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View Full Version : AOL Open Ride release


ndebord
October 4th, 2006, 07:52 PM
http://news.tmcnet.com/news/2006/10/04/1961211.htm

AOL Freebies: All-in-One Broadband Software Launched

Any comments on this? After being burned by AOL's last freeware, dubbed "spyware" by most, I wonder how much better this offering can be?

A small aside here. When I downloaded it, it did not show up in my download menu, it just downloaded in stealth mode. Creepy to say the least.

Dan in Saint Louis
October 4th, 2006, 08:47 PM
AOL Freebies: All-in-One Broadband Software Launched
Friends don't let friends use AOL.

That aside, I just spent HOURS this afternoon removing all the junk EarthLink installed on one friend's PC, and hours earlier in the week removing all the extra stuff HP put in the way of another friend enjoying her printer.

Also have removed a plague of add-on Tool Bars supplied by EarthLink, Google, GoogleEarth, IE Secure, et al from IE.

Of what alleged use is this "All-in-One" broadband software? I want my broadband connection to stay logged in (my DSL modem takes care of that) and otherwise stay unencumbered by add-ons.

davidh
October 4th, 2006, 09:16 PM
Also have removed a plague of add-on Tool Bars supplied by EarthLink, Google, GoogleEarth, IE Secure, et al from IE.
FWIW, I found BHO Demon 2.0 useful in removing toolbars from IE. It also downloads a large database (optional, I think) that tells what all the add-ons do, making it easier to decide whether to cull them or not.

DH

davidh
October 4th, 2006, 09:30 PM
I read a review somewhere. The reviewer seemed to think that there was nothing worth bothering with in the software. Mentioned that he thought it more convenient to use some other software like Netscape or Mozilla whatever to access AOL mail and to use AIM for IM, etc.

I don't know which if any of the AOL security features might be included in Open Ride. The possibility of using free security features was what tempted me to try the free regular AOL 9.x software. I regretted it. Crashed fairly reliably. Left a lot of junk on the disk after I uninstalled it.

The only AOL software I now use is AIM 5.9, mainly for free long distance voice talk with family.

My bet is you are asking for trouble if you install it.

I now still can use my AOL email address, web space, and bulletin boards with a browser only, so there's very little of significance that one can't use of AOL services without AOL software. Even Trillian is supposed to support AOL AIM voice talk, I think, for free too. AOL web mail, however, is significantly slower than Yahoo web mail on dial up.

Anyway, AOL has been screwed up for so many years, who knows how many more years before they disappear or get bought out.

DH

ndebord
October 4th, 2006, 09:45 PM
Friends don't let friends use AOL.

That aside, I just spent HOURS this afternoon removing all the junk EarthLink installed on one friend's PC, and hours earlier in the week removing all the extra stuff HP put in the way of another friend enjoying her printer.

Also have removed a plague of add-on Tool Bars supplied by EarthLink, Google, GoogleEarth, IE Secure, et al from IE.

Of what alleged use is this "All-in-One" broadband software? I want my broadband connection to stay logged in (my DSL modem takes care of that) and otherwise stay unencumbered by add-ons.

Dan,

I have no overriding reason to use it, but I am a sucker for "free" software. I guess I was wondering if AOL had changed its spots since AOL 9, which was a horror worthy of Stephen King.

davidh
October 4th, 2006, 09:48 PM
That aside, I just spent HOURS this afternoon removing all the junk EarthLink installed on one friend's PC, and hours earlier in the week removing all the extra stuff HP put in the way of another friend enjoying her printer.
I installed the Earthlink TotalAccess 2005 software, mainly for the Accelerator and Parental Controls software. I have Win 98, so can't install their free security software which needs XP or such.

I think the Accelerator (for dial up) might actually have slowed down things for me in browsing. The software seemed to cause too many crashes. Left a lot of junk on the system after uninstall. I might re-install if I ever have guests for an extended period to force them to use parental control software, but that might not work. However, even tho' it normally blocks webmail sites, I think they can be whitelisted.

Never did get our HP printer fully installed. Spent a couple hours on phone with customer service and finally gave up. Scanner in printer works, sort of, but it's a PITA with so many error messages. HP installed about 1 Gig of files on the HD too.

Nowadays it's hard to find software that is not bloat. I suppose Opera is ok. And Steve Gibson is cool, www.grc.com

DH

P.S. I doubt I'll buy a new computer just to run XP, let alone Vista. If security situation gets bad enuf on Win 98, maybe I'll go back to MS-DOS and LYNX and Arachne and try out CROSSPOINT for email.

ndebord
October 4th, 2006, 09:49 PM
I read a review somewhere. The reviewer seemed to think that there was nothing worth bothering with in the software. Mentioned that he thought it more convenient to use some other software like Netscape or Mozilla whatever to access AOL mail and to use AIM for IM, etc.

I don't know which if any of the AOL security features might be included in Open Ride. The possibility of using free security features was what tempted me to try the free regular AOL 9.x software. I regretted it. Crashed fairly reliably. Left a lot of junk on the disk after I uninstalled it.

The only AOL software I now use is AIM 5.9, mainly for free long distance voice talk with family.

My bet is you are asking for trouble if you install it.

I now still can use my AOL email address, web space, and bulletin boards with a browser only, so there's very little of significance that one can't use of AOL services without AOL software. Even Trillian is supposed to support AOL AIM voice talk, I think, for free too. AOL web mail, however, is significantly slower than Yahoo web mail on dial up.

Anyway, AOL has been screwed up for so many years, who knows how many more years before they disappear or get bought out.

DH


Dan,


With such a lukewarm review, I can breath easy as I hit the delete key on this download. As for AOL AIM. Never realized you could talk with AIM 5.9. I use AIM 1.0.414. It just does text chat (16 bit app).

davidh
October 4th, 2006, 10:05 PM
Dan,


With such a lukewarm review, I can breath easy as I hit the delete key on this download. As for AOL AIM. Never realized you could talk with AIM 5.9. I use AIM 1.0.414. It just does text chat (16 bit app). I still have a 1.x something version of 32 bit AIM (CSIM) installed on my Win 95 system.

AIM 4.8 is still available for anybody still using and Win 95 and it does support voice talk one on one.

However, Yahoo messenger might be a better choice for some people. It allows voice mail in addition to voice talk. It also allows posting IM's to people when they are offline. Yahoo is also supposed to interop with MSN messenger, I think. Trillium is probably a good bet, but I haven't actually tested the later voice enabled versions that apparently work with AIM, Yahoo, MSN, ICQ, Jabber, etc. Jabber text chat is the basis for Google chat but I don't know what standard Google uses for voice chat, if any.

Google text chat may be extremely useful for those who wish to collaborate on documents such as spreadsheets using Google's new online office apps. (I've only tried this with spreadsheets, not WP.)

For multi-party free voice conferencing (with pay-for video) plus text conferencing plus text IM plus one on one LD calling Paltalk is pretty good. One of it's main advantages is good admin tools that allow admins to keep rowdy people in line.

DH

davidh
October 5th, 2006, 06:50 AM
http://channels.isp.netscape.com/tech/story.jsp?floc=FF-APO-1700&idq=/ff/story/0001%2F20061004%2F2142955230.htm&sc=1700

DH

Judy G. Russell
October 11th, 2006, 04:24 PM
I guess I was wondering if AOL had changed its spots since AOL 9, which was a horror worthy of Stephen King.Earlier versions were just as bad. A houseguest once installed AOL on my computer (without my knowledge) and the only solution to the #$%@ it put on my harddrive and the even worse @#$%# it did to my networking settings was to type "format c /s"... and hit enter.