AOL Updates: Standalone Browser, Search, VoIP

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."

Comments

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[Leroy_Brown242]

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.

Re:Blecchhh!

[KiltedKnight]

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.

Standalone?

[Living WTF]

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