Re: AOL for Apple II

[supertimer@aol.com (Supertimer)]

"Eric Heim" <chippys@earthlink.net> wrote:

>supertimer@aol.com (Supertimer) wrote:
>
>> Ron Hall <crimson@execpc.com> wrote:
>>
>>>On 24 Jul 1999, Supertimer wrote:
>>>
>>>I am not making excuses for AOL, but if I owned it I certainly would not be
>>>developing for A2 users.. I may let them still sign on in an extremely
>>>limited fashion, but I would not be developing new software.
>>
>> You wouldn't have the develop new software.  The question is why did
>> they continue to let GeoWorks users sign on but not A2 users given
>> the fact that both AOL softwares were similarly feature sets?
>
>IIRC, and my memory is not so good anymore, the upgrade to AOL software was
>completed and AOL told the programmer (Andy somebody-or-other comes to mind
>but I don't remember who, exactly) "thanks but we won't be needing it". This
>was announced on GEnie and had caused quite a stir because Steve Case had
>jumped ships.

This is what I understood too.  The IIGS version had a graphical log on screen,
but dumped users to a text shell.  The upgrade would have provided a more
graphical environment.  It was long expected when the bombshell struck.

The funny thing was that at the time, the number of Apple II users exceeded
the number of GeoWorks users on AOL.  At least according to InCider.  I
know that some folks don't like that mag and question its contents, but come
on...they were right on the money most of the time!

It is kind of funny to log onto AOL on an Apple IIGS using a PC Transporter
running GeoWorks AOL software.  It seems they can't get rid of us so
easily...at least until they get rid of the GeoWorks version.  ;-)  AOL
couldn't
get rid of MY IIGS from their system ;-)

Too bad my RGB monitor is not yet fixed so my PCT is currently blind as
a bat, otherwise I'm tempted to photograph a screen shot of GeoWorks AOL
on my IIGS and post it!

The user who proposed patching the IIGS version to identify itself as the
GeoWorks version has a good idea.  It would be fun to try.

Also, if AOL 1.0 for the Mac was a HyperCard stack, maybe it could be
hypermoved to the IIGS.  The user also said he was able to patch an earlier
Mac version and make it self-ID as a later Mac version and thus log on.
It would be fun to log onto AOL from a HyperCard for the IIGS stack.