Different users have different needs. What works for me might not work for you. One size does not fit all. And, even after you've chosen one category over the other, there's the even more difficult task of choosing a specific service.
Online services are very different creatures from Internet service providers.
There are places to shop, organized chat areas for groups and individuals, software for downloading and message bases with clearly defined topics. There are rules and regulations and even cybercops to enforce them. Internet service providers, on the other hand, grant access to a chaotic frontier where you essentially have to find your way around on your own. It's a grand adventure, but daunting for novices. The online services offer access to the Internet, but, with a couple of exceptions, it's controlled and filtered, and often very slow.