBoxes, cells, BBs, PDAs, Smartphones, desktops, Remote Access, laptop...what is a slingbox? People are more connected to media, are they more connected to each other? Are we listening less or more? Do we care about what we hear less or more? What about first amendment law? Are those changing with the changing mediums of "speech," and the amount of speech Americans hear?
  I think it would seem people listen less, but the Iranian election and Twitter would have proven me wrong. Thoughts?
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lar3ry, 14 May 2008 @ 6:41pm

Well...
I must be part of the 18%. I have absolutely no internet access, whatever. I have no way to post to blogs... NOTHING!
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- Nick, 20 Oct 2008 @ 10:32pm
  
  Re: Well...
  Then how did you post this...........idiot
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Anonymous Coward, 14 May 2008 @ 6:41pm

Only old people use only four devices.
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Anonymous Coward, 14 May 2008 @ 6:53pm

This explains it:

"In a worldwide study sponsored by Nortel"
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- Iron Chef, 14 May 2008 @ 10:11pm
  
  Re:
  This explains it:
  
  "In a worldwide study sponsored by Nortel"
  
  Huh? Nortel is one of the few companies that really understands communications. Based on experience, they are one of the few companies that could actually deliver back in 2000, before the bubble burst. I lost a *lot* of money in them, but still, they continue to have a solid patent portfolio and I'm hoping they make a comeback.
  
  What's equally interesting is that they are also a huge proponent of Open Standards, and it's interesting that they are tackling strategy from an application and carrier level, and I applaud that.
  
  My first book out of college I recieved was "Wireless Network Design, Overview, 1998 Edition." by Nortel. I read that thing, all 400 pages, from cover to cover.
  
  Today, they offer LTE, WiMax, GSM/Edge as well as IMS/UMA. What's not to like? Maybe we don't see eye-to-eye, but I still see a lot of potential in that company.
  
  Throttling and net neutrality looks like it could be "> solved with some of their technology.
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  - Iron Chef, 14 May 2008 @ 10:18pm
    
    Re: Re:
    The link didn't come through--
    Net Neutrality and Nortel's Story
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Avatar28, 14 May 2008 @ 7:06pm

Hmm, let's see.

1 x personal laptop
1 x work laptop I use freely
4 x desktop PCs
1 x Windows Mobile phone w/internet
1 x XBox 360
1 x Wii

Hmm. Computer geek? Check!
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- pferland, 15 May 2008 @ 8:40am
  
  Re:
  Who needs 4 desktops when you can virtualize it ;-)
  I have one server running as my Gateway, DNS, AD, and I have 3 web servers running too. but if I had the space, I would have a room full of computers if I could
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Anonymous Coward, 14 May 2008 @ 7:08pm

Erm. I have my laptop... and... uh...
My laptop, on which I spend nearly all my free time and much work time. 1 device, all day.
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XCetron, 14 May 2008 @ 7:29pm

Laptop
Desktop
thats it :(
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Daniel, 14 May 2008 @ 8:43pm

My stuff...
Laptop: Always connected via School WiFi, home WiFi, and School Wired (w00t for 38mbps!).

Server: Wired

Home desktop @ Dad's house: dial-up =(

Slingbox: home wired

Cell phone: conceivably could use 'net, doesn't ATM.

That's all. Not bad for 15 years old...
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The Mighty Buzzard, 14 May 2008 @ 8:51pm

4x Desktop via dsl
laptop(ancient) via null modem cable to one of the above Desktops

You can't do anything on the Internet worth the time it takes to do it from a phone or gaming console anyway. Excepting pwning noobs in some online fps or other, of course.
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troye, 14 May 2008 @ 10:00pm

only 2
I have 1 laptop with 15mbit down at home. Windows Mobile BJ ATT with unlimited smartphone connect on the go. And, wifi at college campus for my laptop.

Dialup? Who still uses that. I thought dialup died a long time ago!
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the.arctic, 14 May 2008 @ 10:03pm

I find the standards of this "hyperconnected" moniker a little odd. Why not classify the way these devices are used? For example, I usually read Techdirt using Opera Mini on a Samsung D820 non-smartphone. This device is always on, and always on my person (or next to my bed when I'm asleep). So why does someone with more devices get more connectivity points? I'll only accept that they're more connected than myself if they're using all seven at once. Personally, I've been using the term "perpetually connected" when describing my internet usage characteristics.
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Lawrence D'Oliveiro, 14 May 2008 @ 10:51pm

As they say...
...home is where the landline is. :)
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Tony, 15 May 2008 @ 12:11am

RE: Iron Chef
This is a bit off topic, but man, Nortel has NOT got a lot of potential. As a Network Engineer who worked for them (prior to and just after the dot com's were dot gone) in the broadband wireless division, their equipment is crap! I am now a Sr. Network Engineer for a major mortgage lender and our network was mainly Nortel. (8600's, 8100's, MSS's, 5510's, Alteon's and opteras). We have been replacing everything but the WAN stuff with Cisco because of the failure rates and complex maintenance. We were just acquired and they (our buyers) want all the Nortel stuff gone too. We are keeping the Passport ATM gear as well as the Optera SONET gear because unlike the rest of their stuff, it's rock solid. The worst decision Nortel made was the acquisition of Bay Networks. What's their other revenue stream? Class 5 switches. (DMS100, DMS500) That whole world is ending. In another 10 years, if that, their class 5 revenue will be nil. The prospects don't look good.

Anyway, the Greatful Dead were all about sharing their music. I don't know where this stuffed shirt gets off making these demands.
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Tony, 15 May 2008 @ 12:15am

Ooops!
LOL! I inadvertently included the GD quip in response to another piece by Mike. Sorry for the confusion.
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Iron Chef, 15 May 2008 @ 12:36am

Trust me-- the Nortel carrier-grade gear is real solid.
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Brian, 15 May 2008 @ 2:00am

Yeah. It's not terribly clear as to what constitutes connectivity, but given the information above I suspect that I could satisfy at least nine with my personal desktop alone.

As far as singular devices go; let's see...

2 Desktops (Personal & Work)
1 Server (Personal)
2 Laptops (Personal & Work)
2 PDAs (Personal & Work)
1 XBox Live
1 Wii
1 TV

And that excludes the other desktop that friends/family use when staying at my place, all the laptops I work on and update for employees at work and the desktops I use at school (when I forget my laptop). There's probably more that I'm forgetting about, but meh...

Basically, what don't I do on the internet? Online news has replaced the traditional paper media. I get my TV shows online for the most part and DVR the rest. (What's live broadcast TV again?) Radio... Internet. Work... significantly internet based. Pleasure, internet (MMOs, etc).

You get the idea. I should probably stop before I make myself sound like a complete recluse. It's interesting to think about, though. So many people's lives are heavily influenced by online activity. Often times more so than they think. It's also interesting to watch how life and business changes as a result. (Of course, Mike has been talking about that since forever ago, now.)

In a related topic; After reading all the news that's been circulating lately about social-networking sites, I've come to realize how much of so many people's lives revolve around them. Personally, I've always thought that they were retarded and delinquent, but it seems people are living a very significant portion of their social lives through these sites. I even have a couple friends who make something of a living through mySpace based businesses, which I also thought to be waste of time and money. Although not hugely successful, profit earned where there otherwise would have been nothing is still profit.

That said, I still think social-networking sites are a useless pile of idiocy, but there's indeed something to be learned from observing the trends there.

Anyway... /ramble. Sorry for the digression.

~Brian
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Heidi, 15 May 2008 @ 5:19am

laptop, desktop, cell, mac, xbox 360, work cell & laptop

geeky girl right here.. could be worse if i had the money!
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Nate, 15 May 2008 @ 6:19am

Im not quite there...
I have quite a few pieces of hardware that connect to the internet, and I had never thought about it. Let's see if I am hyperconnected, though... 3 Home computers 1 Wii 1 Nintendo DS 1 Cell Phone (which I hardly use for internet...) I think that is it, so I guess I am not "hyperconnected". But, I could easily see it happening. www.custompcmax.com
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Tim, 15 May 2008 @ 6:22am

Surely as a geek, the priority is to keep the number of ways requried down? I have ADSL at home with a dozen boxes NATted through it and a moobile that does 3G and all that jazz, including joikuspot for wifi->3G proxying.

You could reaonably include sites in the list since things like twitter and facebook also grok upload via SMS for those who have that but not internet on their phones.
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Dissident, 15 May 2008 @ 6:48am

Yup. I must be a geek.
Hmm...

2 x Laptop (work and personal)
1 x EEE PC Laptop
1 x Desktop
1 x PDA
1 x Helio Ocean (dont call it a phone!)
1 x Xbox 360 Live

I got it covered on the hardware end. I guess I really am a geek.
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Nitro, 15 May 2008 @ 7:24am

Am I connected?
I have two desktops at home with 7mb down. I have a laptop and a desktop at work with 1.5mb down. I am a computer tech, so I have about 300 more computers with 1.5mb down (shared). Do I count those? I have a cell phone that is capable of internet access, but I don't understand the appeal of using such a small screen for internet activities. I could care less if I don't get someones e-mail until after 5:00pm. I also don't understand the need to pay for access on my mobile device when I can just hit the net when I get home on a fast connection with a bigger screen. I have days that I live on the net and then I have days that my computer doesn't even get booted up. Heck... my primary machine has been dead for two weeks and I will finally be putting it back together next week. I guess I am under connected! :)
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- Nitro, 15 May 2008 @ 7:30am
  
  Re: Am I connected?
  I should have said 300 machines in different offices on different shared 1.5mb down T1's!!
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Derek Kerton (profile), 15 May 2008 @ 11:20am

Strange Metrics
I think the 7+ measure is a strange metric. Like the guy in #11 said, he's hyperconnected because he's always got a connected device. What's more, familiarity with these devices leads to more thorough use.

I think the 'number' of connected devices would indicate people with more money (or a business need), not more connectivity.

I've also seen plenty of people with money, but not a geek bone in their body. They have some of the best devices (RIM, laptops, smartphones) but not a clue how to do anything with them.

I'm a pro geek, so I qualify for the 7+ count. For fun, I'll kick off a list, but I argue that the sheer number of nodes I have makes me a geek, but still no more connected than the poster in #11.

OFFICE/DESK:
PC and laptop, two screens, KVM
Separate laptop for PPT presentations
Nokia N95
AT&T Tilt smartphone
Simple Motorola feature phone
AT&T 3G HSDPA card
VoIP phone system, 3 vonage lines
2 network printers (can print from Internet anywhere)
NAS with FTP server
Mirra backup server

HOUSE:
kitchen laptop
ethernet remote camera
slingbox
D-Link Digital Media Adapter
TivoHD Series 3
PC in entertainment system
does an mp3/podcast player count?

CAR:
are we counting connected GPS devices?

And there's gig ethernet throughout, and an 18-port switch, two active Wi-Fi APs, a travel wi-fi router, and too many extra routers (because of Vonage). My wife has her own laptop and phone.
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Anonymous Coward, 15 May 2008 @ 11:44am

3 servers (2-2003 small business and advanced) and 3 desktop win (all have 3 drives, xp, vista ult., suse 10), 3 macs (os9.2.2, 10.4 & 10.5.

I do tons of prepress work all are required.

Also use one of the servers to operate via remote access an 8 computer prepress department 100 miles away.

I guess I am way conected, never paid attention.

All with 2 - turbo roadruner connections, one is not enough, and fios is not available in my neighborhood :(
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Andrew, 15 May 2008 @ 1:11pm

hmm
well. let's see. I got 2 desktops at home, another laptop, a media center PC, my phone which is internet enabled, and my carpc which i have a sprint broadband card in it and my work desktop... so that makes it 6....

only 6? so I guess I am not that cool. yet. oh wait. i did not cound my other desktop which is a server. however i do not use that directly... so who is countin anyways. i am good with what i got. next will be a PS3. but i will wait on that.
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Nasch, 16 May 2008 @ 8:21am

What a bunch of geeks!
And I'm one too of course. I was surprised how many comments were simply people listing their connected devices. No offense, but should we care? Do we really still have that kind of geek culture, where you're cooler if you have more hardware? Isn't it more interesting to hear about what people are doing with their hyperconnectivity? I mean, tell me about the cool stuff you can do with your internet connection that nobody had even thought of 2 years ago - that's worth taking about.

Or maybe I'm not geeky enough and it really is fun to compare devices, I don't know. :-)
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