In Reply to: Laptop or internet cafe posted by Singparanparan on Saturday, 22. August 2009 at 13:46 Bali Time:
Internet cafes in the tourist areas are at least one on every street, some are fast, some are slow, some are private, some are air-conditioned, some have smokers, some have skype/webcam facilities. Find one you like and if it fits in with your holiday and it's probably the best way to go.
Taking a laptop can be more convenient, there are internet cafes that let you use your own laptop, there are coffee lounges where you buy a coffee and you get internet for free whether it be their computer or your laptop. Some hotels and restaurants offer free internet with a meal or your stay. Some you pay a small amount for the use. Some are wi-fi aome are plug-in.
Some places give you a password and you hook up, some give you a card with the password and the location of the hotspot.
As for signal, closer you are to the tower/hotspot and then the better you are, reliability is another thing altogether, drop outs can occur and will occur when you don't want them too!
The convenience of having a laptop also is that you can connect in the privacy of your room if the hotel provides internet capability or you can use your unlocked mobile phone with a Bali sim card and tether your phone to your laptop and away you go, this can be rather more expensive and maybe to be used for checking and sending emails not for web browsing.