Install it on your roof yourself, or pay to have it done. Direct line of sight to an orbiting satellite is required. And you better have a Pentium with plenty of RAM, or forget it. PC Magazine reviewers found that with DirectPC, once you get past the tricky parts, the service is fast and useful. Click for more .
Pricing is still a bit high.
But it's getting better. This spring, EchoStar Communications will offer satellite Internet service that works directly through TV sets, rather than PCs. Click for more . Back-channel blues remain. Satellites send info down, but they can't receive it.