Pretty handy little article in this month's Real Simple, comparing DSL, cable, and fiber optics (fiber-to-the-premises, such as FiOS) -- in terms of accurately appraising the pros and cons in a relatively tiny amount of words, it's one of the best comparisons I've read so far.

They note that with cable Internet service, "You and your neighbors share the cables that deliver the connection, so you may hit a few speed bumps during peak usage hours (like after dinner)."

Their download speed comparison is really easy to digest, too, when placed in terms of time required to download a one-megabyte photo (one photo in 1.5 seconds for cable, three photos in 1.6 seconds for fiber optics.)

But the part they don't get into, where fiber optics running all the way to your home makes such a big difference, is in the upload speeds available, which can really cut down on your computer time if you're doing things like sharing photos and videos.

ALSO SEE:

Video: 20/20 Symmetrical Demo
Upload photos to Flickr in a flash!

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Posted by Jim 2.0 | tagged: compare, consumer, reviews, FiOS