Wow, the modem days. I was in Japan

when the internet first arrived there. We lived in Sendai and had to dial up a number in TOKYO to hook up to the

internet. That was in 98 I believe. Then we got a Sendai number at some point. Our ISP was called ifnet. At some

point we got a cable TV connection with internet service. That was the year that Apple came out with the first

wireless hub. I think they called it the "airport" in Japan. I bought one of the first in the shop. I also had

one of the first Mac i-books (the "clam shell"). I can remember the look on the kid who came to hook up our cable

internet when I showed him how my laptop connected to the internet without a wire. I guess that must have been

about 2001.

But, yeah, I remember the modem wars. Every few months they came out with a bigger badder faster

one. I think I specifically remember my 256. Wow!

I also remember my first post internet visit to the US. I

set up a mobile Earthlink account I could dial up in my motel room.

B