For a long time I have wondered why Starbucks and Barnes and Noble didn’t offer free wi-fi. I’m sure they saw charging for wi-fi was another income source, but were people paying for it? I didn’t. I would go to Panera Bread or other coffee cafe that had free service. I think Starbucks and Barnes and Noble figured that out.

Starbucks only offers free wi-fi to card holders who keep money on their card. I shop there enough that its not too much of a hassle. The hassle is that you have to register and log-in every time you go online there.

So imagine my joy when I learned that Barnes and Noble now offers free wi-fi with no hassles. Just choose the wi-fi option, click “agree to terms” and you’re off and surfing! No registering? No logging in.

I believe the generosity has to do with Barnes and Noble online book service. You can download its eReader (for free) on to your laptop or various smartphones. Barnes and Noble has learned what many online marketers know… if you give some stuff away for free (wi-fi and eReader), people will buy (ebooks, coffee).

To be honest, I haven’t tried the Barnes and Noble ebooks yet, but I probably will eventually.  I do spend a lot their on traditional books and coffee. And I’ll be back for more now that it offers free wi-fi.