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Special Services

In order to compete in the Internet market, many ISPs offer great extras for subscribers. Currently, AOL offers 50 free hours of Internet connect time (see Figure 1). For $19.95 per month, AOL also has chat rooms and instant message capabilities. The provider compiles online information, such as stock quotes, news, and sports information. You can even find a date at Love@AOL. As a user for nearly a year, John Schmitt thinks the AOL graphics put the information in a neat package. �If I were putting beginners on, AOL would be the place I�d send them,� Schmitt said.

Trendy as they may seem, these add-ins are becoming common among ISPs because users can�t get enough of them. Local ISPs often give a free World Wide Web browser, such as Netscape Navigator, to their subscribers. Pan, at Clarity Connect, said, �Providing Netscape makes the process a lot easier for the novice.�

�Providing Netscape makes the process a lot easier for the novice.�


Check with your ISP choices to see what freebies you can get. Remember, the customer always comes first!