YYZTech

Internet Dot Com Internet Cafe
Browsing the net is such a common past time these days, why not at a place that offers up a friendly ambiance and warm atmosphere? Internet Dot Com is such a place. Located at 509 Yonge St. downtown Toronto, the cafe affords you some browsing at $3.25/hr, $12.75 for 4 hrs or a day pass at $28.00. At this cafe, however, the price is worth it. Each terminal offers privacy with dividers for each table, comfortable seats and well-maintained computers. Also, a drinks fridge serves up pop et al. Finally, the hours of operation are: Mon-Fri 9am to 12am, Sat. 10:30am to 12am and Sun. 3pm to 12pm.

And here goes for the specs. The Internet speed, as tested through Speedtest.net, resulted in about 6mbps download and 0.9mbps upload, their service provider being Rogers Cable. Viewing is also good with 21.6” (55cm) Samsung monitors. Furthermore, the computers sport an Intel Pentium Dual Core CPU at 1.8GHz, 1GB RAM, Windows XP, headphones with mic and webcam, the normal Office Pro 2003 and Office home & student 2007, and the basic software including skype, Google Chrome, Yahoo Messenger and Nero burning software. This cafe is my personal favourite and a definite recommendation for anyone.

CN Internet Cafe (on Yonge at Wellesley St.)
Looking for Internet browsing on the cheap? Look no further. CN Internet Cafe, located at 568 Yonge St. offers its service starting at $0.50 for 20 min. $1.25/hr and $2.00 for 2 hours. The Cafe is open 10am everyday. However, browsing on the cheap means some drawbacks. Expect a poorly maintained atmosphere with dirty tables and chairs. Also, not all computer terminals are the same and some don’t have headphones or a webcam. Private browsing is also difficult with no dividers. However, viewing is good with monitors between 19” and 22” (48cm/56cm) and bright lighting.

Not all computers seemed to be the same, but mine had a Celeron CPU at 2.8GHz, 496MB RAM, Windows XP, and Office 2007. Internet speed was quite fast, as tested at Speedtest.net, with download speed of about 12mbps and upload at 0.3mbps, provided by 3web Corporation. A good place for some quick browsing that doesn’t need privacy, like reading the news.

iklick Internet Lounge (on Yonge near Wellesley St.)
A nice place to while-away the evening on the net. Iklick offers patrons a good experience any time of the day or night – its open 24 hours! It is located at 614 Yonge St. I spent $1.13 for 20 minutes, but you can get 3 hours for $7 or 4 hours for $10. The prices, though, are worth it. This place offers comfortable seats and spacey desks, dim lighting for a comfortable ambiance, and a drink fridge to serve you with pop and water when you need it. The highlight of this cafe is its choice of games available. I noticed Assassins Creed, Fallout 3, and Warcraft III among the more popular ones. Also, there is CD/ DVD burning, fax and scanning.

The computers are speedy with Intel Pentium Dual Core CPU at 2.5GHz, 3.25GB RAM, Windows XP, and Office 2003 software. Monitors, however, are a bit small at 19” (48cm). Also, there are headphones with mic available but my terminal did not have a webcam. The biggest surprise is Internet speed, tested courtesy of Speedtest.net, at a whopping 22mbps download and 0.9mbps upload, provided by Rogers Cable. This cafe is a definite recommendation to anyone looking to play the latest games, watch movies, or just browse – all at really high speed!