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From: davidli@simvax.labmed.umn.edu
Newsgroups: comp.sys.atari.st
Subject: Re: Delphi/GEnie - not such a bad deal
Message-ID: <1990Sep7.090453.1@simvax.labmed.umn.edu>
Date: 7 Sep 90 09:04:53 GMT
References: <1990Aug30.153714.4660@rodan.acs.syr.edu> <33592@cup.portal.com>
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In article <33592@cup.portal.com>, Bob_BobR_Retelle@cup.portal.com writes:
> David Paschall-Zimbel writes:
>>My reading of the GEnie offer is that you -do- have a choice.  If you prefer
>>to pay for connect time to the services offered at the relatively low fee, y
>>are most welcome to do so.
> 
> This is incorrect.

Well, now that I've seen the GEnie magazine supplement, I must admit that there
will be the $4.95 charge.  The on-line message was a bit misleading in my
opinion (and that's the only thing I'd read...)

At the same time, the hobby RT's which one can access for free is
pretty impressive (if you're not a computer-freak).  I doubt that the majority
of people who log on to GEnie have access to USENET, so the science-fiction RT
would be pretty popular for non-rec.arts.sf-lovers readers.  Likewise, the
religion RT is fairly popular among non-talk.misc.religion readers.  If you
NEVER log onto GEnie for more than an hour a month at 2400 baud, I guess you'd
have some reason to complain.  But then again, if you're like me, and spend
several hours on-line per month, the 'charge' is well worthwhile.

> You MUST pay them $4.95 monthly, PLUS the regular $6.00/hr for machine
> specific Roundtables, like the ST Roundtable.

Of course, that NOW INCLUDES 2400 baud access for $6.00/hr vs $10.00/hr
previously.  (IE.  I now save money after the first hour's download).

>  
> Delphi on the other hand gives you a choice of being billed per hour with no
> monthly minimum, or paying $20 a month for 20 hours of connect time.

I don't know -- perhaps if everyone were paying the 'true' costs of access to
comp.sys.atari.st there wouldn't be such a level of indignation.

-- 

David Paschall-Zimbel		davidli@simvax.labmed.umn.edu