Assignment 2

American Online was a major internet development that allowed mass personal use of the internet possible in private homes. American Online or AOL as is it often referred to as was founded by William von Meister who started a short lived venture called Quantum Computer Services. The main purpose of AOL was for an online gaming service called Gameline, for the Atari 2600 video game console. Consumers who wished to purchase this service would have to pay for a modem, a one time start up fee and an hourly rate. This company went bankrupt in 1983 but it marked the first time that individuals could communicate and interact with other people from their own homes using a computer.
Over the next couple years AOL slowly changed its focus from gaming systems to computers, but always included several online games for its customers. In February of 1991 AOL released a version for DOS, and then later for Windows in 1992. AOL was the first company to make the internet safe and easy to use in personal homes. They also offered several features that their competition lack in such as, chat rooms, e-mail, online games, instant messaging, and a flat rate of use instead of hourly rates.
AOL is greatly responsible for the huge availability and popularity of the internet today. Presently you can bring you laptop virtually anyway and pick up a internet signal, homeless people have e-mail accounts, friends and family can communicate instantly all over the world by a few touches on the key board. Internet gaming is hugely popular with such huge games as World of WarCraft and Counterstrike bring in millions through internet subscriptions. Not even mentioning the huge success eBay as seen. In the year 2007 everything revolves around the internet, and AOL was the first to make the internet usable for average Americans.


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