Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!mailrus!cs.utexas.edu!usc!apple!sun-barr!decwrl!pyramid!ctnews!starfish!jerry From: jerry@starfish.Convergent.COM (Gerald Hawkins) Newsgroups: comp.sys.ibm.pc Subject: Re: PRODIGY? Message-ID: <1428@starfish.Convergent.COM> Date: 9 Nov 89 17:08:46 GMT References: <19530001@hpsemc.HP.COM> <1989Nov8.170050.2419@esegue.segue.boston.ma.us> Organization: Convergent Technologies, San Jose, CA Lines: 52 >In article <19530001@hpsemc.HP.COM> gph@hpsemc.HP.COM (Paul Houtz) writes: >>I am considering buying PRODIGY, because Wells-Fargo allows electronic >>banking via PRODIGY. Does anyone have it? >> Is it worth it? - - I received one of the free Prodigy service start up kits last night. I found Prodigy relatively easy to start up. You don't have to know much of anything about computers or modems to get going, which is of course rather insulting :-) . Unfortunately, the service concentrates heavily on fluff. I can make my own travel reservations--but I could instead go to a travel agent who gives me a rebate from her commission. I can bank at WF, but I don't like WF bank. I can get stock quotes, which is nice, but so far I can't figure out how to get quotes for my mutual funds (they offer information on only a few selected funds). I can check the weather for 100 cities, but the depth of information is rather shallow (just a two day forecast, no rainfall totals, no extended outlook). There were some selected articles from magazines and newspaper headlines. The headlines were about the depth of article one hears on a drive-time radio station (KCBS, etc.). I wish I had read a _Consumer Reports_ article a week earlier. There was a Gene Siskel movie review for something I certainly would rather skip; apparently his reviews are not archived on the service. I looked and looked for an encyclopedia. I did not find one. I guess I may call their 800 number and tell them why they should have one. My reasoning is that it is silly for me to spend $400 on an excellent set of encyclopedia which will be badly out of date in a few years. Why not get information which is always up to date from an on-line service? I found the graphics screens to be rather slow, but I expected worse. Since there is no per-minute charge, the speed is not such a big deal. The advertising on every screen is a nuisance but can be ignored. You see 1500 advertising messages in an average day--how much difference can 25 more make? But then, why pay to see advertising when you can see it free on TV? All in all, I was disappointed with Prodigy and I will certainly cancel the service when my free month expires. " I dreamed I saw Joe Hill last night, alive as you and me. Said I, 'But Joe, you're ten years dead.' 'I never died' said he. " Jerry ( jerry@starfish.Convergent.COM ) -----