Anyone offering the AOL browser on Public Stations?

[Christopher Poterala]

At 1:13 PM -0800 10/28/97, Bobb Menk wrote:

* I'm wondering if anyone has had experience with adding the AOL
* browser to their public Internet stations?  Here's our situation:

[snip]

* My impression had been that you could use any browser to login to
* your AOL account over the net, but these users say otherwise.  If
* this is not true, are there any suggestions (pro or con) regarding
* adding the AOL browser alongside our Netscape offering?

Sounds like a bit of confusion over the term "browser" here.  AOL's client
software includes a web browser as part of their software package.

This web browser is useful as just that; a web browser.  Access to AOL
email and other AOL-only content still requires use of the proprietary AOL
client software.

AOL does offer access via direct TCP/IP connections, so you could offer
access via your library's network.

The biggest caveat I've seen to accessing AOL via TCP/IP is not being able
to do certain types of transactions on AOL.  AOL requires access via their
dial-up modems in order to do these transactions.  I don't remember exactly
what types of transactions are covered, but I have encountered this problem
from work.

Chris



Chris Poterala  -  (313) 997-0500, ext. 17
Computer Guy/Community Developer
potsie at irace.com
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