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Pros:
doesn't require much intelligence, usually for dumb people or old folks who are not capable of learning new things.
Crons:
AOL loves to charge top dollar for their offering (now $24.95), but are (seemingly) only willing to provide bargain-basement service...
IMHO (In My Humble Opinion), are some reasons why you should consider selecting a service provider other than AOL, CompuServe, Prodigy,
NetZero/Juno, MSN, and PeoplePC.
SPAM (unsolicited advertising & junk mail)
Every time you log onto AOL, you're asked if you'd like to buy, subscribe or sign-up for at least one unsolicited item - sometimes many. In all the years I've worked with 'em, this has been an immutable standard.
It used to be that at least 1 out of five e-mail messages received in your AOL account was junk mail. That was in 2001. Now, for every message you want, there's 10-20 unwanted messages (SPAM). They're not gettin any better at this, folks.
Word is, that if you enter a 'chat room' at AOL, or frequently use Instant Messenger; you'll get SPAMMed almost immediately.
So, If you want to get SPAMMed, AOL is one of the best places to hang out. If you spend much time with AOL, you'll get SPAMMed. And, by-the-way, MSN is a very close second in this area.
User Interface (E-Mail Client)
This has got to be one of the most kludgy, un-intuitive, and hard to navigate interfaces foisted on Internet e-mail users... I've had students tell me that they didn't know how bad the e-mail client was till they'd begun to use something else. Here's a just a few of the problems:
The e-mail client is Kludgy (which means that that the navigation and tools provided are not intuitive, and just plain difficult to use.) If you don't believe it, sit down with a friend who uses Outlook Express and you'll see what I mean. Even simple procedures, like using the address book are substantially easier and more robust in Outlook Express - as I said, version 9.0 is substantially better, but still substantially inferior.
AOL attachments must be downloaded and saved to disk in order to be viewed. Then, once downloaded, they must be located and a 'viewer' software found to actually view it. Totally obtuse...! Any other e-mail client will allow the graphics to be displayed right along with the message...
AOL attachments must be exactly that... attachments. AOL doesn't allow images to be 'inserted' directly into the message body. Oh, they do, if you're mailing to another AOL user. If you mail to someone NOT using AOL, the graphics get converted to attachments.
Control of your e-mail messages is in the hands of AOL, not you - the user. They may be deleted without your knowledge. Other e-mail clients download the messages for storage on your hard disk or other storage media.
There is no way to filter your incoming e-mail or establish 'rules'. Rules can be used to block senders, return 'canned' messages, divert incoming e-mail to different folders, etc. There is a multitude of things you can do with Outlook Express that are impossible with AOL.
User Interface (Browser)
Singularly, one of the industries worst user interfaces - but, it is getting better. MicroSoft's Internet Explorer Browser - an unfortunate name choice, to be sure - is just as bad as AOL. Since the name 's extremely close to that of the best Internet browser software in the industry, Internet Explorer. Don't be misled - Internet Explorer is a great browser. Internet Explorer Browser, sucks...!
User control and configuration are minimal at best, meaning... you take what they give you. (The e-mail S/W is discussed in the next section.)
The screen is very crowded with all the AOL menus, toolbars and ad's, leaving little space allocated to the 'active' window.
The 'good news' is... that you can abandon AOL's user interface and use Internet Explorer...! Great idea - do it...!!
E-Mail (general)
AOL (seemingly arbitrarily) deletes messages from its mail servers. You 'think' you've saved your read messages - when you go back to look at them, they've been deleted. Since the messages reside on AOL's servers, you loose control.
And then, of course, there's the issue of non-standard e-mail protocols - see the next section.
E-Mail, Non-Standard Protocols (MIME & SMTP)
AOL has (for some unknown reason) made and 'executive decision' to ignore the widely accepted industry-standard, e-mail standards MIME & SMTP. The big looser is 'you'...! Not conforming to these standards is part of the reason you have trouble viewing some messages (and, especially attachments) sent from non-AOL users, to AOL users and visa-versa...
Simple Mail Transfer Protocol -- The main protocol used to send electronic mail on the Internet. SMTP consists of a set of rules for how a program sending mail and a program receiving mail should interact.
Multipurpose Internet Mail Extensions -- The standard for attaching non-text files to standard Internet mail messages. Non-text files include graphics, spreadsheets, formatted word-processor documents, sound files, etc. An e-mail program is said to be MIME Compliant if it can both send and receive files using the MIME standard. When non-text files are sent using the MIME standard they are converted (encoded) into text - although the resulting text is not really readable. Generally speaking the MIME standard is a way of specifying both the type of file being sent (e.g. a Quicktime™ video file), and the method that should be used to turn it back into its original form.
Since AOL chooses to ignore these standards, all e-mail to and from outside systems (non-AOL) is converted to text only, hyperlinks are eliminated, and graphics are sent as attachments. The attachment thing is a real problem for new users and a few experienced ones too...
Least Common Denominator
Usually, AOL appeals to the least technically savvy, those new to the Internet and e-mail - "The Least Common Denominator". Since they have little or no experience, they don't know what they miss by becoming AOL subscribers... Most people, after a year or so experience, abandon AOL like rats leaving a sinking ship... In fact, in 2003, I believe that AOL lost nearly a million subscribers...!
Ever wonder why almost all rumors about a HOAX virus or earning a new Honda by sending e-mail messages come from AOL subscribers...? It's "the least common denominator syndrome...!" AOL subscribers have little or no experience, so tend to pass that kind of stuff around as gospel...
Almost all the jokes and cartoons, you know the ones, the ones that you've seen five times already; come from AOL, CompuServe or Prodigy subscribers.
Censorship
AOL censors the content of, not only their website, but the content of the websites you are 'allowed' to visit. Yes, AOL will limit your ability to log onto various websites if they're deemed to be of questionable social value. Of course that puts AOL in the position of dictating what you can... and want you can't view... Just a bit Orwellian, for my taste. How about you...?
Additional Comments:
Well... it's now 2006, and I still don't like AOL or MSN either, for that matter. In fact, if asked about what dial-up ISP to use, I'd warn you well away from the following list:
1. AOL
2. CompuServe
3. Prodigy
4. Juno or NetZero (United Online)
5. MSN, and
6. PeoplePC
These dial-up ISP's are among the worst on the Web and you'd be far better served with another almost any other...!.
As a matter of fact, choose any ISP that allows you to use Outlook, or Outlook Express as your e-mail client (program).
Don't be forced into a situation where all the ISP has to offer (like 1-6 above) is some form of "WebMail", which you get to using a browser like Internet Explorer...
In 2004 AOL's release 9.0 is out. This release is much better than release 2.0; 3.0; 4.0; 5.0; 6.0; 7.0; and 8.0. Man, you gotta give 'em credit for trying...! But, after all those releases; and after all those years, they're still just barely in the ballgame. Let me tell you why...
AOL is always among the ISPs listed at the bottom of almost every industry survey of ISPs. Why...? Because AOL provides much worse than average 'service'...! Those 'in the know' call it "the training wheels for the Internet."
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