AOL offers new high-speed software

A correction was made to this story. Read below for details.

AOL on Wednesday launched a free version of its software optimized for broadband use.

The OpenRide software lets people access multiple e-mail accounts from AOL and other providers, send and receive instant messages, browse the Web, listen to music, view photos and watch videos--all through one integrated screen.

OpenRide offers access to one's AOL Buddy List and Address Book and, if a contact is not online, the software turns an instant message into a text message or e-mail.

The software comes after AOL announced plans this summer to offer most of its services for free in an effort to boost online-advertising sales. It also stopped marketing its Internet dial-up access service, but it continues to maintain and charge for it.

The OpenRide software screen is divided into four parts that change size, depending on what the person is viewing. Elements of one window--an e-mail message, for example--can be dragged and dropped into another window, such as the contact name on a Buddy List.

Reuters contributed to this report.

 

Correction: Due to an editing error, this story incorrectly described the status of AOL's OpenRide software. It is the general release.

[darkane]

huh

Sounds like the functionality of another popular application.. but I can't quite put my finger on it.. hmm.. ponder, ponder.. oh yeah.. Windows.

[ballssalty]

I don't get it?

Why would anyone want this? I already have an application that does this, it's called Firefox.

I just don't see what AOL is bringing to the table that's compelling enough to make me want spam and AOL crap all over my computer doing things it shouldn't be.

[malmedia]

Don't worry, the software sucks.

It tries to combine browsing, e-mail, and other online media software into one window. While that might be nice in theory in practice it is just a big piece of crap software that will suck all your system resources away, if you are even lucky enough to get it to run. So my advice, wait for the next article with the news that AOL is killing the project.

[nsyncerhj]

This project is not dying...

This is a project that has been in the works since the company design AOL suite, AOL Openride is in fact the next generation model of the slimlined AOL suite, in order to get where you come from on anything, you have to know where you've been. I'm not saying that AOL is the best, in fact many companies claim to be the best AOL is in a long line of "my product is the best". It comes down to what you prefer, and I want to believe that your review is extremely biased, and although you have the right to be biased, you can't knock something if you don't know everything about it. I've tested AOL openride for 7 beta additions, this is the free software that AOL has been working on for the free based AOL project. This project is NOT a dud. Of course, first impressions are lasting with many people, you first impression of AOL is one of disgust it appear so why would you even say anything good about this project.

[nsyncerhj]

AOL Openride is not an Operating System

Operating system control and manage computer hardware and provide a base for applications and utilities to work from. AOL Openride is a high-speed made, application suite. Now for that commenter, who says it reminds him slash her of Windows. Windows would never do anything like this and if they did, i'm certain it wouldn't be free to use. This software is open-ended, free to use, so let's be fair... The software isn't perfect, but NO PIECE OF software of Windows is perfect, except for maybe the Windows OS itself. and even the evolution of XP to Vista is not going to be a smooth, if you think this is bad now, YOU JUST WAIT!

[nsyncerhj]

Question

I'm wondering exactly how long it's been since you trashed AOL software completely. OF course, I'm sure you're using information about the software being crapy from the year 2000, AOL is very very different now, AOL is not the same company that you remember. If you don't believe me, GO to the AOL.com website. If you're still not believing, then you probably are so afraid of the so called spam that AOL has on it. It's been 6 years, and gone are the old crappy things that you remember, but you'll never know about that, because You hate AOL. Anyone with that kind of hatred for a company will never try anything new from them. So why bother to comment if you've never tried the software... hmmm, what sense does that make?

[edhansen]

Answer: Cannot Trust, Cannot Verify, Must Not Use

AOL has such a flagrant history of consumer-predatory
activities, especially programming its software to hijack-and-
hide settings across its users' computers, incorporating invasive
malware into its software suite, and refusing to provide a simple
method for its customers to close their accounts.

Anyone who has experienced even one of these tactics has
plenty of reason to never trust this company again. Having been
the victim of all three, I am certified to warn anyone against
using AOL software.

If the Reagan adage, "Trust, but verify" holds true with AOL, then
their historic lack of integrity preempts current or furture trust,
because an individual computer user cannot verify the contents
or safety of their software.

My best guess is that TimeWarner will end up retiring the AOL
brand, much like they did from their corporate name, when the
residual marketing value of the name runs out. Tick, tick, tick.

[peaceguy]

Extremely well said !

I've had various AOL accounts over the years ( not recently, thank gawd... - I learned MY AOL lesions... [http://no, that's NOT a typo... lol|http://no, that's NOT a typo... lol] : ) )

Every time, when canceling each account, it was like an assault. It was probably the hardest thing I've had to do over the phone... Unbelievable...

Any techie/geek/reasonably intelligent human being worth his or her salt must invariably come to the inevitable and truthful conclusion that, yes...

...AOL does indeed suck.