RSSAOL Beta Testers Land on 'Tahiti'
By David Worthington | Published October 22, 2003, 6:15 AM
America Online has conquered the shores of Blue Hawaii, and is now setting its sights on Tahiti.
Blue Hawaii, otherwise known as AOL 9, is scheduled to be updated with a series of enhancements and add-ons. Collectively, this update and all of its bits are code-named "Tahiti."
Tahiti has undergone three separate tests thus far, culminating in build 4156.130. According to sources familiar with the project, this most recent build offers up animated smileys, PDF file recognition, a print icon on titlebars, the ability to arrange icons on the toolbar carousel, and the ability to import Internet Explorer favorites.
Later builds are set to include live video over instant messaging, expanded SuperBuddy icons and tabbed IMs like those seen in third party messaging clients.
"Tahiti is a code name for an updated version of our software," AOL spokesperson Anne Bentley told BetaNews. "We're testing some new features and other enhancements to the AOL service as part of our continuous efforts to provide our members with the best possible online experience."
Bentley added that since the beta test is in its early stages, no specific information on features and other elements would be discussed in any depth at this time.
Firing back at fierce competition from AOL, Microsoft has begun work on an update to its MSN Internet service, after courting testers for MSN 9 -- now known MSN Premium -- in early August.
The next iteration of MSN drops version numbers, and will be available in Premium and Plus offerings, with the MSN Plus service pegged as a low-cost solution.
MSN Premium features a My MSN custom home page, refined dashboard, as well as productivity applications including Money Plus, Encarta Plus and Photo Plus. On top of this lineup, Microsoft recently announced plans for a free, subscriber-only premium video feed. The video content will be subsidized with advertising revenues.
"Competition remains fierce between AOL and Microsoft. The upside is that both companies frequently refine the features of their online access clients," Joe Wilcox, senior analyst for Jupiter Research, told BetaNews.
"Microsoft has released one new version and one major update in the last year," noted Wilcox. "A new MSN version is testing and expected to ship within a few months. When you compare that to Microsoft's lackluster IE development, the difference is competition."
The only thing that interests me is what browser is being used. Have they upgraded the base browser code or are they still running off of a borked version of IE4?
What I find absolutely fascinating is that over the past few months they've lost close to a million customers. Is that because they started actually closing out all of those cancelled accounts, or is it because people are seeing the light. What's causing the mass exodus. Additionally I keep seeing the quote "over 20 million" - if you believe AOL it's "over 35 million".
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|I'm unsure of what their exact numbers are but if you don't count the fraudulently billed accounts that number shrinks significantly. That's my only gripe with AOL. The Coffee Cart that sits in front of my office is more diligent with credit card fraud than AOL is.
As for the browser, it works with IE6.
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|I have been beta testing AOL since early 1997. In that time I've seen the software redone countless times, but one thing was always lacking, and that was the implementation of feedback from the testing community. The development of 9 and Tahiti (10) have really been the first time that AOL Dev has actually taken their "new feature" ideas directly out of the suggestion area. People have been begging for tabbed IMs for YEARS.
A sore point for AOL's testers has always been the fact that the free AIM service has many features that the pay AOL service does not. That has finally been addressed. You can Direct Connect, Talk, Video, File Transfer... all through IMs.
Anyone who is of the opinion that these latest clients are just "more of the same" has simply not looked at them. In my opinion they are a massive step by AOL in realizing that the users are the ones paying and should be the ones kept happy.
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|AOL is STILL around? Why would anyone want to use this when my software is faster, more effeicient, low on resources with better access to the internet and helps you connect to the world with ease and useability.
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|If you dont know whether it's still around or no how can you possibly comment on the latest builds of AOL?
Idiot...
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|Billy...pleazzz..you know AOL will always be better. Stop denying it! The real problem with Microsoft is the lack of creativity, what they don't create well, they eventually borrow! plus, if better access to the Internet means Microsoft updates every other day and waiting in a stupor for the next security hole to burn my wallet, then you can take your MSN and display it a vertical fashion. The online domain is like the "Battle of Midway" AOL is the Carrier Enterprise, MSN is the carrier Akagi, both fighting for position, but by days end there can only be one winner ;)
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|AOL is still around and trying to provide members with the best possible online experience..Thats what it's all about,Chats,links,contests,files download, give-aways,over 20 million members sharing information. Maybe it's your provider that doesnt but you have to find all those things yourself. I even got 3 months free for being a Beta tester and would love to get my hands on the Tahiti by the last build of blue Hawaii,I was impressed and now it's merging with MS to add fav's which was manually done in the past.
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|that was like the best analogy ever , factual or not .
Remember Midway!
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|is there a web link to download it, please?
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|AOL Beta software is only available internally at Kwd: Beta.
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|I have been with AOL since 1990 and on the beta team since 1991.
AOL has come a long way from its days as a 2400-baud dialup graphical bulletin board service. It has only been in the last few years that AOL has decided to change to a more robust more ISP type environment and it has been due in most parts to its beta community.
For those people out there that cannot understand with people stay with AOL, it is this simple. You stay with what you know works even if it does not gives you everything you need at first.
It is almost like a marriage. You go into the agreement together and from day one you try to change what you have.
I also have MSN8 for a service to evaluate and compare. Where MSN has shined is in parental controls and there flexibilities. A simple point and click and I can block the site I see in the online report that I do not want my kids to talk to. MSN8 allows me to allow other sites that are normally blocked due to other rules. MSN8 allows me to control who my kids chat and IM with AOL it all or nothing.
Where AOL shines the best is its content and its online security. AOL has always been able to provide better content to its subscribers than any other service I have seen. Although AOL's email is not like anyone else’s email it has inherently protected its customers from viruses and worm infections. AOL biggest problem with email infections have been to their own servers and that has been mostly the problem of sendmail not AOL's internal email program.
20 Million plus subscriber cannot be all wrong for AOL's service. They must be doing something right.
MSN8 is on its way and AOL cannot nor should not close their eyes to Microsoft progress.
Bill should not be so arrogant to think just because he has the largest share of OS in the world that he will also inherent the Internet as well.
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|AOL sucks. Why would anyone pay for that kind of service?
Most people I've met that use AOL don't even know that they can use IE for surfing the web. They are locked into this silly AOL world and never get a chance to see the real Internet. Too bad for them.
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