Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!mailrus!tut.cis.ohio-state.edu!ucbvax!pasteur!con!jeffw
From: jeffw@con.uucp (Jeff Wallace)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.ibm.pc
Subject: Re: information on PRODIGY
Message-ID: <12858@pasteur.Berkeley.EDU>
Date: 25 Apr 89 06:15:49 GMT
References: <9292@mhuxu.UUCP> <51039@linus.UUCP>
Sender: news@pasteur.Berkeley.EDU
Reply-To: jeffw@scam.Berkeley.EDU (Jeff Wallace)
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Organization: University of California, Berkeley
Lines: 79

In article <51039@linus.UUCP> carlson@gateway.mitre.org (Bruce Carlson) writes:
>In article <9292@mhuxu.UUCP> skeeve@mhuxu.UUCP (79533-riley c) writes:
>>I just got an ad yesterday for a service called PRODIGY.  ...
>>Does anyone have information on how good this really is?
>
There is a package of utilities written by Pete Royston that help to make
life with Prodigy considerably easier.  See my next posting for information 
on how to get them.
 
>The major limitations of Prodigy:
>no file upload or download available

Very true and I doubt they'll change that for a long time.

>your screen is in graphics mode so you can't even print it out by turning
>  your printer on; prodigy disables ctrl-prtsc
>  you can only print if it is an option on the prodigy screen

One of Pete's programs re-enables print screen.  Another program scans through
the graphics and prints out only the text.  It's pretty impressive.

>all e-mail perishes after 14 days, whether you have read it or not
>I don't think there is a bridge to any other e-mail
>
You can save the mail as long as you want but you have to toggle the save
flag every 30 days (or is it two weeks?).   
Right, there's no connection to any other e-mail service.

>it is relatively slow because of the graphics screens; their update is
>dependent on the modem baud rate and the part of the prodigy application
>that is running on your PC ...
>
Agreed, it is slow.  About 2-3 seconds per screen for me.  I've got a '386
and a 2400 baud modem, so that's about as fast as it gets.  If you're using
an XT and/or 1200 baud modem, it will be more along the lines of 7-10 seconds
per screen.

>there are no connections to large databases like Dialog or other
>information services
>
There used to be an on-line Encyclopedia Brittanica.  I don't know why it
disappeared. 

>there are advertisements on the bottom of almost every screen, this 
>is one way they keep subscriber costs low
>
The ads on each normal screen are little "teasers" of 2 or 3 lines each.
You can jump to the full ad from any screen.  Some of the products/services
in the ads are worthwhile and interesting.  Most of them are typical fluff.

>Some good points of Prodigy:
>
>its cheap

Yeah, that's the best part.  If you're in an established Prodigy area then it's 
$9.95/month (or $89.95/year) for unlimited connections.

But, when they start up a new service area they give away 3-month trial
memberships to anyone who wants one.  They just brought NYC on-line last
week, so if you're in that area, take a look.

Their current service areas include:  San Francisco, Los Angeles, Atlanta,
Connecticut, Boston, Detroit and New York City.  They claim that Prodigy
will be available in 99% of the U.S. by the end of 1990.


I consider Prodigy to be the USA Today of information services.  Most of
their news/information is very short and simple.  It is obviously a vehicle
for the commercials not the "real" information.  The bulletin boards are
buried deep inside the menus, but are well worth a look.  I believe there
are now over 200 boards open.  The PC Club has 15 topics right now.  Travel
has about 10.

If you've got an opportunity, I'd say try it out.  You'll either get it free
or real cheap, and it can't hurt to take a look.


Jeff Wallace, Experimental Computing Facility (XCF), U.C. Berkeley
ARPA/Internet: jeffw@scam.Berkeley.EDU   UUCP:...!ucbvax!scam!jeffw