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Technology Stocks : America On-Line: will it survive ...? -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Sam who wrote (8836)	3/16/1998 11:40:00 AM
From: jack rand	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 13594

Broadband certainly isn't an 'enemy' for AOL from perspective of simply delivering the current types and modes of AOL or Internet services. However, many such as MSFT are now spending huge $ in a bet that true mass market status of online will require content that takes unique advantage of broadband i.e. is more like TV than the Interent. AOL, which isn't focusing much at all on such broadband potential, is betting that it can grow into whatever comes along. Maybe. Maybe not.

To: Sam who wrote (8836)	3/16/1998 5:27:00 PM
From: Yikes	Read Replies (3) \| Respond to of 13594

Everyone loves the idea of broadband, because everyone loves bandwith. Now, it is true that you don't have to dial up, you are logged on 24/7. What everyone fails to realize is that once this technology grows and reaches mass media size, bandwith will dwindle. Everyone always brings up busy signals with AOL - the reason is bandwith! If AOL only had million subs, you would never get a busy signal. The only other option is building out the network, which AOL has done. AOL has severe problems RIGHT NOW with 11 million dial-up subscribers connecting at 33.3K to 56K. Busy signal is still common in many cities. In contrast, the Internet is doing just fine handling all the dial-up users from all ISP's. As more broadband come on-line, you can bet the Internet will improve accordingly. Going back to AOL again, I don't see its plan to switch to TCP/IP or set-top capable. How will it handle broadband? So now its broadband technology the bears are latching on to as the next enemy. I'm telling everyone on this thread now - broadband is not the enemy. AOL will leverage its position and use broadband to its advantage. You better explain this. Because very few of today's broadband clients use AOL. How will AOL leverage its position against non-customers?!

To: Sam who wrote (8836)	3/16/1998 8:08:00 PM
From: Chuck Williams	Respond to of 13594

Everyone loves the idea of broadband, because everyone loves bandwith. Now, it is true that you don't have to dial up, you are logged on 24/7. What everyone fails to realize is that once this technology grows and reaches mass media size, bandwith will dwindle. Everyone always brings up busy signals with AOL - the reason is bandwith! If AOL only had million subs, you would never get a busy signal. The only other option is building out the network, which AOL has done. Plus, broadband is not some panacea of 100% uptime. Cable systems can and will fail. I've used Cox, and on more than one occasion I've had problems. DSL technology is just starting to grow, and to be sure there will be problems. I believe this is an issue, albeit significantly less of one than for dial-up users. I guess I'll feel comfort thinking they'll remember what companies like AOL went through and learn from their predecessor's mistakes... 100% uptime is fantasy, but that's not my point. My point is that it'll be easy for people to use -- that's the critical issue. . AOL will leverage its position and use broadband to its advantage. So what is their plan ?????? It'd better be good. I think I'm going to buy puts after it splits. Chuck