> > I'm sure I'm not the first one to think of this, so I'm wondering "why not?"
> > Wouldn't it be nice if computer terminals could be placed in airports and shopping malls so you could just plunk in a quarter and send an email? It would be just like a pay phone, but with some obvious advantages.
> > You could type in "Delayed in Chicago. Pick me up LAX at 7:00 pm."
> > Try that with a phone and you could make contact with a person or an answering machine or maybe just a busy signal. Email almost always gets through and it's cheaper.
> > I doubt that a computer with a coin slot and no frills would cost much more than a pay phone. It wouldn't even need two-way capability, or memory to store messages. A simple monochrone monitor would be okay. It would be quicker and cheaper than a long distance call and hearing impaired people would love it. If you had to have an extended discussion, you could still use the phone.

> Hmmmm, are you sorta related to the computer-business?
> But youve got a point for sure!
> Wanna start such company that builds such machines? :-)

Internet cafés have of course been serving this purpose to a limited extent for some time, and the UK's main telecom provider BT conducted trials (if I am not hugely mistaken) of just such a device as you describe, located in railway stations etc. I'm sure I saw one about a year ago, but can't recall exactly where (somewhere by a road in London). The fact that they're not now everywhere suggests that the trial was unsuccessful, or, more likely, ahead of its time. About two years ago I was trying to sell the idea of a palmtop web device that would connect by infra red to network links in shopping malls, so that users could (insert secret plan here) etc while sitting in a café - could have been my fortune but it was not to be...

en'too smart for his own good'ile