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cgw123
join:2002-09-13
Moraga, CA
| two cheers for AOL
Well, just to disagree with most of the previous posts, I use AOL dsl (via SBC) and think it is a better choice than my obvious alternatives. I pay $250/yr for AOL dial up and $16/month for dsl (I had to threaten to quit to get this price, but they were polite and said yes right away), for a total cost of $41/month. SBC/Yahoo dsl, after an initial $27/month period, is $50/month, and comcast is $43/month (and more if I rent their cable modem; AOL included my dsl modem). I understand that comcast charges extra for each computer on the network; AOL doesn't.
I don't care about AOL content, and mainly use IE through an always-on connection with my home network (playing with the router settings converted the setup from one where I had to start AOL to get IE to work). I only use AOL to check email. The AOL spam filter spam filter seems pretty good; catches about 80% of spam, with no filtering of real mail so far (I look in the spam folder before hitting "delete all.").
I travel a lot and often find I don't have a high speed connection in my hotel room - always a local dial-up number available. Fortunately, this is becoming less important as more hotels add high speed internet.
The dsl tools speed test indicates speeds around 1200 down, 125 up. On the few occasions I have had to call technical support, I have found AOL to be generally awful, at least with home network/router related problems. Fortunately, this hasn't happened often and I have been able to solve any problem that has come up.
My wife and I have had the same email addresses for 10 years; makes me appreciate why people want portable cell phone numbers.
And my mother and daughter, both relatively light users, get their mail and dial-up access via my account. | |
Pseydtonne
Premium
join:2003-01-25
Melrose, MA
| "I hear tell the Earth is banana-shaped."
Comcast does not charge more for extra computers. Buy a router, hook 'em up, and off you go.
The real point is that all of us broadbandreports folk tend to surf from home. We don't care about national dial-up numbers. We already know what we want from the Internet and don't want anything to hinder that. Our focus is speed, consistent connections and getting the house online without being charged for extra accounts.
I'm spoiled and I know it. I work for Comcast, so I get free cable modem. I know every objection by heart and I handle them each day. People buy new computers just to get cable modem. The speed, and not specialized content that verges on a hit to the wallet, is what moves customers.
You're a special case, sir. You're lucky to get good speed and national connectivity from AOL, a company whose best asset was the free floppies back when floppies cost a buck each. When I was in college, we'd scavenge junk mail in waste baskets for the floppies.
However, you admit you had to threaten to leave just to get your discount. No human should have to throw a tantrum just to get a discount. If they don't offer you respect for your continuity, they don't deserve.
It sounds more like a hostage situation -- "no one in my family wants to change email addresses after ten years, so I keep forking money to them." Stockholm syndrome, anyone?
I'd look up companies with national dial-up numbers. Have a complete backup plan ready when they decide to stick you. After all, you have a backup plan when the power goes out (flashlights with fresh batteries, lanterns, maybe a generator in the garage); you should have one in case AOL stops offering you reacharounds.
Hey, you don't like Comcast. Lots of people don't. That's why competition is best. Vibrant competition keeps the market jumping.
...and that's why I run two flavors of Linux.
-just sayin', Ps/d | |
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