RSSAOL: 'Tahiti' to Ship Early Next Year
By Nate Mook and David Worthington | Published December 2, 2003, 5:14 AM
America Online confirmed to BetaNews that it plans to launch the next version of its client software, code-named Tahiti, early next year.
Testers are reporting marked progress in the Tahiti beta test, which is currently ongoing.
According to sources, Tahiti will spin off a slimmed down "light" version of the software intended for users with older machines. AOL has also developed an anti-spyware application designed to keep members' systems clean.
AOL continues its strategy of staving off subscriber exodus by improving the quality of its client software, while enriching the broadband experience with exclusive Time Warner content.
Following the public release of AOL 9 Optimized, a beta of Tahiti debuted with an assortment of new features including: 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.
Moving past cosmetic changes, last external build of Tahiti introduced a stand-alone dialer, while work on other enhancements such as streaming video over AIM, tabbed message windows and expanded Super Buddy icons remained a work in progress.
Despite initially being labeled "bug ridden" by testers, the dialer is said to have progressed nicely throughout subsequent builds towards being a stable and deliverable feature.
Spyware protection, as well as adaptive spam filters have been available in AOL 9.0 Optimized since July rang in the company's "Member's First" download campaign. With Tahiti, AOL has worked to port the innovations of AOL Optimized to the rest of its members without the benefit of a broadband Internet connection.
Upon the installation of Tahiti, a link to AOL Spyware Protection is also automatically installed on the member's desktop, and is continually updated to guard against the latest spyware applications. AOL says it developed its spyware removal technology in-house, and did not utilize popular applications such as Ad-aware or Spybot Search and Destroy.
"It makes sense that AOL would want to extend spyware detection to as many customers as possible. Dial-up customers already deal with limited bandwidth, something that spyware could further constrain," Joe Wilcox, senior analyst at Jupiter Research, told BetaNews.
America Online spokesperson Anne Bentley told BetaNews that even the low-RAM version of Tahiti is set to include protection from Spyware and spam, because safety and security are "#1 priorities" for their members.
It was based upon these concerns that AOL took it upon itself to disable the Messenger service on its clients' Windows operating system.
The Messenger service triggered a flood of complaints by customers inundated with annoying pop-up messages, which additionally posed security concerns. Microsoft has since announced that it will disable the feature in Windows XP Service Pack 2, due out next year.
By offering a low-RAM version of Tahiti, AOL is essentially turning off some of its client software's less desirable attributes. Of its millions of users, many have not upgraded their computers in years.
"It's a fairly reasonable conclusion that many dial-up customers use older computers that have less processing power and memory. AOL is smart to offer these customers a low-RAM version that better fits their aging computers without short changing customers' overall online experience," said Jupiter's Wilcox.
Despite the souped up client, users left behind on narrowband will be unable to access premium on-demand news, sports, entertainment and music available to AOL Optimized subscribers.
AOL rival MSN is busy readying two new releases of its software: MSN Plus and MSN Premium. MSN Premium is said to be a value-added version of the cost conscious Plus.
Both editions offer security services similar to those touted by AOL, and offer exclusive broadband video content. Microsoft is attempting to distinguish itself by focusing solely on the broadband experience and has begun laying the groundwork for a premium video feed, as well as an MSN music store.
Microsoft Partner MSNBC is beta testing the video feed throughout its Web site, requiring visitors to possess a Passport account to view video news reports.
I always thought it was quite funny how AOL users pay a higher cost for internet service, get additional advertisements on top of the current ads on the web, and have their information sold to marketers unless they opt out. Sounds like the deal of the century!
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|"I always thought it was quite funny how AOL users pay
a higher cost for internet service, get additional advertisements on top of the current ads on the web, and
have their information sold to marketers unless they opt out. Sounds like the deal of the century!"
Yeah, almost like owning a Mac !
While AOL exploits idiot newbies, Apple exploits wannabe idiot elitists.
Even Time-Warner nixed AOL from it's corporate moniker.
AOL ...same as Mac... is over-priced, over-estimated, and
over-the-hill !
Your Friend,
The DataRat
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|I'm not sure I share the same opinion on Macs :) Although I am a PC user I think that Apple has their place in the world of technology and some pretty snazzy products. I wouldn't mind owning both a PC and a Mac, kind of like having 2 different cars in your garage that you drive depending on your mood. Apple, open source, and Microsoft each bring out new or improved ideas and learn from eachother. The end result is a higher quality product from each and more choices for the consumer.
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|"Apple has their place in the world of technology"
Well, not ~much~ of a place. Apple's desktop market share
has shrunk to a measley 2.9%. They're on their last leg:
A proprietary operating system can't go too much below a
2.9% market share and survive as a proprietary operating
system.
And, AOL is headed in the same direction. The reservoir
of retarded newbie computer users has started to dry up.
Like Apple's over-priced computers, AOL's over-priced
Internet service has nowhere to go but down !
The DataRat
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|This is in Reply to Apple and Aol being bankrupt of Ideas which computer does Microsoft make ????? come on answer none, so Apple have 3-4-5% more market share than Microsoft score 1.
Because Dell IBM(especially) H&P etc have nothing to do with Microsoft seperate companies, Yes? so the real comparison is comparing the number of Pc's Apple sell compaired to Dell, IBM(which these days look like they are going over to be alternative mac,s)H&P Gateway Alienware and on and on,Individually. am I right yes of coarse I am. 1000 G5's linked together is Officially the third yes I say third most powerfull Supercomputer in the World. AOL rules why do you think that MSN desperatly want there IM'ing world wide member Directory some 40million people strong and AOL wont give Nasty Pasty Microsoft access to it and so Microsoft go around stamping there feet. Does anyone know what all these Microsoft ads on Television porport to advertise, why dont they show screen shots of XP home or server and show all the wonderfull (sick) attributes of Office 97 no sorry 2000 sorry no XP oops ahh got it 2003. I ask have they really put in that many new features to warrant so many Updates to the Bloatware called Micro Office. I say again why dont they put there reputation where there money is and advertise the Product, why because they no that there nothing special. Now Apple advertise the iPod iTunes what a success this has been on Windows as well, iMac G5 OSXPanther yes they actually brag about the 150 new features, there Proud of what they create, Can You say the same about Microsoft yes they make a lot of money, But I notice that IExplorer6 is going to be the last version because there building there next Browser into the Longhorn Operating System so that no one has the chance to use any other browser but Microsoft's , You see this is how they work. My final question is how many jobs Windows 2000 and XP are causing the Computer IT industry to lose every month,now that NT and buggy 98 and ME has been tossed in to the preverbial Dustbin, Me thinks thousands if not millions of Jobs were dependant on good old NT and 98 to crash. 2000 and XP dont crash and even the basic level of user can use the three fingered salute to get there 2000/XP OS back to a working state. now how is Microsoft going to address this potential disaster. Make Longhorn deliberatly buggy ?????. These are the day to day concerns within Microsoft not software( remember the Foul language and personal attacks statement above if you reply
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|To all the people dissing Aol and Macs, they ought to remember that it was Microsoft who took from them, without the Mac software, Windows would not be what it is today. On the subject of Aol, I use Aol because I like the fact that u do not have countless windows open at the same time. Like was the case when I was subscribed to Freeserve which is truly awfull! I am not a newbie and have rebuilt my own pc several times so I do know how to get around a pc! Secondly I'd like to know if all these people dissing Aol and macs have ever used them? I think not somehow but are just jumping on a popular bandwagon!
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|"To all the people dissing Aol and Macs, they ought to remember that it was Microsoft who took from them, without the Mac software, Windows would not be what it is today"
A popular myth ...but, merely a myth.
BOTH Apple ~and~ Microsoft stole the GUI from PARC !
Sure MS PC's had the mouse first, but we'll let that
slide.
Revisionist History has Dude Steve Job inventing
EVERYTHING (except the Internet ...which Al Gore
invented !).
The DataRat
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