# Internet Only? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [March 25, 2000, 3:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/internet-only/15150 "2000-03-25T03:17:00Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Carl\_Berry](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f14d63/32.png) [@Carl\_Berry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Carl_Berry)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2000, 3:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/internet-only/15150/1 "2000-03-25T03:17:00Z")
## Is there a device that is used to send &n recieve E-mail only? A friend has no interest in the WWW but would like to use E-mail. Carl ---
**Author:** ![voguevixen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b5ac83/32.png) [@voguevixen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/voguevixen)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2000, 3:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/internet-only/15150/2 "2000-03-25T03:30:00Z")
> [@](#): > > ## Originally posted by Carl Berry: \*\* Is there a device that is used to send &n recieve E-mail only? A friend has no interest in the WWW but would like to use E-mail. > > Carl \*\* Actually there is. I’ve seen it in a catalog from the phone company and at computer stores like “Fry’s”. It hooks up right to your phone and it looks like a little label-maker. I don’t remember what it was called but I’m thinking it was around $300. Don’t remember if there was an additional extra charge (per month or by use, etc.) * * * Now there’s nothing unexpected about the water giving out; “Land” is not a word we have to shout. ---
**Author:** ![Fillet](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/2acd7d/32.png) [@Fillet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fillet)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2000, 3:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/internet-only/15150/3 "2000-03-25T03:32:00Z")
If your friend has a computer, he can sign up for basic service with Juno - you just dial in to send email/get email and then disconnect, no WWW to deal with. ---
**Author:** ![yosemite](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/3ab097/32.png) [@yosemite](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yosemite)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2000, 3:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/internet-only/15150/4 "2000-03-25T03:53:00Z")
Yes, Juno is a good idea. I had an old mono screen 386 laptop that I used to get email on, with Juno. (The laptop only had 4 megs of RAM, too! Yikes, that is slow!) I should think that an old 386 or 486 would be cheaper than $300 - much cheaper. ---
**Author:** ![fippo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/2bfe46/32.png) [@fippo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fippo)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2000, 7:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/internet-only/15150/5 "2000-03-25T07:50:00Z")
Both Intel and a company called Netpliance are making “internet appliances”. They’re basically stripped down computers used for accessing email. They also function as a bulletin board for the family. The one by Netpliance, the I-Opener, is only $99. Plus, I heard that one of the creators recently released specs and ways to hack it so you can add more equipment and turn it into a real computer. Try [this](http://www.netpliance.com) site for info on the I-Opener. I’m not sure of the Intel site, try a search for “web appliances”. * * * Fippo- _Through our bleeding/We are one_ ---
**Author:** ![handy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b5a626/32.png) [@handy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/handy)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2000, 4:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/internet-only/15150/6 "2000-03-25T16:48:00Z")
Juno has changed. Now you get free internet access too. It’s a 4 meg file. I haven’t been able to find the old Juno email only file that fits on a 1.44 floppy there but then I didn’t spend 10 minutes trying to find it either. THere is a gizmo, $100 or less, $10month, sits near your phone, does email only. I forgot what it’s called. ---
**Author:** ![handy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b5a626/32.png) [@handy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/handy)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2000, 12:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/internet-only/15150/7 "2000-03-26T00:34:00Z")
Intersting:[http://www.netpliance.com/iopener/tour1.asp](http://www.netpliance.com/iopener/tour1.asp) Still $21/month is pricey. Nice little machine, I wish it could be used as a laptop. ---
**Author:** ![Ringo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/779978/32.png) [@Ringo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ringo)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2000, 12:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/internet-only/15150/8 "2000-03-26T00:40:00Z")
Here’s the story of the [i-opener hack](http://www.hardwarecentral.com/hardwarecentral/tutorials/1612/1/). There’s another, fancier thing called the iPhone that’s about $400 and does let you cruise the Web. ---
**Author:** ![handy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b5a626/32.png) [@handy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/handy)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2000, 6:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/internet-only/15150/9 "2000-03-27T06:02:00Z")
and here is the story of the undoing of the i opener hack: i-opener Internet appliances shipped after March 20, 2000 can no longer be reconfigured in the manner described in recent reports. Modification of the i-opener in any way is in violation of our terms and conditions.