You've Got Major Bloat (AOL 9 Officially Released)

[Brian Rector]

America On Line has just released a final (aka Gold) version of their 9.0 software. I did download such a copy and just got done downloading after a whopping 6 hours using a 56k modem. This download was huge!!! It was about 70MB.

Looks like AOL's 9.0 is meant to be a "all this and the kitchen sink" version. The mail interface is new and the whole thing is just too confusing. The bookmarks are even shoved to the right, where its easily lost. AOL also offers spyware protection and also virus protection (laugh track on now for those of you in the studio audience. Makes ya wonder whether this is as real as a Charlie Chat's 'new' information updates :D ), but you have to pay to get those. McAfee's is a fee of 3 bucks a month.

Why I spent 6 hours downloading this thing still boggles my mind, but since Microsoft and AOL are now on good terms and the software is now finally compatible with Windows XP (there was a major memory leakage with AOL 8 using XP), I had to give it a go. So far, so good.

[Geronimo]

I never understood the appeal of AOL> Butt o each their own.

[Dgenx321]

It's getting more and more like AOHell.

[bills976]

AOL's business model is really dead. Their campaign to recruit broadband subscribers is laughable, as this type of subscriber doesn't need the hand holding AOL provides. With more and more people exposing themselves to the real internet (AOL's proprietary "content" doesn't count), they realize that AOL's content is nothing more than duplication of existing services available to the internet at large.

If AOL/Time Warner didn't have RoadRunner's subscriber base, AOL would be in real trouble. As long as AOL continues to flounder, I wouldn't be surprised if TWC/RR customers get automatically sucked up by AOL sometime down the road.

[Mike123abc]

I never understood why AOL did not take over RoadRunner... Glad it did not since I have RR, but it seems like one part of the company is undercutting the other part.

[dtcarson]

What's funny is that their '25 million Americans love us!' is total crap.
That counts discounted accounts they sell to companies to give to their employees, most of which are never activated. Plus, every new computer you buy comes with 'Six months Free AOL!' which just adds to inflate their ad copy and subscriber count. Even if you never activate it, because you did pay for it, it's just hidden in the cost of your new Dell. That said, when I get a new computer that only offers 'free AOL', I activate it--I paid for it [with no choice], I'm going to make them give it to me. Even if I never log on--except to find the phone number to cancel it.

Please don't take this as insulting anyone on AOL, but it boggles me why anyone who knows anything about the internet would be on AOL. As far as I can tell, the only thing AOL offers that any other ISP doesn't, is their proprietary message boards, which are censored and mostly filled with 16 year old L33T hackers anyway.
I could *almost* understand if the price was competitive, but what is it now, 23.90 a month? Add a second phone line if you're on the net often and it goes to about 43.85. I'm paying 44.95 for RoadRunner and getting so much more out of it.
But if you have AOL, and it works for you, then you gotta go with what works.

Mike: That's true: I think originally they thought by buying/merging with TW, they would get the best of both worlds: AOL for dialup, RR for broadband. But now that TW has to allow other ISP's through the pipes, and AOL is foundering, it doesn't seem like it worked out that well.

If my RR gets sucked up by AOL, I'm going somewhere else. Anywhere else. I'll go back to dial-up before I join AOL [and pay for it.] I know that by using RR, some of my money does flow back to to AOL, but it's distant enough it doesn't bother me.

[Dgenx321]

I'm on AOL, I guess.

It's called Wal-Mart Connect and it's $9.95 a month for basic unlimited dial up. I just dial up and close their browser and use IE. It's the cheapest in the area and it works fairly well.

[BobFly]

I have RR for broadband but i also connect to AOL for 7.95 a month just to keep my same mailbox address....i tried switching about 6months ago and canceling aol but it was near impossible to get everyone switched to RR address....AOL 9.0 tries to control too much of computer!

[BobFly]

I have RR for broadband but i also connect to AOL for 7.95 a month just to keep my same mailbox address....i tried switching about 6months ago and canceling aol but it was near impossible to get everyone switched to RR address....AOL 9.0 tries to control too much of computer!

[BobMurdoch]

I have AOL as backup as my wife likes being able to use it anywhere she goes (work, home, etc.) even when she is away from the broadband connection. I also have MSN access ($9.99 for 5hrs. DialUp in case my broadband goes down, PLUS WebTV on one of my dishplayers).

I've had the AOL address for 12 years and a lot of people still use that address to get a hold of me. The MSN account is my primary address and I like the MSN Explorer which has a great spam filter that gets 99% of the crud.