News AOL Tries to Stop the Bleeding [They're Hemorrhaging Subscribers]

From Wired:

America Online released Thursday an overhaul of its software that relies on improved tools and content to keep current customers from defecting, even as the company's dialup business continues to shrivel.

The company that came to dominate the dialup ISP business by giving neophytes an easy on ramp lately has been bleeding subscribers as more and more of its customers grow comfortable with technology and switch to other, often cheaper, alternatives, or to broadband.

AOL faces competitive threats across the board, particularly from a resurgent Yahoo, which has signed up nearly 3 million subscribers to the DSL service it offers with SBC. Microsoft's MSN also is sensing blood in the water and is readying a premium package of tools and content for broadband users that undercuts AOL on price.

At best, analysts say, AOL 9.0 Optimized -- being released only to members so far, and to the broader public in the fall -- will help put a floor under AOL's slide.

Full story here

Well - they slit they're own wrists with AOL 8 CD's....

 

Most everyone I know that used to use AOL defected because of their prices, not because of their software. When people realize that they can get the exact same information using a $10 dialup connection and a free "my" service like Yahoo or Excite, they usually make the switch. Maybe AOL should start to reduce their prices to retain their customers as they are the most expensive lot in the bunch. One way would be to stop mass-mailing cd's!

 

if they want their cd's out there, they should put them in stands in shops or supermarkets. that way they wont have to pay the 50p per cd for mailling costs, those millions of cd's add up to millions a year it's just not worth it.

 

i am hopeuing for a nother aol cd rush i am building a lam out of them and are uakr good mug coasters

 

I too have a fine selection of coasters from ISPs that insist on sending them to me in the post.

Before I broadband was available in my area I used AOL for the free period when the fixed monthly dial-up service I was using went bust. I hated the proprietry browser and if I happened to leave the PC speakers on when I started the application that silly tart that sais "welcome to AOL" would make me jump out of my skin, she had to go.

 

Like most people I used AOL as my first ISP with one of their 1 month free trials. This was back when Freeserve just started and we'd had a computer for about 6 months. I've always thought the AOL software has been appauling for anyone who has even the most basic grasp of using a computer. It makes you feel so trapped.

I think that's a huge reason why people are switching away from AOL, and by just updating their software to a newer even more restrictive version they're just making the situation worse.

Even if their prices were half of what I could get elsewhere I wouldn't dream of using them purely for this reason. It should be a good day for all when AOL die.


...apart from the employees, shareholders and poor, poor AOL users of course

 

i made the "switch" along time ago, but my dad insists on keeping his @aol.com email, so we still have it at the $9.95, bring your own acess plan. I never use the client anymore, but he still does

I think that if they could make simple dialup at $10 with no gay client, it could save them. People could just use aol.com and AIM or some other instant messaging program like i do now, and the world would be a much happier place! Otherwise, they can burn in aohell!

 

Or just make the software optional, not even allowing email access through anything other than their own software is just being silly.

 

you can use other web browsers using aol, but it's just a pain in the *** because you have to have their software on in the background, using up vital resources

 

Yeah, but the email apparently is a proprietary system so you HAVE to use their software

 

AOL is not an ISP, they're a trumped up BBS. The less subscribers they have the better! BOYCOTT AOHELL!!!!!!11

 

I had AOL as a last resort - it was the only flat rate ISP we had access to at the time.

To be honest, the content on it, including the message boards was unbeatable... but the "software only" approach , like others said, made you feel trapped and was too limiting. I think they should release the content side of AOL as a seperate venture, so people on NTL broadband, for example, could install their client and whenever they wanted, view the AOL content for a fixed fee such as £9.99 or something..

The email can be accessed in Outlook but requires horrid shareware which was a bit clumsy in all honesty.

 

I am currently using AOL, but I wish I didn't have to. The only reason I am using this most lovely of dial-ups is becuase of its fixed rate plan, and the fact that it dosen't kick me off every couple of hours. But when I find a provider that can give me this AOL is in the bin along with its little CD too