Page 29 - Old School Gamer Magazine Issue #41 FREE Edition

America Online (AOL): Bringing the Internet to the Masses
Quantum Link rebranded and became America Online in
1991, and expanded its reach far beyond Commodore users. AOL’s user-friendly interface, extensive content offerings,
and aggressive marketing strategies, grew their user base
from two hundred thousand members to over twenty-five million members. What a marketing effort it was, too! Over AOL’s lifetime, they distributed over one billion CDs through various channels, including direct mail, magazine inserts, partnerships with retailers, and even in the bottom of breakfast cereal boxes! As I was researching this claim, I thought it to be overstated. I mean, really, a billion CDs? I did my homework and these numbers are reliably documented! Even well respected organizations like The Smithsonian report that at one point, AOL CDs constituted about 50% of the world’s CD production, and that’s throughout the 90s, when the main media format for music albums was CDs!
In any case, AOL’s success dwarfed every other competing online service of the time, and as you’ve already read, they purchased and absorbed many of them. AOL offered email, instant messaging, chat rooms, news, games, shopping, and
even its own web browser, making it a comprehensive online service. The famous “You’ve got mail” notification became an iconic part of the digital era. AOL’s “Keyword” function, which were shortcuts you could type to go to specific areas inside of AOL, became a cultural keystone. While other services had similar functionality, AOL was
so popular at the time that television commercials would often direct viewers to an “AOL Keyword” as a way to quickly find information about their products, services, or events, long before companies had their own websites. This system of navigation was a precursor to modern search engines and web portals. AOL’s dominance would not last forever though, and as the public internet grew in popularity, AOL slowly turned into an anachronism, failing
to change with the times. The giant that once swallowed up the competition was sold off several times, first to Time Warner, and then later to Verizon. But AOL’s ending isn’t quite as sad as you might think - Unlike just about every other online service, AOL is still operating commercially today, owned by a private investment firm! They now focus more on content and advertising rather than its original online service model, but even today, you can still sign up for a monthly AOL subscription and log on to the AOL Gold Desktop application, and hear “You’ve got mail” just like you did back in the 90s. In fact, I know a few folks from the golden age of computing, who still count on AOL as their primary email service and web browser!
Conclusion
The early online services for home computers were instrumental in shaping the digital landscape we navigate today. While some were more innovative than others, each service brought their own unique feature set to their users. They catered to different audiences, collectively contributing to the growth of online communities and the spread of information. Their impact was truly staggering, as these platforms introduced millions and millions of people to the concept of digital connectivity and community, in a time where no such thing previously existed! As I take a moment to really think about these venerable platforms, it’s clear to me that they laid the foundation for the connected world we now take for granted.
JULY 2024 • WWW.OLDSCHOOLGAMER.COM
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