ok Chips me boy, why exactly do you use it? You don't strike me as a mom'n'pop type picking up an AOL coaster errr cd at Asda and shoving it into the PC World rip-off machine at home and thereby trashing it. Is it the cheap rate? the pretty colours? Joanna Lumley's voice (for she doth speak from the AOL browser, she doth) or do you have a Connie fixation? (actually I think Rachel Willis is mega fit and that shimmery digitized dress is ace - ever see those lingerie model pics she did a few years back? nayce)

Myself I wouldn't touch AOL with someone else's and I use the cds that plop through the door as coasters and cat-toys, or i cut em into chinese throwing stars. It's an appalling piece of software, but it has it's uses for the totally inexperienced computer user who hasn't the foggiest what they're doing. And under all the rubbish they're an ISP like any other, I suppose, although why you'd bother when you can go with other more sensible ISPs for the same wodge, I dunno.

btw speaking from my own experience I never use anyone's setup disc for dial-up or adsl/cable internet access, precisely because of all the rubbish that gets loaded on; and quite often the install prog is rubbish anyway, even if it connects it puts so much rubbish in the systray that you wish you'd never bothered. All these stupid "we'll make it easy for you" install programmes are complete pooh.

I used it cause it was the cheapest way to get online at the time. Seriously, 15.99 a month for unlimited, un-interrupted connection. That is why i got it, and that is what i got. Then, when i thought about DSL it was 34.99 a month. However, AOL offered for 20 a month instead. I took it, and had totally hassle free, crash free internet connection until i used Overnet. The only time i had a problem was when one of the 5 connection numbers was not working....but if only ever lasted for about 5 hours, and always managed to connect by one of hte other 4 numbers (although 1 of them only ever gave you a 28k connection, so it was 4 x 56k and 1 x 28k.

My harddrive doesn't seem to be clogged with software, and the installation was fine (I downloaded it). I really don't have any reason to complain about it whatsoever, and always seem to read several poeple who complain about any company going, usually without any real reason apart from what they read in articles...........which I find to be an abhorrent way of bashing companies. Only bash when you have reason to bash i say! The other thing is that when i have called Customer services, I always chat to a helper who is great, or i can do it online with live chat. Really - NOTHING is wrong here, and there are no problems. Maybe everyone here really has tried AOL and had tons of problems, but until i have reason to bash them for lack of service or other stuff, then I will support them as being good!! Honestly, ask me what could be better, and only now could it be the price..........as now tiscali have a 15.99 a month broadband, but its NOT unlimited access 24/7.

Now if there are other deals, then maybe I should have searched harder, but at the time when i was looking, I could find little about others that had what i wanted (price was the factor)............or the unlimited part. I was unable to find others that offered anything like what i could get, and until recently, none did.

For that reason, I am of course highly sceptical of what others say. Like i said, IF they have all tried AOL and had FIRST PERSON problems, then fair enough, but honestly, if my mate slagged off bad connection, i would actually suspect his lack of competance with it. Actually - i did experience crashes of AOL once, it happened quite a bit. I phoned up the helpline, and was told it sounded like a trojan............so after a few links and downloads, i was trojan free, and stable again.

Like i said, little to complain about, and no - I don't believe everything i read, I take it all with a big dose of salt, hence how reading what others say after reading a website doesn't hold sway. First hand complaints and reasons i listen to, others i generally ignore (chinese whispers principle). Now you can tell me what they do wrong, and i will check for myself, as i trust ya......BUT - I won't be giving up my contract for a while longer (but only cause its 1yr, and i have 5 months left )

*edit* - man, why does that sig box stay checked unless you de-check the damned thing?

Edited by - Chips on 3/22/2004 11:08:56 AM

well that's fair enough, me boy! directly said and honestly put, i can't fault you a jot. If you're happy, that's good enough for me

Why not use a smaller and/or more independent provider? We have haeaps of cheap deals offered by smaller companies. Interestingly, iPrimus, AOL, and Optus have some of the most expensive plans around.

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Why not use a smaller and/or more independent provider? We have haeaps of cheap deals offered by smaller companies. Interestingly, iPrimus, AOL, and Optus have some of the most expensive plans around.

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Quite simply because i live in a world of the gloriously un-informed!

I was totally un-aware of providers cropping up all over the place, and must admit, connection to interent was NOT intentional, it was necessary to download driver for my graphics card. It was tiscali, as they had a 1p per min thing going, so i used them. I never got rid of connection afterwards, and soon attempted to play Freelancer online, which got me so utterly hooked that i faced a 10 pounds per day connection bill. At that point, i looked for a online time free contract, and remembered AOL that my parents tried out years before. Back then, we had no trouble, and every time we tried to cancel, they gave us another free month. After 5 months free, we finally quit, with no charges ever for me surfing for 10 hours a day. I just went back to them and joined, so FL is the reason for my connection, also the reason for 24/7 free contracts

I will undoubatdly search more though, so feel free to recommend, but like i said, i cannot swap for another 5 months!


Edited by - Chips on 3/22/2004 3:40:20 PM

I understand, Chips. Remember, you are speaking to a guy with a modem! As you are in the UK, I cannot recommend anything, but perhaps Taw can. I can recommend some good Australian plans, but that's about it. My ISP subscription elapses in 7 months, and then I'll acquire a nice ADSL/Cable connection. Let the good times roll!

Zen
Demon
Pipex

I'm on cable meself, though. better value for money than DSL imho. NTL. 600mb, 26 quid a month, no setup charge, first 3 months free, only been out of service once in 6 months.

but if I were on DSL, I'd use the above in that order. Zen are fookin' ace. Known em for years. Used to have a lot to do with them in me old job.

See Chips? Taw's such a helpful lad .

he's also one hell of a guy and a studmuffin to boot

Ooook, that's more than I wanted to know!

Not to mention that he looks good in a skirt! I have it on good authority that he does, well, he told me so at least.