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AOL Updates: Standalone Browser, Search, VoIP

Posted by ryuzaki0 on from the still-building-time-machine-for-stock-purchase dept.

Eric writes "In the face of increasing pressure from the likes of Google and MSN, America Online has opened beta testing for its standalone AOL Browser and Desktop Search to anyone with an AOL or AIM screen name. The AOL Browser beta utilizes Microsoft's Internet Explorer engine (not Firefox's, like Netscape) and integrates the company's Desktop Search client. Unlike Netscape it looks decent from the screenshots and also includes some nifty features like tear-off tabs and zooming." And prostoalex writes "In what could be the biggest VOIP push into US households, AOL will start offering VOIP services, as reported by Light Reading. 28% of online Americans subscribe to dial-up or broadband version of AOL, AOL has 4 million broadband users, and beta testers in the Light Reading article seemed to be pretty happy with the service."

8 of 125 comments (clear)

  1. Compatibility? by Justin205 · · Score: 2, Insightful

    Will their VOIP work with anything else?

    Because if it's AOL-only, it's not going to catch on with most of the world (or even 72% of the USA)...

    --
    "Your effort to remain what you are is what limits you."
  2. Image by Leroy_Brown242 · · Score: 4, Insightful

    I fear that the average user will think that the way AOL impliments VoIP and Desktop serching, is as good as it gets.

    I fear AOL won't do a great job (suprise!) and people will think "VoIP sucks! I tried it with AOL and it never worked right!"

    Then, they might shy away from other VoIP services that are great.

    --
    Pretty Pictures!
  3. Spyware, virus, oh my. by WindBourne · · Score: 2, Insightful

    It is bad enough that somebody is watching your every keystroke. Now, AOL will allow anybody to listen on your conversation as well by integrating this with MSIE.

    --
    I prefer the "u" in honour as it seems to be missing these days.
  4. Re:Blecchhh! by KiltedKnight · · Score: 4, Insightful
    It's a simple answer: Primary desktop placement of the "Get AOL Now" icon. That was the whole reason Microsoft pre-placed that stuff within their installations. AOL and Microsoft had the agreement that AOL uses IE as the basis for its browser, and MS would put the AOL icon right on the desktop.

    Of course, why AOL hasn't converted now is beyond me. MS has long since terminated that icon placement in favor of its own MSN one.

    --
    OCO is Loco
  5. AOL too? by kiwidefunkt · · Score: 2, Insightful

    AOL is coming out with a standalone browser?

    This doesn't have anything to do with Google register gbrowser.com, does it?

    What's next, a Microsoft browser? Jeez.

    --
    www.kiwilyrics.com - a wiki for lyrics
  6. Standalone? by Living+WTF · · Score: 5, Insightful

    How could it be standalone when it uses the (already installed, I guess) Internet Explorer rendering engine?

    --
    I don't suffer from insanity, I enjoy every minute of it.
  7. Re:More Info Regarding Its Features by E+IS+mC(Square) · · Score: 2, Insightful

    >>Simply hold the mouse over any item in your history or favorites, or over any open browser tabs, and you'll be able to see where you're going--before you even get there.

    So, now we well have infected PCs. Reason - just holding mouse over something.

    Sounds like fun.

  8. Re:Beta testing for AOL by gcaseye6677 · · Score: 2, Insightful

    Not to mention, AOL will no doubt use these new "features" as an excuse for yet another price increase. They'll sit in board meetings wondering why they keep losing subscribers and why people aren't willing to pay more for AOL dialup than DSL would cost. Seriously, does anyone still believe that they can do things on AOL that they can't do on the real internet?