Just in case you hadn’t heard about this one yet…Barnes & Noble is turning up the heat on the coffee wars with its’ switch to free wireless internet access. Previously you had to shell out two dollars an hour to surf at the nationwide bookseller.

Now you can surf for free–with no strings attached, much unlike Starbucks where you can get wireless access as long as you have a Starbucks card and make a purchase on it every 30 days. Did we mention the two hour time limit with the Starbucks access?

Here’s another clear cut-and-dried case of Starbucks completely missing the boat when it comes to their most important asset–their customers. It’s no wonder this once mighty coffee giant is going down. Once upon a time it was a joy to sit in Starbucks and get some freelance writing done, but today the customer experience is lousy, the stores have lost their warmth, and the cult of the green goddess is a shadow of its former self. Here’s to Barnes and Noble, who truly know where their bread is buttered…or should we say that they truly know who creams their coffee? Never mind.