AOL Out of the Box - Gag Me!

[OO7TDD]

And people think Microsoft is a monolopy...look again at AOL. AOL wants to follow in Microsoft's shoes and market AOL to PC makers. They also want to buy Amazon.com.

AOL is requesting that PC makers provide their users unprecedented amounts of AOL advertising, services, and products in return for a pay-off with each new AOL convert. The company wants users who buy new PCs to encounter new AOL icons and AOL sign-up pop-up notices and other messages, each time they use their PC. AOL is concentrating on Microsoft's Out-Of-Box Experience (OOBE) that lets PC makers modify and configure XP's startup sequence as needed. AOL wants its online service and the Netscape Web browser to install as default Internet clients and have Microsoft's offerings (Internet Explorer, Outlook Express, and MSN) either downplayed or uninstalled. AOL also wants its AOL Instant Messenger prominently located in the XP Start menu and is investigating whether PC makers can replace Media Player for Windows XP (MPXP) with RealNetworks' RealPlayer.

Most controversial, AOL will pay PC makers $35 for each customer who signs up for AOL's online service. Microsoft reacted with shock to the news. "AOL's actions are unprecedented and completely anti-consumer," said a Microsoft spokesperson. "AOL is paying [PC makers] to eliminate consumer choice, forcing people to select the most expensive service in the industry." AOL's unlimited online service costs $23.90 a month, compared with $21.95 for MSN. [Source: WinInfo]



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[TheDanish]

You know, two years ago, my to-be AP (Advanced Placement) Economics teacher (AP Western Civ teacher before) said that Time Warner was the ultimate monopoly, besides Disney and Coca-Cola. Look what happened between then and now! Mr. Randall (that was the teacher) said that they have ultimate control over the media, and I wouldn't deny it for a second. Now they want to control computers as a medium; it's merely forcing out competition by limiting their choices. Now imagine if the manufactures WEREN'T paid by commission; that is, they were paid by how much AOL stuff was on the computers. AOL could easily afford that, so if they did, THEN how much AOL stuff would be on computers, eh? Talk about pushing others out of competition...

Anyway, Microsoft isn't much better; they ship MSN for the default as the internet to sign up for, though you could select others. But you don't hear anything about that, do you; you just hear Microsoft attacking AOL for deploying similar, if not more aggressive, tactics? Wonder why, eh?