You've got Mail! (AOL)

Member Name: steveny

Product:	AOL
Date:	30/11/01 (135 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Easy access, Very useful, Meet lots of people

Disadvantages: Nothing

Okay I've been using AOL for around 5 years now ever since I first got onto the web at home. I don't know why I have been using it for so long but I'll tell you a bit about it and you can see what you think.

CONNECTION

Firstly to sign up you need a computer with Internet modem and also a disk from AOL, which will have it's own unique password for accessing the software. Also required is a VISA or Switch card for setting up your monthly payments. When I first joined up it was £9.99 a month subscription fee and also went onto your phone bill at local call rate for the amount of time you used the service. The step-by-step guide to getting connected is easy to use and very user-friendly. They even offer you a phone number to ask real people how to do it, although while connected do remember that it is using your phone line and unless you've got two phone lines you can't make outgoing calls! When I signed up it was all done and dusted in around 15 mins. You also get to choose your connection numbers from a given selection which allows you to connect, the problem with this is sometimes when you are connecting the lines are so busy that it can take a few minutes to log on, but it is no more a problem than you get with any other service provider. Since the introduction of flat rate fees of £14.99 and unlimited access the service has become far more popular and it is definetly worth paying for. The flat rate fee allows people now to work from home easier communicate for longer with friends and family far away and also allows you to download more from the internet as you can spend longer online. Definetly 10/10 for easy access.

E-MAIL FACILITIES

Now this for me was the thing that attracted me most of all. You can have upto 8 different e-mail names on the one account and it is so easy to use that it is child's play. Once you manage to pick a name no-one else has you are registered and can then start sending and re
cieving e-mail. The best feature that makes it stand out from the others is when you log on and you have an e-mail waiting to be viewed you hear Connie's beautiful voice saying "You've Got Mail". Definetly worth logging on for. Apart from that it's basically simple to use and also has an online address book which can store names and addresses of people you e-mail and also can write a description about them or even add a photo.

AOL WEBSITE

The website that you are logged onto as your home page is the AOL website and has brilliant up to the minute news and reviews of anything from sports to finance. This is definetly useful when you haven't bought a newspaper that day. Also available is the Chat rooms. This is an excellent feature and allows you to chat to people from all over the world about any subject. If you avoid the rooms with the silly 12 year old kids talking about school and boyfriends then it is actually quite enjoyable. With lots of different subject rooms it's got something for everyone. They also provide a service where every couple of days you can go online and ask a celebrity questions in a live discussion room. The best thing about this is that they do actually have some really famous people. AOL also offers a search engine, although not the best and most comfortable one it is still excellent facility and can provide some useful finds.

OTHER SPECIAL FEATURES

This is where AOL really comes into it's element, with features such as Buddy Lists, Instant Messaging, Profiles, Favourites, Parental controls and Account controls it's no wonder they are so popular. Let me explain a bit more about each option.

Buddy Lists:- These are were you can set up a list of friends who are also on AOL and put their screename into your buddy list, and everytime they are online it will indicate this in the top right hand corner of your screen. This is excellent for being able to chat to other f
riends whilst navigating the web.

Instant Messaging:- This is where you can privately talk to other aol members in a pop-up box. very easy to use and also quick. You can use this service whilst looking at sites and also you can have multiple conversations at once.

Profiles:- This allows you to put ona profile a bit like on dooyoo where you say a bit about yourself and answer some questions that other members can view. This is very useful for meeting other people who have the same interests as you and being able to chat to people much easier if they can know a little about you. You can also add a picture if you want but you don't have to.

Favourites:- This lets you store the addresses of your fav sites all in one list so you can just click on the link and you will be taken there immediately, very useful for quick navigation around the web, you'll never need to remember another address again!

Parental Controls:- This service is vital for any parents who want to stop their children accessing any adult websites or even chatting. With all the recent publicity about children being targetted by undesirable people you can understand that a service like this would be required for parents who don't like their kids looking at filth or talking to complete strangers.

Account Controls:- This is excellent as you can view your account details online and see just how much time you are spending online. It is also a great way for parents to keep tabs on which of their children are on the internet at what times. Used to be more useful at keeping tabs on amount your spending on your phone bill but now it's unlimited access for free.

CONCLUSION

So all in all I hope I've given you a fair picture of what life's like at aol and also given you the taste to go and try it out. I'd definelty recommend it as it seems to be getting better and faster all the time.The friendly advise from people at AOL is al
so another bonus point.

If you go onto the website now they are offering a 1000 hours free access trial and if you don't like it then you can cancel your account without paying a penny after the first month. so go on try it what have you got to lose?

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