A Good Letter

"Living With Your Computer"

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A Really Good Letter

Just a note, I had an address up here, but he had his mail off.

Well, good morning to everyone......

I guess it is time for me to put my two sense in about the new AOL 6.0.

I have been beta testing AOL software for a number of years. Not just AOL, but many other companies software and I really do enjoy this part of the computer world. It also gets me lots of free software. But I am also unbiased and my opinions are well respected and paid for too. I also work in the field for computers and I know a great deal about them and I also have my degree in Computer Science, so I do have some knowledge of the computer field.

Well, I'm impressed; so what do you have to say?

I am just going to comment on much of what Dan Daily wrote about. I am not sure why, and I hope everyone will listen to all sides of the story of facts before they make the final decision. So here goes nothing.

PROBLEMS:

Like Dan says, AOL 6.0 changes lots of window files. With any programming software, it will change windows files. This is nothing new. But to have to totally wipe their hard drive clean, over and over, this does not make sense. As of this date, I have yet to redo my system. As a matter of fact, while Beta Testing, I have improved my operating system from Windows 98 SE to Millennium. As of yet, I haven't had any problems that I can narrow down to the AOL software. In a positive note, if for some odd reason you have to reinstall your operating system, unlike Windows 98 where you had to do a total reinstall, Millennium is very similar to Windows 95 in that it will find the corrupt files and fix them or replace them. This is a much easier fix. And if you are having such a big problem with AOL, then just find and correct the corrupt files.

(Yes, ME is a better program than 98. I also agree with the first section, I as well as you, never had to do a wipe. Not even now. But a wipe will be the only thing to truly straighten my system out. This thing is held together with nothing but duct tape and bailing wire. I have beta tested Aol3,4,5, 5, 9x. But never experienced anything like Aol6. I don't for a minute believe it was ready for beta testing. I think we alpha tested it.)

EMAIL:

It is a great change that AOL 6.0 will now read HTML mail and yes, it is true that you can't send it in HTML. But that is no big deal because most people do not utilize HTML mail for reading their mail. Unless you go through the trouble of saving the email as a HTML extension and opening it with your browser, you would never even know that there was this option.

So, they don't even know what an organize folder is, What's your point?

I find the email options to be so much better than the old options. I love being able to organize my email; to read, already read, and sent by different categories. This was a huge improvement over the old mail system. But talking about mail controls, it is not necessary to have your preferences to save all of your email to your PFC. On the bottom of the email that is read and also on the bottom of the open list of email, you have the option to save it right then to your PFC and it gives you the option to create a folder to place those particular email in. This is way much better than the older system and it gives you, the end user more options for your email. (I couldn't agree more about the PFC issue; SO? what? Aol6 can crash your computer, not a good trade.)

On another note, I have yet to have a problem with seeing background pictures. Initially, when AOL was testing the pictures part, it was not allowing you to stop the pictures from becoming totally embedded in your email. You had to wait on it to finish. But that has been corrected. You can move to the next email, or you can select cancel as normal, or you can exit the email and wait on your reply. I begged and begged and they finally listened to this problem.

(Actually, if you recall, embedded pictures didn't show up at all in the first betas of 6. I still get a halo around my text, if it has a background, and surely you jest: Aol doesn't listen to anyone! Period!)

AOL ADDRESS BOOK:

I believe there has been a vast improvement in the address book. It has been totally redone to correspond to most other address books with major programming. If properly filled out, it will also cut down on the amount of time for looking in your address book to address your email. When you start your email, and you know the first letter of the person you want to send your email, you put that in the send box and it will list the individual's name with that letter corresponding. If that is not the correct person, then put in the next letter. Continue until you have the person's correct email address. Then naturally hit the return on your keyboard to continue. (That feature should have been incorporated in Aol5 books. Hell, it was just stolen from IE anyway)

Now, about your address book being placed on the AOL servers, that is nothing new either. Where do you think your buddy list information is stored at. Same place. Nothing new. But a wise person always backs up their information, whether it is their favorite places or their address book, it is all maintained in the person's organize file. That also contains your PFC information too. So folks, make it a habit to save those files because it will cause you a lot of lost time trying to recreate what you have lost. Again, this is just common sense.

(I also agree with this, except, to back up your organize folder, it must be done manually. The average user doesn't even know what the organize folder is, and Aol is for the average user, not a person with a degree in Computer Sciences. Aol5 had the save button right there in plain easy view. I backup my address book, every time I change it. Also, you didn't mention the privacy issue. If hackers can hack Microsoft, they can hack anyone. And; anyone, who has ever read www.observers.net, knows how Aol treats peoples privacy, many of us screamed just to make the address book on the servers an option. Aol didn't listen, how hard could that be? They already have the infrastructure in place for it not to send it to the server. That would have made everybody happy. What's wrong with everyone being happy? Why do they INSIST on having your contacts in their hands? Why? And speaking of options, anyone notice how few you get with Aol? And how many you could have? How about simple skins for the Aol client. Little Johnny could have a completely different look than dad. How hard could that be?)

BUDDY LIST:

The buddy list has been changed also. The features are similar in previous versions
of AOL, but with some exceptions. You can now time stamp your instant messages. There is an answering machine that you can personalize for any away messages. But let this be a notice. If you delete someone off of your buddy list, in previous versions, that person's name popped up in a separate blank and you could copy that name. In the new version, once you delete it, it automatically updates your buddy list. There is no second chance on that. But it is just as easy to add the names back into the list. There is also another cutie feature and that is selecting an icon for your personality. It shows up in other AOL users Instant Messages that have this control turned on. It is somewhat silly, but what the hey...... As far as your buddies disappearing after departure, that is still a problem. A quick fix for that is to exit the buddy list and go keyword Buddyview and get a fresh buddy list. I know, you shouldn't have to do that. (emphasis, mine)

TASK BAR:

Again, the task bar at the top has been changed around somewhat. It makes things much better organized and easier to get to. There have also been added some different changes in the color of the individual bars. This has been a vastly improved area.

Internet Explorer 5.5 and with Netscape 4.75 and 4.76:

I find that AOL works quite well with the latest releases of Internet Explorer 5.5 and with the versions of Netscape 4.75 and the just released version of 4.76. I have no complaints at all about how it interfaces with the AOL programming. Again, very few problems. (I only wish I and the multitude of others had as few problems with it as you.)

WAV MAN:

As Dan did not cover this subject, I will. Many of you have Wav Man and utilize it in chat rooms. As with any new programs, there is currently a beta version of Wav Man for the AOL 6.0. As most of you know, once a new release for a program has been made public, then all the other programs that utilize that base program need to be updated. This is not only true with Wav Man, but it will be true for Power Tools as well. I am sure in the near future that a new release will be provided for both of these programs.

BET TESTERS:

As in any program or company, people come and go. This is nothing new. People get bored with not being able to make a difference and quit taking chances. This is human nature. And yes, they have asked many times for beta testers, but I believe the reason why is that they want much feedback from the general public, not just experienced computer people, but from all portions of the market. (Yes, that is your opinion; one I don't share. The boards never kept testers because of all the problems. The questions were always day one questions. And Aol never replied to problems, never really listened to anybody!)

AOL SPEAKS:

I can't speak on this because I have not used this feature.

CONNECT SPEED:

I have not had a problem in this area as well. Each time I connect up, I always see how fast I connect. I have a 56 k modem and I connect upwards of 46 - 48 k. I see no problem in this area and I never have. (You seem to have a charmed computer.)

AOL 5.0 AND 6.0 CONFLICTS:

As of this date, I still have 5.0 on my system as my AOL backup. I have totally gone to 6.0 but occasionally will go back to 5.0 to refresh some of my information. This is just like upgrading a graphics program. Sometimes you upgrade and like some features in the older version that you are more familiar with. I suggest, until you are totally comfortable with the new 6.0, to keep the 5.0 on your computer and use it sparingly until you are confident in 6.0. I have always had 5.0 on my computer through countless numbers of install and uninstall of the beta 6.0 and as of yet, I have never had a conflict where it messed it up.

Well, once again. I have 5 being affected. When signing on to 5, you can actually see the 6 channel bar pop on and off. Weird, many people report the their 5's have the 6 buddy list. And, lest we forget, if 6 takes out your IE browser, or the Internet adapters, 5 won't work anyway. This is the majority of problems associated with the one effecting the other.

MY CONCLUSION:

It is my personal opinion that the new version, AOL 6.0 is a vastly improved program that will easily interface with your current operating system. Even with more expensive programs such as Corel's Word Perfect (as an example) they are always updating their product with service releases so this is nothing new or should not be. Just be flexible in what you might expect or don't expect and be surprised either how much you love it or as Dan might say, how much you regret doing it.

If anyone would like specific questions asked to me about AOL 6.0, please send any questions to me and in the subject, put AOL 6.0 questions. I will be more than happy to help if possible. If I can't, then I will inform you of that too.

Of course, as I said at the top, you can't do that. He sent me a screen name that wouldn't accept mail. He claims he fixed it, too late. That's what happens when you take someone at their word. I won't be made a fool of. Sorry.

Thanks for allowing me to share my opinions.

TJ

Ok gang, that's it. I might not agree, and yes, he could very well be an Aol plant, I mean he sure made it sound easy, kind of like a PR department, reading from a script? You see, if he had it as smooth as he claims, believe me, he's the only Beta tester I know of who did. LOL But no one has to agree with me to get on these pages, that wasn't the point from the beginning. But it is my page; I included this because it's very well written. Almost by a committee? LOL

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