It would take a lot to pull San Francisco's bloggers out of their default Starbucks habitats, but with a new, cheap line of espresso drinks and its free Wi-Fi, McDonald's may well yet lure poor newsfeed slaves to its golden arches. While the constant aroma of fried food may not be the most appealing work environment, neither is the modern-day Starbucks.

When is the last time an outpost of the latte empire captured Starbucks chairman Howard Schultz's vision of "a 'third place' where people gather between home and work and feel some of the romance of the European cafe." In fact, the ease with which McDonald's has entered the gourmet-coffee arena proves that Schultz's "third place" is little more than a fast-food joint. Unfortunately for the ubiquitous coffee joint, Mickey D's has been in the fast-food game much, much longer.

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