Google may bid for a stake in AOL

I like the email system, its great - I don´t get spam or any viruses... unlike my other accounts that I stopped using due to the ridiculous amounts of spam they received. I have plenty of other email clients (like my uni etc), but they aren´t as good from my perspective. Of course, I understand that some places have issue with AOL mails - but that doesn´t really affect me <img src=smilies/icon_smile_big.gif width=15 height=15 border=0 align=middle> As for other deals to choose, I am still with AOL because: 1) I have 0 bandwidth restrictions, so I have at times dl´d up to 2Gb per day... and that is without any surfing, gaming or anything else. Meh, only 1 reason really... I dislike the software that you cannot &quot;opt&quot; to install or not install (like the checkup, or other items), and think they should offer a low-spec version of the browser (remove the toolbar crap that I have never used...), connection tool etc and the other un-necessary processes that are running. I may change because: 1)Other providers are offering simliar priced packages for the same speeds, or in some cases cheaper (depends though, they are &quot;new&quot; companies in general). Generally though, these offers all have bandwidth caps on them... they are limited. Although plenty of people have horror stories about ISP´s, I haven´t heard any more about AOL than BT, TISCALI or NTL (the major ones in the UK). I haven´t had any issues myself with AOL - hence why I &quot;trust&quot; them. I am sure there is plenty of bad stuff I don´t know about them, but there is about any company at all. I have had the odd connection problems, but that turned out to be BT engineers and also a main central BT connection going down for 16 hours one day <img src=smilies/icon_smile.gif width=15 height=15 border=0 align=middle> I dunno, maybe I am missing out big time on some amazing stuff that BT would enable me to do, but I haven´t really heard anything about it to be honest. What am I missing?

I´d say nothing Mike. Not if you´re not pining for a dl that you can´t get using what you have. Since you´re not the &quot;keep up with the Joneses&quot; type, it doesn´t make any sense. I suppose that if you´re a music glutton or a video glutton, you´d need to assure yourself that you had access to all sources and such ... <img src=smilies/icon_smile_tongue.gif width=15 height=15 border=0 align=middle> Since MSN and Yahoo are merging their IM´ing technology to finally rival AOL in IM population size seems to me more a matter of Google / Sun covering a flank against MS.

AOL´s IM is terrible, never used it. I can´t get cable (else I would probabily be NTL, as I dislike the fact we pay line rental for nearing £130 a year on a telephone line, even if we never use the damned thing to make a call!) - which I then pay for AOL on top of (you also do for any other DSL or whatever connection - only cable would negate that cost). I just am not aware what AOL users are getting slapped for, hence why I ask what would be different by using other ISP´s. All I do know is that there are all these little tools for noobs... erm, I mean for less net savvy people whom are lax, to ensure they haven´t got dialers, hijackers, spyware etc. I don´t want to use them, but I don´t get an option when installing... Edited by - Mike G on 10/13/2005 6:49:36 AM

<font size=1 face="trebuchet ms"><BLOCKQUOTE><hr size=1 noshade>£130 a year on a telephone line, even if we never use the damned thing to make a call <hr size=1 noshade></BLOCKQUOTE></font><font face=´trebuchet ms, Verdana, Arial, Helvetica´ size=2> Ummmm. There´s this guy who runs around this site with tea towels wrapped around his head. You might want to discuss Skype with him. I think AOL users are much maligned simply because those who do criticize feel the need to establish that they no longer are n00bs ... or never were n00bs. And even if you aren´t a n00b, if AOL works for you, why fix it? I only just finally closed down my AOL account. I´d had it for many many many years and was part of a class action against AOL when they tried to move my subscription up to a more expensive choice than the one I´d originally purchased ($4.95 / mo. for 5 hours). My reason for stopping use of it was because I grew tired of the AOL software, its resource hogginess and general ability to mess up or alter my windows installation without my wanting it to do so. My Dad, on the other hand, is perfectly happy with it and I am quite glad of that as it makes his PC setup very low maintenance... especially now with the built-in AOL anti-spam and anti-spyware/virus services.

&lt;-- WOW, 4 Mbps, ´sall I need. AIM is pretty bad though, compared to the other IM programs, but most people I know use it. I only use the pure software on my laptop (which I´m on right now) because it runs faster than Trillian and when other people use the laptop they actually know what they´re doing. I can see it now, ads for google on AOL.com and ads for AOL on google.

underneath all the simpleton consumer rubbish of browsers and wizards and plug-ins that trash your pc, AOL are actually a very good ISP with fast servers, excellent tech support, competitive pricing and uncapped bandwidth, and lots of useful utilities. NTL aren´t that good a choice unless youre going for tv/net/phone package, and they go down a lot and tyech support is terrible. the deal has become rather expensive for what it is.

I´ve used both..NTL is better than AOL,i´ve never had a problem with them.AOL used to say one thing and then 2 minutes later say another &quot;yes sir,if u goto this department you can sort &quot;such and such&quot; out&quot; -calls that department-&quot;no,you have to go here,we don´t deal with that&quot;. Btw,NTL customer services do suck...but don´t they all!

I found AOL´s customer service to be good, but then again - I use their online chat instead these days (they removed their free phone number <img src=smilies/icon_smile_sad.gif width=15 height=15 border=0 align=middle>). The only reason I would go NTL is because of the &quot;all in one&quot; deal, but we live in the backwater - there aint much chance of that at all, but it would be an option if I lived in a city (although I would need to revise their plans, as when I got AOL several years back they piddled on NTL for price, speed and bandwidth). However, Time Warner are denying that Google, Comcast or MS are buying into AOL at all. Turns out that AOL was losing its stake in the market because it was &quot;exclusive&quot; - so they opened all the member benefits - which includes trailers for films, music (including their &quot;sessions @ AOL&quot; - which is like MTV unplugged, but without an audience), their financial advice pages, housing, jobs, and all the rest (there is one HECK of alot that they have, or are linked up with) to everyone. This is also why ads appeared on AOL browser portals, as they are moving into the ad financed way everyone else uses... it turns out that this has really put them back into the driving seat. This is why Google were &quot;interested&quot; - along with Comcast and MS (as MS wish to tap the 25 million customers whom use the Google search engine which is built into the AOL browser portal - generating masses of advertisment revenue for Google!). I read up on it all on BBC whilst at Uni today (killing spare time). Edited by - Mike G on 10/14/2005 10:29:21 AM