Yes - I can imagine that sailing folk would be affected by this. The worst case scenario is connecting to the Internet via a satelite phone connection in say mid-Atlantic.

But also there are those with generic Internet needs with laptops / notebooks / notepads / whatever. The requirement by definition with these is to make connections on the move &/or at different locations. The extreme would be on a train or bus or a salesman staying at a different hotel every night.

I tried web-browsing using my laptop and the free wifi on a Brighton-Eastbourne bound bus last year. It was only when I got home that I discovered that every bus-stop had a server connection and that I would have had to have configured every one as a 'metered' connection - about 200.

But if someone is on a train doing last minute business or refining a presentation etc., then the last thing they they want is for the laptop to go into update / installation / retart mode.

And if staying at a hotel with the usual exorbitant charges no one wants to have to pay for an automatic download.

Meanwhile with my Three dongle and tethered Skypephone I lost my remaining £5 credit for 120MB when my new laptop decided to start a to download an update. Suddenly my browsing was interrupted with an 'Out of Data' page. Three - par for the course - never sent me a warning beforehand.