10 Internet Activities That Are Do-able On Dial Up Internet

If I were forced to use dial up I would have to slash my wrists and sit in the hot tub. When people first started using the internet, dial up speed was adequate to handle most applications. As websites and emails became more evolved with pictures, videos and sophisticated graphics, the dial up connection just can’t keep up. If you’re still too cheap to upgrade to high speed and you have a lot of time on your hands, there are still a few things you can do on the internet with dial up.

1. Simple emails – Dial up really limits your email capabilities. There’s no problem sending and receiving simple text, but when pictures or videos are involved, just opening the email can take forever. Get a cup of coffee and check back later. If you really want to watch that video, just pause it and go make dinner or clean the garage. It might be done loading by then.
2. Some games – Most online games aren’t even possible with dial up, so if you like to play internet games you may want to look into getting high speed. However, there still are some that you can play with a dial up connection like Ragnarok Online. Woo-hoo!
3. Facebook – This social network is still possible with dial up, especially if you get the mobile edition with limited graphics and reduced functionality. Chatting, however, could be somewhat difficult with the slow dial up connection.
4. Twitter – This is also available with a limited, mobile edition, but since tweets are only 140 characters or less, you can twitter away on dial up. It may work a little slower than most people are accustomed to, but you should be used to that by now.
5. Visit websites – Of course, you can go to any websites you like with dial up, but some of them will load very, very, slow. Go make a sandwich and check back later. By then you may be able to make your next click.
6. Read the news – Some of the news websites, like the Drudge Report, are more dial up friendly. This web page is pretty basic and will load in no time at all. It’s a different story when you click on one of the links, though. While you’re waiting for all the nice pictures to load, you may as well get another snack.
7. Shopping – It is possible to do your online shopping with only a dial up connection, but most sites or their advertising have fancy graphics that will not function properly on dial up. It might be quicker to just drive to the store.
8. Searching the net – You can find anything you want on the internet with only a dial up connection. It just takes a little longer. Type your words in the search engine and then play a game of solitaire. Click on a website you’re interested in and play another game. Pretty soon you’ll forget what you were looking for.
9. Blog – If you keep your blogs simple without fancy videos and pictures, you should be able to do this on dial up just fine. Of course, your blog will be so boring nobody will want to visit your site or care what you have to say.
10. Pay bills – Many people like the paperless convenience of paying their bills online. A dial up connection shouldn’t stop you from doing this, and it may even be slightly faster than sending a check in the mail.

If your first telephone had a crank on the side instead of a dial or buttons, dial up internet may be just your speed. For most of us, it’s just too darn slow. Even though I do know people who just can’t justify the extra expense of high speed internet, for me, life is too short to be waiting for a transfer speed of 50 kbit/s.