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Up to Discussions in Mac OS X
9 Replies Last post: Oct 22, 2005 5:34 AM by twdawson  
Click to view bobby06877's profile New Member
bobby06877
2 posts since
Oct 20, 2005
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Oct 20, 2005 11:46 AM

AOL for Apple- Question from a real beginner

I will be buying my wife our first Apple Computer this weekend. I do not know much about Apple. I have a real basic question, my wife is a heavy user of AOL. Is there any difference, positive or negative, of AOL running on Apple versus Windows?
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Click to view macnuke's profile Old Hand
macnuke
6,672 posts since
Mar 5, 2004
1. Oct 20, 2005 1:35 PM in response to: bobby06877
Re: AOL for Apple- Question from a real beginner
I used AOL for a week on dial up while I was a displaced citizen due to Rita.
I have always took the stand that AOL was a "self inflicted virus" and even tho it got me online for what little i needed, I stand by that.
but some still think it's the best thing since sliced bread.
I will say that my week of dialup with aol was not bad other than it was dialup.
and I got connected when so many in the region couldn't.
so there's yer plus's
as far as negative, i still feel it's a bloated unnecessary for the internet piece of software with too much "bling bling" for my tastes.
but that's my personal feelings.
bottom line, it worked for me when all the other ISP's were down.
it's been many versions since I have used the windows version. the Mac supposedly has a few features that the PC doesn't as well as the reverse.
comparison wise, I can't help you.
just my week long foray into AOL experience.
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Click to view Tom_Diola's profile Old Hand
Tom_Diola
2,017 posts since
Oct 19, 2001
2. Oct 20, 2005 3:11 PM in response to: bobby06877
Re: AOL for Apple- Question from a real beginner
Try this:
AOL for OSX

You're lucky to get the Mac (I'd stay with AOL for your Wife and you can cruise around the internet with Safari and use mail.app and maybe she'll see it's not that hard to use standard applications instead of the candy coated AOL).
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Click to view dougster's profile Old Hand
dougster
4,209 posts since
Feb 25, 2001
3. Oct 20, 2005 3:23 PM in response to: bobby06877
Re: AOL for Apple- Question from a real beginner
In reply to:<hr />
AOL running on Apple versus Windows?

<hr />

AOL, which is an OSP (Online Service Provider), is really for the PC, and NOT the Mac for today's users. When AOL first started it was Mac only, and super friendly. Today is different and they are in transition to making it more of a web based format, and getting away from the little community AOL is know for, ie. Mac Help message boards. You can go to www.aol.com and even the downloads are for PC only, and shows NO Mac software. Mac side lacks the AOL radio, and video which is Wintel ONLY. AOL for MacX v (10.3.6) uses M$IE v4.x which is super antiquated. Another reason most AOL'ers on the Mac platform will launch a different browser once you are connected. I use AOL/Mac for test purposes only for over 12 yrs, and most Mac member are dropping it due to AOL not keeping up w/ the Mac software, and especially towards broadband useage. Sorry...

-Nuke mentioned it served him well under certain conditions, but most Macster folks will NOT use AOL if they are serious surfers.

-doug
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Click to view macnuke's profile Old Hand
macnuke
6,672 posts since
Mar 5, 2004
4. Oct 20, 2005 3:37 PM in response to: dougster
Re: AOL for Apple- Question from a real beginner
In reply to:<hr />
-Nuke mentioned it served him well under certain conditions, but most Macster folks will NOT use AOL if they are serious surfers.

<hr />

don't get me wrong doug... I ripped it out 100% as soon as i had an ISP i could plug into elsewhere.
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Click to view dougster's profile Old Hand
dougster
4,209 posts since
Feb 25, 2001
5. Oct 20, 2005 5:26 PM in response to: macnuke
Re: AOL for Apple- Question from a real beginner
LOL...
In reply to:<hr />
I ripped it out 100% as soon as i had an ISP i could plug into elsewhere

<hr />

I had an idea it was not your choice for communicating -Nuke, but you are/were under UN-ordinary circumstances w/ the floods and all at your place.

But...after reading -Tom's post it reminded me of the newer version AOL-X (10.3.7) w/ the newer Gecko engine so snagged it quickly and the browser does run better. So for the OP (original poster) -bobby, if AOL is a must to keep peace its enough to just slide by. Still NO radio, but there are a few streaming videos via QuickTime (believe it or not) w/ the new browser, and a little snappier ta-boot. The bottom line is AOL's team is putting 99% of their work into the PCer's platform vs the Mac. If they weren't they'd offer AOL w/ broadband like they do PCers. FWIW...you can still sign on w/ a broadband service and go BYOA bring your own access w/ AOL and pay less. Many folks do that because they just plain ol' like AOL.
Edit #1 -bobby----you'll have iTunes for all your radio needs anyway.

Edit #2 AOL Radio OSX

-doug
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Click to view jesman0's profile New Member
jesman0
133 posts since
Apr 8, 2005
6. Oct 21, 2005 8:01 AM in response to: bobby06877
Re: AOL for Apple- Question from a real beginner
Stay away from AOL. The purchase of your new Mac should facilitate this evolution to the real internet.

Bottom line

AOL is EVIL
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Click to view bobby06877's profile New Member
bobby06877
2 posts since
Oct 20, 2005
7. Oct 21, 2005 12:34 PM in response to: dougster
Re: AOL for Apple- Question from a real beginner
I am surprised to hear that the Mac version lacks AOL Radio. When I spoke with AOL Mac tech support a few days ago they spoke so highly of how much better the Mac version runs AOL Radio. They emphasized that point. I do not personally use AOL but they said that this feature was better on Mac since it could be played without being connected.I appreciate everyones feedback!
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Click to view dougster's profile Old Hand
dougster
4,209 posts since
Feb 25, 2001
8. Oct 21, 2005 3:08 PM in response to: bobby06877
Re: AOL for Apple- Question from a real beginner
The tech was right about AOL Radio playing well, but they forgot to mention it was a 3rd party application download click here . If you try to play AOL Radio on the Mac platform you get this dialog box click here . And if you peek closely you'll see its says for AOL 7.0 or higher. Again, they are catering to PC because Mac AOL only goes to version 5.0. But the radio does play great after you install the application. I have to admit the latest version for OSX -->AOL (10.3.7) is a little snappier.

-doug
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Click to view twdawson's profile New Member
twdawson
35 posts since
Mar 29, 2005
9. Oct 22, 2005 5:34 AM in response to: dougster
Re: AOL for Apple- Question from a real beginner
Hi all

Where i live in the UK i used to use AOL for my surfing on a PC with broadband, but when i bought my Mac i was told by AOL that i could not use it on broadband because AOL in the UK only supports Macs on Dialup and when i asked why i was given the answer "technical reasons".???
So it was bye bye Aol and my new srervice provider is actually better, faster and i dont have any more of that horrible bling that the Aol software has.
Looking back when i used a PC, I sould have stopped using Aol a long time ago, and i still have a couple of freinds who still use Aol on broadband and they can't beleive how fast my connection is compared to theirs for the same money.

Dont use Aol its nasty.
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