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Earthlink, AOL, MSN, egads!Aug 01 '00 Write an essay on this topic.Choosing an ISP is, obviously, not the biggest decision people make in their lives - I just put an offer on a house... But evaluating your needs before you choose to pay $25 per month will make your life easier and win you more friends. The needs you'll want to evaluate are: 1. Your experience level with online communications. 2. What type of information do you need? E-mail only, dictionary, "surfing" capabilities, etc? 3. How often will you be on the Internet? Start by understanding a little about the Internet versus a service such as AOL for instance. AOL is NOT the Internet. AOL is much like the intranet you may have at work: a limited number of people have access to it - and it's usually access that can only be had when you're within the building. AOL has value-added services that are not offered on the Internet - like easy access to e-mail, message boards (public discussions), and the like. These premium services are only available if you are connected through the AOL service. You can get access to the rest of the Internet, but it's generally slower that paying for a true Internet Service Provider. AOL will charge about twenty dollars per month. If you're new to the Internet and online communications in general, AOL will be a good choice for you - but you'll eventually want to move to a more streamlined provider as you become accustomed to the Internet. It will offer all the features of Internet access but be a little simpler - you're sure to float in the "sink or swim" Internet bonanza. Earthlink and MSN are similar services. I have used them both. Earthlink, I've found, is faster and would connect more reliably (less busy signals, etc.) in my area than MSN. Don't be fooled by marketing - they offer the same type of features. You may find MSN to be difficult to use as the built-in dialing system tries to figure out if it should connect to the service or not - it may become obnoxious and make many mistakes at inopportune times. E-mail with these systems will install itself - and most likely use Microsoft Outlook Express. The e-mail worked fine. Both Earthlink and MSN will charge about twenty dollars per month. If you're a casual surfer who is somewhat comfortable with the Internet, or a newbie with dreams of becoming an avid surfer, Earthlink or MSN will be fine for you. Look into a cable or DSL system in your area, also - it may not be much more than using a dial-up and will be much faster - but check into support from the company, because you may need it if you're new to computers or the Internet. Cable or DSL can work out to be $30 a month and up - worth checking into for those who need (or want) it.  |
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