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America Online has always appealed more to Internet novices than to more experienced users. The e-mail client in particular has been years behind the times--and the competition. That's finally changing: AOL 6, the service's new front end, offers a solid e-mail client, with multiple sorting options and industry-standard formatting. Those and other features are some things that users of Outlook Express and Eudora have long taken for granted.

The new version delivers other improvements as well. The calendar and address book now work online and off, and you can play MP3s and watch videos without installing extra software.

I looked at a late beta of AOL 6. AOL is unveiling the final version at Internet World Expo this week. It should be available on CDs in junk mail and cereal boxes very shortly. (See "AOL, Microsoft Revive Browser Wars.")

E-Mail Made More Capable

The best thing about AOL 6 is its vastly improved e-mail client. Previously, AOL users could share HTML-formatted messages only with fellow subscribers. With AOL 6, you can share them with anyone who's using Eudora, Outlook, or just about any other up-to-date e-mail client.

The late beta version of AOL 6 only lets you receive HTML messages, not send them. AOL expects to fix this before 6 ships. (The problem lies with the company's server, not with the desktop software I tested.)

Here's another improvement: The software now permits you to sort messages by date, e-mail address, or subject, so you can easily find all the messages on a particular thread or from Aunt Bertha. The address book now resembles a complete contact manager, allowing you to store addresses, phone numbers, birthdays, and other information. It's not the world's greatest personal information manager. You can't, for instance, add custom fields, but it's considerably more capable than the old name-and-e-mail-address list of earlier versions.

The new address book is more portable than the one in earlier incarnations: Version 6 stores it both on your computer and on AOL's server, where you can access it from any system that has AOL 6 software.

Similarly, AOL's Web-based calendar, which previously stored your appointments only on AOL's server, now keeps a copy of them on your hard drive as well. This lets you find out what's on your schedule without having to venture online. Unfortunately, your address book isn't available on the Web site. And you can't get your bookmarks when you are away from your desktop, something remote copies of Microsoft's MSN let you do.

'AOL Anywhere' Policy Broadens Your Options

With the release of AOL 6, the company is touting an "AOL Anywhere" strategy. This emphasizes wide access to AOL and to the information in your own account through myriad devices.

What if you don't have access to a PC? AOL Anywhere lets you check e-mail and other information with a modem-equipped palmtop or Web-enabled cell phone. AOL 6 introduces an AOL Anywhere icon. The icon takes you to a Web page where you can specify what information you want to come up when you access AOL via your Web-enabled cell phone. Soon, AOL by Phone will allow you to check your e-mail and get stock quotes and weather reports from any telephone. (See "You've Got AOL on the Phone.")

Want multimedia? AOL 6 comes with the AOL Media Player, which plays MP3, Real, .wav, and other formats. If you access AOL through a broadband connection, you automatically get AOL Plus. That's a collection of specially prepared AOL content with integrated multimedia. There's no need to launch the player separately. (See "You've Got Broadband Content.")

The AOL Shopping Assistant is a bar that pops up when you visit the site of an AOL merchant partner. The assistant rates the site and lists competing online stores. Since it works only with stores that partner with AOL, however, its range is limited. Ratings are by marketing research company Elrick & Lavidge. For the stores I visited, all had four- or five-star ratings out of a five-star maximum. An AOL spokesperson explains, "We choose our merchant partners very carefully."

Interface Simplified for Easier Use

Minor changes to the interface make AOL a bit simpler to use. An autocomplete feature finishes entries of Internet addresses or keywords that you've used before. You can change the order of entries quickly in your Buddy List. Both Chat and Instant Messaging will convert keyboard-character emoticons into graphics on the fly, so you can type :-) and get a bright yellow smiley face. And the toolbar is clearly divided into five sections, each with one or more icons and a pull-down menu. You still get those irritating ads whenever you log on, though.

Microsoft has made it clear it's aiming for AOL's consumer audience and is accordingly revising its own MSN Explorer client interface to the MSN portal. (See "MSN Explorer: Browser Plus for Beginners" and "Microsoft Crafts MSN Threat to AOL.")

With that competition, AOL can't afford to rest on its laurels--and wisely, it's not. If you're using AOL, upgrade to version 6 as soon as a CD-ROM floats your way--if only for the improved e-mail client. Whether you conduct business via e-mail or surf the Web for fun, AOL 6 is a major step forward.

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