CompuServe 2000: Catching Up to the V.90s

Online Service

SUMMARY

CompuServe 2000 PRO: Easy to install and use; fast; low-cost billing option. CON: Not available for Windows NT computers. VALUE: Well suited for people who log on for relatively short periods. $10 for 20 hours per month, $20 per month for unlimited access CompuServe 800/369-5544 www.compuserve.com

CompuServe has always offered great content, but as an ISP, its speed and ease of access have been less satisfying--until now. CompuServe 2000 is the service's most radical and promising step to improve access to its hundreds of research databases and forums and its extensive hardware and software support channel. Most users will want to upgrade, and even those who care less about content than a national provider with a good low-cost, limited-usage plan will want to check it out. One of CompuServe 2000's strengths is its use of AOL's network, which provides widespread V.90 56-kbps access (with Digital Subscriber Line service on the way). Users of previous CompuServe iterations often have to put up with 33.6- or 28.8-kbps access. CompuServe 2000 also adopted some of AOL's more-prized features such as five member names per account (4.0 offers only one) and e-mail enhancements such as color and font formatting, multiple attachment support, and automatic file-zipping and unzipping.

Travelers who want just access to e-mail and news from the road will welcome the $10-a-month plan, which includes 20 free hours (CompuServe 4.0 offers only 5 hours per month for the same price). Using my account during a trip to the East Coast, I found local numbers even in some rural areas. And because CompuServe 2000, like 4.0, uses few graphics or multimedia gewgaws, I flew from screen to screen, even with a 33.6-kbps modem. CompuServe users migrating to 2000 will get a new e-mail address using a shorter cs.com suffix, but the company says it will forward mail from users' old CompuServe addresses indefinitely. It's a good deal for devotees of the service, and the improved network as well as the competitive rate plans should encourage newcomers to check out the ever-useful content.