Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!samsung!gem.mps.ohio-state.edu!apple!Apple.COM!lsr
From: lsr@Apple.COM (Larry Rosenstein)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.mac
Subject: Re: America Online
Message-ID: <5329@internal.Apple.COM>
Date: 21 Nov 89 18:43:32 GMT
Sender: usenet@Apple.COM
Organization: Objects-R-Us,  Apple Computer, Inc.
Lines: 33
References:<29969.2562DE85@cmhgate.FIDONET.ORG> <1385@rodan.acs.syr.edu> <1249@key.COM>

In article <1249@key.COM> jsp@key.COM (James Preston) writes:
> My advice is:  If you have a Mac (and you like the interface) take 
America 
> Online over Prodigy.

I tried America Online (as part of its free trial offer).  The interface 
is really good, although you can get lost if you close all your windows.  
Also, windows tend to accumulate fast, but they have an option to close 
all windows except the front.  I like the fact that you could be in a chat 
room and still be doing other things at the same time.

There are some anomalies in the interface.  They have this customr service 
area, in which you don't accumulate connect time, but you also can't 
navigate that area very easily.  Posting a message to a bulletin board is 
a bit confusing.

I almost didn't sign up because they put the burden on you to keep track 
of your connect time, and you had to provide a credit card number.  The 
way the offer was worded, it was supposed to be a benefit to them to have 
people try out the system, yet they made it hard for people to do so.

I ended up cancelling my account.  The main problem for me was that the 
Macintosh-specific areas aren't quite up to speed yet.  America Online has 
been available to Apple II users (as AppleLink Personal Edition) for a 
while, but I get the impression that the Mac version isn't "officially" 
available yet.  (Hence the trial offer.)  There aren't very many Mac users 
on line right now, so it wasn't worthwhile for me.

Larry Rosenstein, Apple Computer, Inc.
Object Specialist

Internet: lsr@Apple.com   UUCP: {nsc, sun}!apple!lsr
AppleLink: Rosenstein1