Your Internet Consultant - The FAQs of Life Online
2.6. What about commercial online services?
Commercial online services are large computer systems that are available around
the nation (and around the world.) Unlike most public access UNIX services and
IP service providers, commercial online services offer a variety of services
other than Internet access, such as databases of information, online games,
file libraries, and the like. Commercial online services are slowly venturing
onto the Internet as a means of providing an additional service to their
customers. You've heard of them; CompuServe, America Online, Prodigy, Delphi,
and the Whole Earth 'Lectronic Link are just a few of these services. Some of
them offer great Internet access, others barely get by only offering electronic
mail.
An important advantage of commercial online services is that they, unlike most
public access providers, are available via packet-switching networks (covered
in the section that follows Question 2.14).
Commercial services do have their disadvantages. Most notably, many commercial
services offer very limited access to the Internet. As of this writing, only
three major commercial services offer access to the Internet's full range of
tools. The rest offer more limited access, usually only electronic mail. Most
commercial services also bill by the hour, a rare occurrence with Internet
providers.
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