Navigation, too, is well done, particularly for novices. No matter where you go, you remain tethered to Planet Direct by virtue of a navigational frame. This feature has a comforting, AOL-like feel to it. So far, Planet Direct has been rather unsuccessful in its attempts to build a community of users. Chat rooms, for example, are few and poorly attended.
Instant messaging is more like instant paging.
The form-based messaging limits you to 128 characters, so verbose friends will be cut off midsentence. Worse, you can't send instant messages and surf through Planet Direct at the same time. Unlike major portals, Planet Direct does not offer free e-mail. Instead, an e-mail viewer lets you retrieve mail from a POP server and send off responses. An upstart among established players, Planet Direct has its work cut out.