What is "Wi-Fi", and what is a "Wi-Fi hotspot"?

Answer 1

Wi-Fi stands for "Wireless Fidelity" and it's simply a way for your computer (be it notebook, pc) to connect to a wirelessly shared network, usually for the purpose of high speed internet sharing. A wi-fi hotspot is a place designed for people to come with their laptops, pay a nominal fee (if applicable) and surf the internet where the hotspot is, away from home or an office. Some cities, like here in Sacramento, CA are implementing city-wide wi-fi, essentially turning the whole city into a hotspot. Hotspots are usually through AT&T or T-Mobile, and can be found in bookstores, coffee shops, airports, etc.

Answer 2

Wi-Fi is shorthand for the standards IEEE 802.11b or 802.11g that allow computers to communicate to a wireless router (wi-fi hotspot) using a wireless network card.

If you have a laptop (or some other device) with a wireless card, you connect to a wi-fi hotspot and can browse the internet etc. Some wi-fi hotspots have safeguards in place that will make them useless unless you pay the owner of that hotspot a small fee to use the Internet service.

Answer 3

Essesntial they are both the same, WI-FI hotspot is basically the area that you recieve WI-FI (internet acces in a board area) usually done over radio (Cell Phones, Laptops with the hardware, etc)

here ya go!
http://www.howstuffworks.com/wireless-network.htm

Answer 4

its like a place you have access to the internet wirelessly