Computer folks--how much data do ya need or use/month?

[greybeard]

We don't have many options here in my county for internet service.
It's either dial up or Verizon broadband that comes in via cell tower. There is no unlimited data plan available here--no DSL either.
We currently have a 5 gb/month data limit--with both mine and my wife's computer using it. Most of our computer use is general browsing (no 'gaming' or big movie downloading) but last month, we got a notice that we had reached 90% of our limit. We can get other Verizon plans with more data available for additional cost--$10 extra/mo for 2 more gb.
If just general forum type browsing and watching the youtube vids usually linked to in 2-3 forums, should 5gb be enough?
Wife sez she would like to download and watch full movies occasionally--how much data does one use?

 

[Limomike]

grey, 5g is quite a lot. On my home computer that is our limit in our plan, and I think we went over one month in about the past 4 years. Gotta watch alot of vids to eat up that much

 

[CottageFarm]

I honestly have no idea how much data we use. We do have DSL. I had looked into verizons plan a couple of years ago (Because I HATE Qwest..errr CenturyLink..whatever)
I asked them how much data I would need. At that time our Netflix usage was mainly for Mr. CF while he was on the road, few movies a week. They told me I would use up the 5g in a week. I didn't persue it further than that.

 

[backhoeboogie]

Don't know much about you but I am online more in the winter. Days start getting longer and I am out more. Right now is the peak.

 

[shaz]

Just for your future reference :

A plain VGA image (640x480) is 307,000 pixels which turns into 1.23 megabytes if in 24bit color.

 

[Jeanne - Simme Valley]

I have a 5 limit and only went over 1 time in maybe 4 years - computer crashed & I have Carbonite & I downloaded everything from my computer - oops = went over.
But, I really don't view a lot of video's and def don't download movies.
Verizon now offers a Mi-Fi (Like WiFi). You plug it in anywhere in the house & it will run several computers, nook, laptops, etc. Like for ?$60/mo? My daughter has it (lives in the boonies in VT.

 

[Bigfoot]

I have three small children, that gobble up Netflix at night. We only let them use the TV or lap tops after supper. I had to increase my plan. My wife is real tech sazzy, but I am not.

As a sideline business, I have a couple radio towers. It's not real profitable, but it does help pay the feed bill. I mostly just boost other people's signal if that makes any sense. There are starting to be a few companies that I could provide a box with what would amount to rabbit ears for customers, and send television and Internet out from the towers. I am literally the most computer/technology illiterate person I know. I would be in so far over my head it would be laughable. When I read about, it sounds like a good alternative for people like us. It's definatly cheaper for the user. I also suspicion it is slower, and offers less channel options on TV. I doubt I could get people to switch, plus I couldn't even talk the lingo to sell the stuff. It would be my responsibility to maintain the equipment at the tower, and sell the packages locally. The signal would come in by satellite, and go out my tower. The companies might even go belly up, and make me look like an idiot to my neighbors. I know my Internet, cable, and phone bill are huge.

 

[Arkansas]

We don't have many options here in my county for internet service.
It's either dial up or Verizon broadband that comes in via cell tower. There is no unlimited data plan available here--no DSL either.
We currently have a 5 gb/month data limit--with both mine and my wife's computer using it. Most of our computer use is general browsing (no 'gaming' or big movie downloading) but last month, we got a notice that we had reached 90% of our limit. We can get other Verizon plans with more data available for additional cost--$10 extra/mo for 2 more gb.
If just general forum type browsing and watching the youtube vids usually linked to in 2-3 forums, should 5gb be enough?
Wife sez she would like to download and watch full movies occasionally--how much data does one use?

Well the average movie if you download one is 900mb's and a 1,000 mb equal 1 gig so if you watch 6 movies you've used all your Bandwidth for the month. But if you watch Netflix and you stream them you use only 1/4 of what a movie would run to download. Youtube videos usally use about 2-3MB a movie. So you can watch alot of youtube videos with 5gb.. If you used 90% of your time last month or so then figure out what all you watched that month and done then you will have a ruff estimate of what all you can do again.

 

[Jeanne - Simme Valley]

Verizon sends me a notice (email & in my VZaccess Manager) when I reach 50%.