McDesperate
An update to the last post: McDonald's to offer wireless Internet:
This could eventually become a loss-leader, but for now major corporations are going to see this as a premium and find some way to charge for it. Free access with a meal is the simplest and most obvious model that they could come up with and still cover their costs. Though it would have been smarter to offer additional time for a little less money instead of having to purchase another meal. Not to mention healthier.
So when are they going to put a few computers in the restaurants for their non-laptop toting customers? That'll be the day.
From this and some of their other recent announcements, McDonald's is obviously trying to go at least somewhat upscale. Given their recent slump, they're desperate for new markets. Not desperate enough to take the McVeggie national, but that's another story.