From: imran@panix.com (Imran Anwar)
Subject: Re: PRODIGY New and improved STILL SUCKS, HORRIBLE as before
Date: Thu, 17 Dec 1992 18:32:05 GMT
Organization: IMRAN: Information & Media Resources, Affiliations, Networks

In article <1992Dec17.093846.11906@leland.Stanford.EDU> jimbo@leland.Stanford.EDU (Godfather of Soul) writes:
>In article <1992Dec17.075003.3502@news.acns.nwu.edu> alasnik@casbah.acns.nwu.edu (Adam Lasnik) writes:
>>Prodigy has:
>>---stronger and more utilized bulletin boards

"Stronger?"  I just know that I have been on every service (major one)
in the last several years and find Compuserve the best value for money.

The forums are very well attended (is that what you mean by "stronger")
and offer MUCH more in terms of solutions that people offer and suggestions
they make.  The ONLY thing "stronger" and "better utilized" than CIS
forums is the internet newsgroups like this one.

>>--More services offered for a flat fee

Like what?  30 email messages sent through the ugliest stupidest interface
and then EACH additional message is 25 cents.  Wow, that is value for money.

>>--A $2 a MONTH surcharge for 9600 baud, which would get you about 10 minutes
>>of use on Compu$erve at the same speed.

How?  Compuserve's flat rate of $7.95 (much lower than Prodigy's) offers
more than an avergae user needs included in the basic services package PLUS
a healthy email credit of $9 + an EXCELLENT interface (Compuserve Info
manager) that is beautifully implemented on Mac, DOS, and Windows.  There
is NO extra charge for 9600 access, and by the way, if you look at the back
of the Prodigy box you will see it mention all the "limits" and "extra
charges" etc .  I send DOZENS of messages on CIS, to other CIS members,
to AT&T Mail and MCI Mail people, to internet, can send VERY long messages,
can send binary files, can send cc to others, without having to worry
about 25 cents per message even of one line.

>>--Plans to open an internet connection within 3 months.

Oh, it plans to become more like what Coimpuserve and others already are!

>>--A computer bulletin board INCLUDED in flat rate service (HA!)

See if you can post anything about Prodigy there - try posting something
critical of Prodigy - if you remember they even CENSORED people's *email*
on Prodigy and it became such a major issue some months ago.

>>--More national members than Compu$erve.

I don't know what the numbers are but frnakly the almost one million on 
Compuserve are more than enouigh for me - I like CIS not because there are
100 users more than XYZ service or 100,000.  It offers more, and thats
what I like

>>--a more diverse user base (that's my subjective opinion, however)

Whatever that means.

>>In my opinion, Compu$erve is highly overrated, ridiculously overpriced, and
>>terribly unfriendly.  So there.

Not true, IMHO.  Have you ever seen Compuserve Information Manager on a
computer.  It is probabky the best interface/front end I have seen for a
service.  You may have your opinion from the time when CIS was DEFINITELY
overpriced and had no Basic flat rate plan.  At that time everything was
charged at the same rate if I remember - and not surprisingly - I did not
use CIS more than once a month.  Now I use it SEVERAL times a day, have all
my friends on it, as well as my brother in Pakistan, a cousin in Singapore,
etc.  Some of them can even access it with packet switching networks with
text terminals.  Even when I am travelling I have accessed CIS from Tokyo,
Karachi and Lahore Pakistan, London England, etc.

>Dude, you cannot say that Compuserve IM is more unfriendly than Prodigy.
>That's just not true.  Compuserve's flat rate is a pretty good deal, although
>I won't argue that you may get more services from Prodigy since I don't have
>it.  I tried Prodigy once but was so disgusted I threw it away before I
>became violently ill.  Compuserve and AmericaOnline already have an
>internet connection for mail.

>Until Prodigy comes up with more than a DOS port, don't do it.


Someone asked if I had stock in Compuserve.  I wish I did, and I wonder if
one has to buy the stock of H&R Block to benefit (because H&R B owns CIS)!

I have a private network using a compbuination of services from Sprint,
MCI, etc. but have been studying the options available to me to make it
more "under one roof".  I am pretty certain I will take everything over
to Compuserve's network for the private network and wil continue to
receommend my friends to use CIS.  

I am HAPPY to see that services like Prodigy came along because the
existing competition like GEnie [where I have friends too] have just not
done any serious threatening to Compuserve.  Yes GEnie does have a lower
$4.95 or so (or is it $6.95) monthly rate but the service is SO difficult
to use that I have not even bothered to log in to cancel my account.

People like America Online and prodigy have done people like me a great service by offering real competition to the likes of CIS.  The flat rate at CIS
was obviously a response to GEnie's rate, but GEnie never followed up
with a good interface/front end program [not that I know of]

Even though Prodigy will not take away users like me from CIS it WILL
serve as a major force on CIS to lower rates further.  i do not 
foresee the "flat rate" to go down further, but I do foresee the
hourly connect rates to fall.

That kind of competitive movement in the industry means more for our
money no matter what service we use.

Imran
Newsgroups: misc.consumers