AOL gets ready to launch free Web e-mail

Advertisement (Why?)

America Online is testing a Web-based e-mail service that will compete with Yahoo Mail, Microsoft's Hotmail and Google's Gmail.

Right now, the beta service is available to AOL subscribers only, but it will eventually be offered for free to the public, the company said on Wednesday. The service, dubbed "AOL Mail on the Web," is expected to officially debut early next year for members, and later in the year for the public. "This is paving the way for our free Web mail service that we will be offering to a wider audience in 2005," AOL spokeswoman Jaymelina Esmele said.

Screenshot: >> Click here <<

News source: C|Net News.com

Cont...

In its twenty year history Reflections has created a number of break-out hits, including the Destruction Derby titles for the PlayStation, famous Amiga action title Shadow of the Beast, and, of course, the Driver series, whose success led Atari to acquire the studio in 1998.

The most recent title in the Driver series, Driv3r, was Atari's biggest commercial hope for this year, but the game launched to hugely polarised critical reaction - ultimately leading to allegations from some quarters that the firm had offered bribes or marketing deals in return from high review scores from certain publications.

#1 eilegz on 22 Dec 2004 - 20:14

i thought that netscape mail was aol free email and now it offer 250mb

(2 replies) #2 Xen on 22 Dec 2004 - 20:31

Good news. Will this support Pop3?

#2.1 mealbundy on 22 Dec 2004 - 23:32

If it supports emails like the real AOL, cerve um up!

#2.2 MtDewCodeRedFreak on 23 Dec 2004 - 04:47

Why would we have POP3 when we have the new, improved IMAP?

#3 Digital_k on 22 Dec 2004 - 20:42

They will be offering free webmail with an @aol.com addy now, certainly took em long enough.

#4 krono6 on 22 Dec 2004 - 20:43

If this is anything like AOL..................................*plays Frisbee with CD's*

(1 reply) #5 CdCViRus on 22 Dec 2004 - 20:53

WOW! another "innovation" by aol!
AOL has got to be the most innovative company on earth!!!
has it been a decade since yahoo mail and/or hotmail first started?

#5.1 Toxikk on 23 Dec 2004 - 12:12

ha. dont play like aol is ripping ideas. what about some of the things msn incorporates into their products? surely, they didnt get all those ideas by themeselves...

aol has had webmail... this is just the next generation of it.

man... some real classy posts in this topic

(3 replies) #6 JaggedFlame on 22 Dec 2004 - 20:54

Expect 235873895734897634968346 pieces of spam before you even sign up.

#6.1 cork1958 on 22 Dec 2004 - 21:52

At least!! Plus a couple.

#6.2 Toxikk on 23 Dec 2004 - 12:10

oh? from where? come on, please post a comment that makes sense.

#6.3 JaggedFlame on 23 Dec 2004 - 15:04

Makes sense to me. AOL is one of the most targeted mail services for spammers.

#7 Coolme on 22 Dec 2004 - 21:12

Isn't Netscape Mail a free e-mail service from AOL to the public?

#8 Veiva on 22 Dec 2004 - 21:15

I wish their regular email service provided to suscribers looked that nice. Instead, it looks like something from the 1990s....

#9 Colin-uk on 22 Dec 2004 - 21:57

this is just like when every company in the world started there own online music store :/ even Coke have one lol..

wonder if these wil have a 1GB storage..

#10 NyaR on 22 Dec 2004 - 22:05

nyar@aol will be the envy of every leet haxor in every aim chat room

#11 Burly on 22 Dec 2004 - 22:21

who actually cares?

(2 replies) #12 inziga on 22 Dec 2004 - 22:21

This would be nice except for two things:

1) AOL is plaqued by spam, in some ways worse than all the other services out there because of it's subscriber base.

2) It doesn't seem like they are bringing anything new and interesting to the table. Their web interface works and acts worse than the old version of hotmail.

#12.1 VikingStorm on 22 Dec 2004 - 22:31

If it actually uses the same spam filter as the subscriber-base, then it might actually get rid of spam at a decent rate.

#12.2 Toxikk on 23 Dec 2004 - 12:10

it's even better from what ive heard.

#13 Mx² on 22 Dec 2004 - 23:15

That looks quite cool actually.

#14 paulhaskew on 22 Dec 2004 - 23:42

bah... they block e-mail addresses and servers for around 2 complaints now... 'tis a pain in the ass if you ask me... of course, you don't have too...

(4 replies) #15 AngelicRaver on 23 Dec 2004 - 00:29

Just a few screens. Its ok. The banner ads are distracting though x.x. Other then that. Its pretty nice. Doesnt hold up to Gmail or the new hotmail though.

sign in screen
main mail page
Mail popup w/warning
Options

#15.1 Jugalator on 23 Dec 2004 - 01:30

Hmm, I don't see much for defining mail filters, multiple inboxes, and so on.
I sure hope they'll improve there for their own sake.

Also, the "image in mail" warning is stupid, they should just do like Gmail and not show them. How can a user know for sure if it's spam mail or not before even having *seen* the mail? Memorize everyone who have or haven't sent spam to them in the past? And how annoying is that warning all the time on a scale? Gmail just don't show the images unless you click a button in the mail. You can freely browse your mail without having that come up all the time and not fear loading a tracker image in a spam mail.

#15.2 phiberoptik on 23 Dec 2004 - 02:34

From the screenshot, I am going to assume that the usernames will also be current aol lusers... So if this is the case.. everyone signing up will have to be bobsmith182726332 and nancydoe428923883

What is the point? noone can remember their own passwords, much less a long random name.

#15.3 eilegz on 23 Dec 2004 - 05:20

yeah i wondering the same thing i got my netscape account with this i would get a aol webmail too so 2 email service with the same screen name

#15.4 lare2 on 23 Dec 2004 - 05:22

^^ true

(3 replies) #16 Scorbing on 23 Dec 2004 - 02:25

Full of ads, spam...they suck.

#16.1 Toxikk on 23 Dec 2004 - 12:07

ha. again... all you haters never fail to amaze me. how can you be a critic of something you havent used?

and just how are you getting spammed when using this?

come on.

i have been using this for a few weeks and gotta say... its money. it works in firefox. it is integrated with address book and what not. the only thing they need to do is offer more online storage.

#16.2 JaggedFlame on 23 Dec 2004 - 15:06

"How are you getting spammed"? I would imagine the same way everyone else gets spammed. Or is AOL too high and mighty for spam? I know the spam filter's not perfect.

#16.3 noir on 24 Dec 2004 - 15:15

Yeah but come on Toxikk, you're not the most unbiased person regarding this since they sign your paycheck.

(2 replies) #17 phiberoptik on 23 Dec 2004 - 02:32

Ummm I am confused, isn't AOL the Internet? What is this WEB... you speak of

#17.1 lare2 on 23 Dec 2004 - 05:22

#17.2 webeagle12 on 23 Dec 2004 - 06:52

after reading this comment, there is sadness in my heart

#18 webeagle12 on 23 Dec 2004 - 06:39

I'l try to stick to my yahoo plus account

#19 uncool on 23 Dec 2004 - 19:29

So as current subscribers, would people be able to now cancel their accounts and keep their email address?

For some people, like my parents, who have had AOL for a real long time now, just keep AOL (BYOA $4.95), along with verizon DSL, to keep their email addresses. For some people, it's easy to switch, but for those that have many contacts, and subscriptions, etc.. switching would be too much trouble. That would be nice to cancel AOL and keep your addresses.

It seems they would lose subscribers, but I guess they can gain by advertising.

#20 Bud on 23 Dec 2004 - 23:57

Didn't AOL have a free webmail service back in 1998 or so?

#21 ctn|chrisw on 24 Dec 2004 - 03:27

Im hoping that there will be some way to downgrade to a free mail account from an aol account so I can get their software off the computers in my house. No offence to people who like it, but im getting tired of cleaning up the spyware and viruses from my parent's crappy browsing since theres no way for me to stop them from using the aol browser.

#22 thomasxstewart on 24 Dec 2004 - 14:59

[COLOR=red]AOL deserves community service. [COLOR=blue]For: 1.)all bad software they sold that often cut browser out of displaying any internet content & not uninstallable. quite permanent end to many hardrives usefullness entirely. [COLOR=purple]2.) for being bunch of aggressive jerks.[COLOR=gray]
however, AOL has one of best opening page(s) experiences & is quite good with family content.
[COLOR=green] Thats why I believe community free service is just punishment & useful to AOL to learn bit of "Live & Let Live"
[U]SIGNED

HYSICIAN THOMAS STEWART

Commenting has either been disabled on this article or you are not logged in. Click here to login or register, its free!

Note: Anonymous commenting is disabled in order to keep the quality of responses to a high standard.

Neowin.net