What do you do while you wait for downloads?

[Sokee]

My ILs have a place in the northern part of the lower peninsula in MI. They don't have cable TV/Internet. So, they bought this little gadget, a mifi, I think it's called? Anyway, it's mobile data from Verizon so they can have Internet at home. But they only get a few GB per month. That is NOT enough data for me!

Where my family place is in Northern MI there is no cell phone service there. So that is why she would only have the dial up. But she never gets it. Just drives 40 minutes to town where you use wifi at McDonalds.

Is that a second home for them? There are times I think I would love to live in the back 40 but still only an hour from the Traverse City area.

 

[Tree City]

"Drives 40 minutes to town" = a nightmare to me. LOL!
This WAS a second home, but they built an actual place (previously it was a big garage with a second floor "apartment," for lack of a better term). So now they're there full time. They're close to Mackinaw, actually. And maybe soon they'll have Internet. Maybe they could now, cuz it's been a few years since they first built the apartment and looked into it. All I know is, between its remote location and the lack of Internet, we don't plan on visiting anytime soon. *insert evil laugh here*

 

[dawnmarch]

So, just curious -- couldn't all these places without cable still get a dish? My parents live in the boonies in rural VA and that's what they have. It's not as fast as my cable (especially in their old, thick-walled house ) but seems livable. Of course, maybe I'm too dependent on the Internet!

 

[Sokee]

"Drives 40 minutes to town" = a nightmare to me. LOL!
This WAS a second home, but they built an actual place (previously it was a big garage with a second floor "apartment," for lack of a better term). So now they're there full time. They're close to Mackinaw, actually. And maybe soon they'll have Internet. Maybe they could now, cuz it's been a few years since they first built the apartment and looked into it. All I know is, between its remote location and the lack of Internet, we don't plan on visiting anytime soon. *insert evil laugh here*

Oh Sara!! You should go! And take your kids! Ever been to Michigan? There would be so much you could do with them!
Mackinaw Island for one!! Did you know there are no cars on the island!!? And the FUDGE!! Sleeping Bear Dunes! The white sandy beaches, clear sparkling water! If you like wine you and hubby do a day trip to Traverse City while the grandparents watch the kids you could be Vineyard hopping!!

 

[Tree City]

@Sokee, I just PMed you. I won't hijack this thread with all my IL drama lol.
But I just wanted to say that the kids are streaming Netflix; I've got the wireless printer on (so it's using a bit of wifi just being on), and I'm online with no problems. YEA fast Internet!

 

[Celeste]

mine are super fast. so i just continue on my internet way lol!

 

[bestcee]

but there are still many areas here in the USA that still only have dial up.

I did customer service for some of those people too that had the over the air internet basically. It's called fixed wireless, and is really common in rural areas. It's also a pain, and affected by the weather so easily!

 

[scrappydonna]

depends but usually hve to wait and do other things esp when net is super slow.

 

[Scrapping with Liz]

Ours is super slow.... I can't download anything if Netflix is on & can't really browse the internet while I'm downloading. So, I usually work in Photoshop while I'm waiting.

 

[scrappyjedi]

I must have really good internet. My downloads never take more than a minute.

This. We are blessed with fast internet, so I hardly have to wait at all (even when I get, like, 6 things downloading all at once). I have felt the pain of slow connections before, though!

 

[scrappyjedi]

It's automatic to extract for Mac... is this not true for Windows too?

Hmmm...I'm on a Mac, and it doesn't extract automatically (and I'm using the latest OS). Are you using Safari? That could be the difference, since I use Chrome.

 

[jk703]

Hmmm...I'm on a Mac, and it doesn't extract automatically (and I'm using the latest OS). Are you using Safari? That could be the difference, since I use Chrome.

Yes, safari.

 

[BevG]

Pretty fast downloads here --- unless the neighbors are doing something. When I am somewhere without wifi like in the car, at Girl Scouts, or at my mother-in-laws, I use my phone hot spot. It does not use that much data, but it does use up your phone battery quickly.

Now the thing that makes me wait and wait is the converting templates to .page format that I do. Some times a template with lots of do-dads on it can take up to 12 minutes (it is very memory and CPU intensive). So I read Facebook, or hang-out here, or play Spider Solitaire. Or fall asleep... although that is dangerous if my hand is resting on the mouse and I click something. I woke up the other night to the software being closed. I have no memory of closing it....

 

[cookingmylife]

I'm with @Tree City on speed. "I blink once or twice. And then I unzip. *giggle*" Fast, fast, fast. Even customer service at Apple said my computer was 'smokin hot' or maybe he meant me! LOL - no way! I've heard that OZ is like our old dial up (and pricey) and remember when that's all we had at work in the early internet days. I would go to the ladies room AND have time to make a pot of tea.

btw, I'm on a Mac with Safari and I've set it to NOT auto unzip. I want that control and I save my zips that have been unzipped so I don't want them auto trashed. That's been a godsend for me for the times that I somehow lost files or folders. Checked my zips and unzipped again.

 

[Tree City]

I don't want my files to auto unzip, either (I have a PC, not a Mac, btw).
Anyway, I know that designers are usually required to put a copy of their TOU in every zip file, and of course the kit preview, and maybe a link to their newsletter or blog or shoppe or all of that; but I don't need 4 copies of the preview and all the other stuff in my folder. (And I keep a TOU for each designer in a separate TOU folder, so I don't even add that to each kit. Anyway, being able to unzip files myself is really nice.

 

[JillW]

I usually go to my desktop and create the folder for the kit - and by time I do that the downloads are done

 

[bluerose]

I am lucky my internet connection is fast so don't have to wait long for downloads, unless my son has the PS4 on which drains the wifi connection. Normally while I wait I am either checking Facebook or taking a quick coffee break.

 

[NancyP]

Play spider solitaire - horrible waste of time!

HAH HAH I though I would be the only one with this answer! My computer has gotten slow lately so my trusty i-Phone is ever near to play games while I wait. I love Spider Solitaire, Blast, and Fishdom.

 

[kim21673]

I don't have a long wait time and can usually start scrapping within a minute of clicking download! They usually take less than 30 seconds!!

They auto un-zip and then I move them to my TLP folder and start scrapping!!

 

[NancyP]

Oh Sara!! You should go! And take your kids! Ever been to Michigan? There would be so much you could do with them!
Mackinaw Island for one!! Did you know there are no cars on the island!!? And the FUDGE!! Sleeping Bear Dunes! The white sandy beaches, clear sparkling water! If you like wine you and hubby do a day trip to Traverse City while the grandparents watch the kids you could be Vineyard hopping!!

M


WOW, look at all these Michiganders!!!! WOOT WOOT!!! LOVE Mackinaw, but it is getting more and more expensive!! But gotta LOVE that fudge!!! Whether I go across the state to Traverse City or down state to Saginaw, my little town is 3 hours away from any large city. But I LOVE it here!!!! I think we are going to have to have a Michigan gathering!!!