Wednesday, October 19, 2005

What would Ray Crock say?

BBC reports that McDonald's currently offers for-fee wi-fi in some of it's joints but now they are working with Nintendo to provide free internet access for Nintendo DS handheld games consoles. It gives Nintendo a gateway for kids to play online who might not otherwise have access to the internet. McDonald's presumably gets lots of kids buying lots of food.

May be a smart move; might not. I sure wouldn't want to be the manager of a McD's where kids could come to hang out and play games.

Ray Crock, the original owner of McD's had some very strict ideas about what's allowed and what isn't in a McD. Vending machines were out of the question because he didn't want any of his stores selling cigarettes. Something tells me he wouldn't have been thrilled with this development.

Regardless, it will be interesting to see if it flies. McDonald's Hamburger & Internet Cafe?

BBC's related stories include:

FROM OTHER NEWS SITES:
Xinhua News Agency Nintendo to offer free wi-fi access at MacDonalds - 2 hrs ago
Click10.com Ronald, Meet Mario: DS To Get Free Wi-Fi At McDonald's - 4 hrs ago
United Press International Nintendo with those fries? - 13 hrs ago
CNET News.com Will free Wi-Fi 'Supersize' obesity rate? - 15 hrs ago

5 comments:

Susan Payne said...

Yes, this is interesting. I stopped in a McDonalds near the med center in Omaha and it was not the McDonalds I remember from days gone by.

Plasma screen TVs hung on the wall. The booths were very comfortable. The decor was in soothing taupes with great ambient lighting... oddly enough for a Micky D's. They also had free wireless.

There were some college students with laptops, but not too many kids. Most people eating there were older I would say -- 50s or 60s. I've only been in there once to grab a quick bite and haven't been back so I don't know if this is true in general or just happened to be the case when I was there.

I also saw Panera Bread advertising free wireless. Do they have free wireless in the Inner Harbor now?

I remember them talking about it when I lived there, but don't remember if they had started it yet...

Polymathy said...

I doubt Ray Crock would have wanted beer to be sold at his beloved golden arches restaurants either, but you can certainly get yourself a cold draft at any of the McDonald's in France.

Woodson said...

In Freeport, ME there's a McDs with Queen Ann furniture (table tops covered with glass and chairs covered with plastic over the cloth). So I guess they do try to fit in with the locale.

Susan Payne said...

Ah, the cold draft. Speaking of, I miss the drinks after a long, hard day at work. That and seeing Gomez on a daily basis. And of faculty who are actually on the forefront of their fields and amazingly don't have the ego to go with it. *sigh*

Woodson said...

we miss you, too