Starbucks in Korea asks customers to stop bringing in printers/desktop computers

Coworking and Cafe Culture (Korea, Japan, elsewhere)

• Several comments note Korea already has rich “third place” options: PC bangs (gaming cafés), study cafés, and formal coworking spaces, often billed hourly.
• Tokyo and Seoul chains (e.g., non‑Starbucks brands) are described as heavily optimized for working/studying, with power outlets, quiet rules, and even time‑limited receipts.
• Some say coworking-style pricing (hourly/daily) is common and often cheaper or more flexible than Western expectations; others find coworking spaces overpriced or poorly designed versus cafés.

Reactions to Desktops/Printers in Starbucks

• Many express disbelief or see it as obvious abuse of a casual café: bringing a printer or full desktop is framed as “bizarre entitlement” or desperation.
• Others suggest mundane motivations (tiny apartments, needing to get out while someone cleans, deadlines).
• People who’ve lived in Korea say Starbucks there has long informally tolerated working, but the new rule—no items taking more than one seat—is viewed by them as reasonable.

Business Model: Seat vs Coffee

• A recurring theme: cafés are implicitly selling two products—space/time and food/drink—but currently bundle them.
• Some argue long‑stay laptop users are acceptable “rent payers” during off‑peak hours but problematic when they block seats at peak meal/coffee times.
• Suggestions include: in‑store printers with per‑page fees, explicit seat‑rental or spend‑to‑keep‑Wi‑Fi schemes, or separating “coworking zones” from normal café seating. Others say this adds complexity, regulation, and costs Starbucks doesn’t want.

Alternatives and Public Space

• Multiple people call for a revival of cybercafés / manga cafés, or highlight existing work cafés (e.g., bank‑run “work cafés,” mall food courts becoming de facto coworking).
• Some lament the loss of non‑commercial or university‑like spaces where one can sit, work, or socialize without continuous consumption. Libraries are mentioned but often too crowded or not call‑friendly.

Desktops vs Laptops Digression

• One subthread debates why anyone would own a desktop now: critics see laptops as superior due to portability.
• Defenders cite cost, upgradability, performance (many cores, large RAM, GPUs), ergonomics, and dual use as NAS/home server—arguing desktops are “strictly better” if you don’t need mobility.

Overuse, “Tragedy of the Commons,” and Homelessness

• Several frame the policy as a response to the “tragedy of the commons”: free seating leads to edge‑case exploitation (massive setups, camping, even tents).
• This segues into broader discussion of homeless people using cafés as de facto shelters, and whether jails, housing, or social services should address that instead of private businesses.

Skepticism About the Underlying Story

• Some commenters doubt the prevalence of full desktop/printer setups in Korean Starbucks, noting lack of real photos/videos and personal experience of never seeing it despite frequent visits.
• The phenomenon is suspected by them to be rare, possibly pranks or isolated incidents amplified by media.