 Review by OldschoolDSL 
UPDATED: 2.1 years ago
member for 3.7 years, 688 visits, last login: 138 days ago
 Holyoke,Hampden,MA
 Contract price not specified.
 about 1 days
 Verizon
 "They do release their content to paying customer 1st"
 "Everything you pay for, you can get free"
 "AOL is not needed, unless you are 100% new to the internet"
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My review is on "The bring your own access plan".
America Online (AOL), currently own by Time Warner was the first widely known and recognized Internet service provides (ISP) in the country (USA) and although its still in the lead with the highest volume of home based users, it is quickly falling back as more user friendly and cheaper ISP's become more widely known and available. Currently America Online offers both Dial up Internet (directly through AOL) and Bring your own access, for people who already have Internet access, but may still wish to use AOL.
AOL (America Online) may still have some purpose for those users who are 100% new to the Internet and it does make for a quick learning for those who maybe normally clueless to online life or computers in general. But long term it just is not practical. Party because there are many other cheaper ISP's who now offer the same things as AOL does, but for less and what they may lack, you can also get for free either else where or even through AOL.com itself, such as AIM (America Online Instant Messenger).
Also on a whole, AOL's software has been known to be very buggy and sometime has been known to cause more problems then it is worth having installed. But one can not use AOL, without having their software installed and if you have dial up with them, it must be open at all times to be connected. Which brings up AOL's level of technical support...
At this time I do not know if AOL out sources their tech support or not, but one things is for sure. Most of their tech staff do not seem to know much about the workings of a computer, let a lone their own software. Many times it seems that they are reading off of a pre-written script, which was made to answer general questions and even then, you maybe surprised to be left on hold for 30+ minutes, only to find out that the tech does not have the answer either, to solve the problem at hand. A more advanced user could call up support and begin to supply them with answers more filling then their own staff (believe me, I'd done it).
As a free service and AOL seems to be ever so adding to their free services, AOL has yet still somethings to offer. But as a paid membership, they are highly over priced and lacking support or need for the growing information age. I should add that I was lucky enough to keep the old price, while currently BYOA is now gone up in price, while their support remains the same and so does their level of services.
UPDATE - 08-08-2006 AOL High Speed is now FREE. However, they still want some kind of billing information on file to activate or re-activate an account. One can only hope that AOL does not bill people for their "free service". As a free service, AOL is not bad. It maybe not needed either for those who have grown past it, but it still can be used for the noob at heart.
UPDATE - 09-14-2006 AOL's free service, seems to charge you 1 cent ($0.01) for the monthly service. Which seems not so bad for what they normally would charge, but still not 100% free.
UPDATE - 09-17-2007 - AOL is still FREE and no longer charges 1 cent (0.01). They seem to have added more ads, but that is to be expected. At this time, there is no spyware. Don't use it much, but it still a little fun to play with and its free.
Followup comments:  
AOLOldTimer
@aol.com
| Free AOL I kept AOL because I use it to keep in touch with family. The service also still has the better e-mail with bigger allowances for files for things like pictures, etc. The service, with all of it's little extras, isn't bad. It just tried to stay overpriced too long. | |
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aol user
@aol.com
| aol software I have the 8mb Wireless Broadband Plan for £14.99 a month, which AOL offered for being such a long-term member. Roughly 7years, and previously I had 2mb at £19.99. The new upgrade is amazing.
Free router, even though I use my own Belkin one, easyyy set-up, no hitches, and never had to install AOL on my PC's to access the net. Also have 4 computers connected at once so that "you must have Gold at £29.99 to let additional computers use the connection at the same time" is a load of balls.
One of the best ISP's i've had in terms of a quality connection. Haven't had a disconnection problem for years!
I really recommend them if you know what you are doing when setting it up.
Their customer support is actually good if you are lucky enough to get through to someone with english skills high enough to not need to repeat your phone number 3 times. lol | |
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America Online
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