Re: Info AOL

[seah@ee.rochester.edu (David Seah)]

In article <1g4embINNnjb@usenet.INS.CWRU.Edu> co057@cleveland.Freenet.Edu (Steven H. Lichter) writes:
>Why? The software for the II is real clunky and tends to lock up. 

This is a somewhat misleading statement, but I'm also part of AOL so I may
exhibit some personal bias here ;-)

The Mousetext windowing system is fast to navigate with keyboard equates.
The user also has the option of using the mouse, though I never use it.
Overall system response is also quite fast if you get a good node.  If things
seem sluggish, you can hangup and call again to try and get a faster one.
Outside of metropolitan areas this might not be quite as guaranteed, though.
The proprietory file transfer protocol is generally robust and FAST...it
uses a sliding window-style protocol similar to ZModem.

Lock ups do occur from time to time, particularly when downloading some of
the older files from the IBM-PC side of the forum.  Files that are a year
or newer don't exhibit this problem (PC-AOL has been around for not much
longer than that).  If you use the old AppleLink Personal Edition software,
it WILL lock up...use the newer software.  Lock ups occur for other reasons,
of course.  I don't think GEnie has ever locked up on me, but I have to
wait for the system to respond all the time...AOL is pretty fast by
comparison (again, depending on your node)

America Online uses a packet-based transfer system, so if someone picks
up the phone and hisses into it you won't get junk all over your screen...
the file transfer protocol is also capable of withstanding this hit.  This
doesn't mean that you are bump-proof, of course, but it's more robust than
average.

The organization of America Online's Apple II forums is one made of 
separate entities.  Rather than grouping all the topics in one place,
there are separate forums with their own libraries, message areas, and
slightly-differing policies.  Software database is searchable and very fast,
and each file is generally tagged with a set of keywords that make narrowing
the search easier.  Each Forum Leader is independent to do what
he or she feels is right.  Over the years some forums have merged together.
Current forums that come to mind are:

Apple II Productivity:
Devoted to getting WORK done with your computer, hosted by Marty Knight.
If you need truetype fonts, he's got hundreds online, all alphabetized and
categorized in his Big Book of Fonts.  Word processing, AppleWorks, and
other such topics are maintained here.  There's an amazing collection of
stuff here.

Apple II Games:
An entire forum devoted to Apple II games.  The pickings have been pretty
lean these days, but the area is also crosslinked to the Game Developer's
SIG.

Apple II Graphics and Sound:  
This is a merger of AGR and AMS, housed under the same roof.  HyperStudio,
Paint Programs, MODs, MIDI, RSDs, Pictures...this is what we thrive on.  The
Graphics side alone has about 4000 files worth of clipart, information,
pictures, and applications, while the Music and Sound side has the biggest
collection of songs and sounds I've ever seen online.  Libraries are one of
the strengths of AOL's Apple II forums, IMHO.

Apple II Development:
This is where all the programmers hang out.  System Software, technotes,
and the usual stuff is available here.

Apple II Education:
I don't think I've actually visited this forum, come to think of it.

One disadvantage is that this wealth of information is spread out among
many forums, so you have to visit each one to scan for new messages and
files.  The Apple II Software center does group weekly uploads into one
listing, however, and there is a global QuickFinder as well.  Scanning
for new messages isn't too bad if you use keyword jumps (OA-K followed by
the name of the forum).  The format in which new messages are presented is
pretty convenient...you get a listing of all new topics, which you can click
on to get a scrollable window full of text.  There is no batch read
capability at this time, though you can open a log and have all the text
spool into it for later review.  

Overall, AOL's Apple II Forums are geared more towards users and
newcomers to the modem pool.  That probably doesn't appeal too much to
the crowd hanging out on USENET, technically minded as we are, but if
you are looking for a musician or an artist you probably would have better
luck on AOL. 

>They have not updated it and I don't believe they will ever do so. GEnie might
>a much better deal.

AOL's rates are pretty competitive, and system response is pretty quick,
so don't write us off yet :-)  There is no flat-fee basic services, though,
but there are no surcharges (except for some gateway services that aren't
part of AOL).  And you can send/receive Internet mail for free, albeit limited
to 30K per message on the A2 software.  There is also a mailbox storage limit
of X number of mail messages.  AOL has a goodly array of other distractions,
though it doesn't have Air Warrior :/

The custom AOL software is both a blessing and a curse.  Telecommunicators
used to using their own term program will probably curse and spit when they
find that they can't keep a log of the entire session, spawn shells or
easily perform off-line functions while logged in.  In this respect, AOL's
Apple II software is rather annoying.  GEnie has front-ends available for
it, I'm told, which makes using it much more pleasant.  
-- 
Dave Seah ^..^   | Graduate MSEE, University of Rochester, New York           |
                 | Apple II Graphics & Sound Forum Consultant, America Online |

[Internet] seah@ee.rochester.edu, AFCDaveS@aol.com   [America Online] AFC DaveS