Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!rpi!think.com!spool.mu.edu!uunet!pilchuck!nwnexus!sumax!polari!tonym
From: tonym@polari.UUCP (Tony Mann)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.mac.comm
Subject: Re: WANTED: America Online OPINIONS
Message-ID: <4179@polari.UUCP>
Date: 22 May 91 17:26:55 GMT
Article-I.D.: polari.4179
References: <1991May21.160855.21767@oakhill.sps.mot.com>
Organization: Seattle Online Public Unix (206) 328-4944
Lines: 45

In article <1991May21.160855.21767@oakhill.sps.mot.com> rjacks@austlcm.sps.mot.com (rodney jacks) writes:
>I recently purchased a Teleport modem for my Mac which included a 
>free (1 month) subscription offer to America Online.  I would like
>to get the Nets opinion of America Online before subscribing.  
>
>Is the service worth the $5.95 a month?  How responsive is the system
>during the evenings and weekends?  Is the system so slow that you use
>up your monthly hour waiting for the system to respond?  
>My primary interest is in downloading free or shareware programs.  
>Does America Online have a large archive?  How easy is the navigation
>software to use?  Any other comments?
>
>Thanks for your advice,
>Rodney
>
>***********************************************************
>**  Rodney Jacks                                         **
>**  Motorola Inc, Austin, Texas                          **
>**  E-mail:  rjacks@austlcm.sps.mot.com                  **
>***********************************************************

AOL is both amazing and disappointing.  It has a complete Mac interface,
including multiple forum windows open simultaneously. It  makes it easy
to understand the system. It makes other BBS interfaces seem ugly and archaic.
 Surprisingly, the system almost never feels sluggish.
 
Unfortunately this ease of use has a price. Some operations tedious  are quite as there are few "shortcuts".  To compound the problem, 
there are no batch operations,
limited automation facilities, and almost everything must be done on-line.
Also, X-Modem is used for file transfers, even though they could have used
a faster protocol considering that you have to use their software.
 
There are lots of great programs in the archives ("libraries"). Most software
gets posted to info-mac, Compuserve and AOL.  The off- peak price of $6.95/hr
is very reasonable, but the amount of time one must spend to do things
makes Compuserve (using Navigator) seem competitive at almost twice the
price.
 
If you want to be "in-touch" in the Mac world, get AOL. Between
the libraries, the forums, and other services (Grolier's encyclopedia,
Eaasy Sabre, etc) I guarantee you will use you $6.95 /month minimum.
 
--
Tony Mann, Spontaneous Software.