Although this page isn't a very good example, the problem with the lack of any sort of broadband in large swaths of rural American is a real issue. You don't ne

Although this page isn't a very good example, the problem with the lack of any sort of broadband in large swaths of rural American is a real issue. You don't need to get far out of town before your options drop all the way down to dialup or expensive high-latency two-way satellite. Cellular wireless is what most folks I know out in the boonies use, and that is a pretty frustrating experience with speeds and latency all over the place. I recommended an iPad with 3G to a friend in Missouri and she loved it until a tornado came along and blew the local 3G tower away. She's still waiting for it to get rebuilt and has gone back to WebTV. Yes, it still exists.