Path: utzoo!utgpu!attcan!uunet!ginosko!brutus.cs.uiuc.edu!wuarchive!mailrus!husc6!m2c!wpi!dseah
From: dseah@wpi.wpi.edu (David I Seah)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.apple
Subject: Re: AppleLink
Message-ID: <4432@wpi.wpi.edu>
Date: 1 Oct 89 19:41:34 GMT
References: <8909291138.AA09395@trout.nosc.mil>
Reply-To: dseah@wpi.wpi.edu (David I Seah)
Organization: Worcester Polytechnic Institute, Worcester, MA. USA
Lines: 56

In article <8909291138.AA09395@trout.nosc.mil> bobl@pro-graphics.cts.com (System Administrator) writes:
>Network Comment: to #3140 by brutus.cs.uiuc.edu!usc!hacgate!gryphon!pnet02!lbotez@tut.cis.ohio-state.edu
>
>lbotez@pnet02.gryphon.com (Lynda Botez) writes:
>
>> Actually, the monthly fee of $5.95 for is quite a bit more than the $35 per
>> year they were charging; however, you get one hour of on-line time for free
>> included in the monthly charge.
>
>Americal Online..hmm.  At the price you are talking about ($5.95/month) in 
>addition to what you've said about the hourly charge ($4.00/hour) your logic
>of getting 1 hour of on-line time for free doesn't hold up.  Basically you are
>FORCED into using 1 hour of time on the system just to eatup that intial $5.95
>fee.  In fact, the 1 hour of allegedly free time just cost your $5.95!  
>
>Or, calculated by the hour, you've spent (and are forced to spend) the intial
>$4.00 for the "free" hour you get PLUS and additional $1.95/month just to
>maintain your account.  C$erve charges (by comparison) $1.50/month regardless
>of whether or not you login.

*** BIAS WARNING!  I am a graphics forum consultant on America Online ***

Oh come on!  According to a fresh junk mailing from CI$, they are still
charging $12.50 for 1200 baud!  America Online charges a flat $4.00 for
charter members for 2400 baud!  Granted, not all cities have 2400 baud nodes
(like mine *sniff*), but if you do, it's a bargain compared to other services.
I understand that the $5.95 monthly charge will allow Quantum to bring back
our Update magazine with the monthly conference schedules and AO news.  

Certainly, GEnie and CompuServe are larger and more evolved than America
Online, and the AO software is flaky in sections, but given time this service
will be in front of the pack.  The forum leaders are extremely dedicated to
maintaining the high level of support they provide to everyone.  Some say that
AO is geared towards the novice user, and that is true.  The conversation
isn't so technical that the new user is frightened away.  The dialup software
makes logging in and using the system easier, albeit less efficiently, than
using a program like ProTERM and wading through screens of numbers and codes. 
For the Power Telecomm user, America Online can be frustratingly slow and
inflexible because of Quantum's philosophy, but I hope there will be provision
for a command line interface soon.

>I don't like the Americal Online policy and I will be dropping my Alink
>account as soon as possible.  I don't see this service (America Online) going
>anywhere or becoming useful in the future.

Well, it's your cash.  America Online should become more interesting in the
following months as Macintosh, Commodore and IBM-PC software becomes
available.  For a year, AppleLink PE was essentially a Apple II Only service
that kept me from trashing my GS several times.  The continuous chats and
conferences kept me aware of the people involved with the Apple II, and
inspired me to keep the faith with their humor and farsightedness.  Before I
completely devolve into a saccharine Barry Manilow jingle, let me just say
that I'd give America Online a chance. 
-- 
Dave Seah | O M N I D Y N E  S Y S T E M S - M |   Internet: dseah@wpi.wpi.edu 
          |   User Friendly Killing Machines   |   America Online: AFC DaveS
   "MY GOD! I HAVE POCKETS!!! I CAN'T BELIEVE IT! I HAVE POCKETS!!" - Tick