elaine@hpmtlx.HP.COM ($Elaine_May) (09/28/90)
> On a semi-related note, I read an ad in Amiga World for GEnie, offering > unlimited access to a number of their products for $4.95 per month. Any > GEnie subscribers out there that can tell us what the catch is? (if any) In order to subscribe to GEnie, you pay a fee of $4.95 a month. In return, electronic mail, some of the conferences, the encyclopedia, the shopping areas, and I don't know what else are free. If you have to pay a $2.00 per hour connect surcharge for living in the "boonies" (as I do), that is still in effect during the "free" time. Other conferences such as the games and computer conferences and the mutli-player on-line games are billed at a connect charge of $6/hour for 300/1200/2400 baud ($8/hour for the "boonies" folks). All in all, I think it's a pretty decent deal. They also run ads all the time telling you how to waive the $29.95 "setup fee".
alex@bilver.UUCP (Alex Matulich) (09/29/90)
In article <4d0aec1d.20b6d@apollo.HP.COM> moynihan_r@apollo.hp.com (Robert Moynihan) writes: >On a semi-related note, I read an ad in Amiga World for GEnie, offering >unlimited access to a number of their products for $4.95 per month. Any >GEnie subscribers out there that can tell us what the catch is? (if any) Yes, it's true! GEnie is going to a $4.95/month flat rate (with no more line charges) for most of their services. These services include the mail system, 8 news services, all the bulletin boards for hobbies, leisure, and human interest, closing stock quotes and other money stuff, entertainment, travel, all the shopping groups, and administration & info. There is still an hourly charge for: PC round-table bulletin boards, software libraries (i.e. downloads), chat lines and real time conferencing, multiplayer games, value-added services, and a couple other things. The good news here is that there is no longer an additional charge for using 2400 baud instead of 1200 baud. I am not associated with GEnie, except as a subscriber. -- _ |__ Alex Matulich (alex@bilver.UUCP) /(+__> Unicorn Research Corp, 4621 N Landmark Dr, Orlando, FL 32817 //| \ UUCP: ...uunet!tarpit!bilver!alex ///__) bitnet: IN%"bilver!alex@uunet.uu.net"
bj@cbmvax.commodore.com (Brian Jackson) (10/01/90)
In article <740004@hpmtlx.HP.COM> elaine@hpmtlx.HP.COM ($Elaine_May) writes: >> On a semi-related note, I read an ad in Amiga World for GEnie, offering >> unlimited access to a number of their products for $4.95 per month. Any >> GEnie subscribers out there that can tell us what the catch is? (if any) >In order to subscribe to GEnie, you pay a fee of $4.95 a month. In return, >electronic mail, some of the conferences, the encyclopedia, the shopping >areas, and I don't know what else are free. If you have to pay a $2.00 >per hour connect surcharge for living in the "boonies" (as I do), that >is still in effect during the "free" time. Other conferences such as the >games and computer conferences and the mutli-player on-line games are >billed at a connect charge of $6/hour for 300/1200/2400 baud ($8/hour for >the "boonies" folks). All in all, I think it's a pretty decent deal. >They also run ads all the time telling you how to waive the $29.95 "setup >fee". It was my understanding that the new "Star*Services" access would not have a "signup fee" at all anymore. I could be wrong, though :) bj ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- | Brian Jackson Software Engineer @ Commodore-Amiga Inc. | | bj@cbmvax.commodore.com or ...{uunet|rutgers}!cbmvax!bj GEnie: B.J. | | It requires a very unusual mind to undertake the analysis of the obvious. | -----------------------------------------------------------------------------
jtreworgy@eagle.wesleyan.edu (James Treworgy) (10/01/90)
In article <1024@bilver.UUCP>, alex@bilver.UUCP (Alex Matulich) writes: > In article <4d0aec1d.20b6d@apollo.HP.COM> moynihan_r@apollo.hp.com (Robert Moynihan) writes: >>On a semi-related note, I read an ad in Amiga World for GEnie, offering >>unlimited access to a number of their products for $4.95 per month. Any >>GEnie subscribers out there that can tell us what the catch is? (if any) > > Yes, it's true! GEnie is going to a $4.95/month flat rate (with no more > line charges) for most of their services. These services include > the mail system, 8 news services, all the bulletin boards for hobbies, > leisure, and human interest, closing stock quotes and other money stuff, > entertainment, travel, all the shopping groups, and administration & info. > > There is still an hourly charge for: PC round-table bulletin boards, > software libraries (i.e. downloads), chat lines and real time conferencing, > multiplayer games, value-added services, and a couple other things. The > good news here is that there is no longer an additional charge for using > 2400 baud instead of 1200 baud. Wait... do you have to do this, or is this a choice? I am a GEnie subscriber, and I use it only occasionally, and all I do is download. So if this is a customer-wide change, I will certainly cancel my membership since I'll essentially get charged 5 bucks a month on top of what I spend. Sounds great for people who play games & chat all the time though... -- James A. Treworgy -- No quote here for insurance reasons -- jtreworgy@eagle.wesleyan.edu jtreworgy%eagle@WESLEYAN.BITNET
joseph@valnet.UUCP (Joseph P. Hillenburg) (10/02/90)
elaine@hpmtlx.HP.COM ($Elaine_May) writes: > > On a semi-related note, I read an ad in Amiga World for GEnie, offering > > unlimited access to a number of their products for $4.95 per month. Any > > GEnie subscribers out there that can tell us what the catch is? (if any) > In order to subscribe to GEnie, you pay a fee of $4.95 a month. In return, > electronic mail, some of the conferences, the encyclopedia, the shopping > areas, and I don't know what else are free. If you have to pay a $2.00 > per hour connect surcharge for living in the "boonies" (as I do), that > is still in effect during the "free" time. Other conferences such as the > games and computer conferences and the mutli-player on-line games are > billed at a connect charge of $6/hour for 300/1200/2400 baud ($8/hour for > the "boonies" folks). All in all, I think it's a pretty decent deal. > They also run ads all the time telling you how to waive the $29.95 "setup > fee". Question. What's a "boonie"? -Joseph Hillenburg UUCP: ...iuvax!valnet!joseph ARPA: valnet!joseph@iuvax.cs.indiana.edu INET: joseph@valnet.UUCP
bj@cbmvax.commodore.com (Brian Jackson) (10/02/90)
In article <1990Oct1.104224.33764@eagle.wesleyan.edu> jtreworgy@eagle.wesleyan.edu (James Treworgy) writes: >In article <1024@bilver.UUCP>, alex@bilver.UUCP (Alex Matulich) writes: >> In article <4d0aec1d.20b6d@apollo.HP.COM> moynihan_r@apollo.hp.com (Robert Moynihan) writes: >>>On a semi-related note, I read an ad in Amiga World for GEnie, offering >>>unlimited access to a number of their products for $4.95 per month. Any >>>GEnie subscribers out there that can tell us what the catch is? (if any) >> >> Yes, it's true! GEnie is going to a $4.95/month flat rate (with no more >> line charges) for most of their services. These services include >Wait... do you have to do this, or is this a choice? I am a GEnie subscriber, >and I use it only occasionally, and all I do is download. So if this is a >customer-wide change, I will certainly cancel my membership since I'll >essentially get charged 5 bucks a month on top of what I spend. If you are only downloading then it depends upon whether you were using 1200 or 2400 baud to do so. If you were using 2400 baud, you'll end up spending the extra $4.95 per month. If you were using 1200, then you'll come out ahead if your downloads take more than an hour a month. 2400 baud is now the same price as 1200. And yes, you have to do it. If you don't do it GEnie will purge you. You will not suddenly find bills arriving from GEnie :) Also remember that MOST of GEnie is now covered by the $4.95 per month. So things that you might not have felt were worth the $$$ are now open to you. The computer areas are not, however. >James A. Treworgy -- No quote here for insurance reasons -- bj - (I work AT GEnie but not FOR GEnie - ie., they don't pay me :))) -------------------------------------------------------------------------- | Brian Jackson Software Engineer @ Commodore-Amiga Inc. GEnie: B.J. | | bj@cbmvax.commodore.com or ...{uunet|rutgers}!cbmvax!bj | |-------------------------------------------------------------------------| |"If you shoot a mime should you use a silencer?" | --------------------------------------------------------------------------
elaine@hpmtlx.HP.COM ($Elaine_May) (10/03/90)
> Question. What's a "boonie"?
Living in the "boondocks". I live in Fort Collins which has a population
of 100,000 -- I get slapped with a surcharge. If I lived in Denver
(500,000), no surcharge. GEnie will tell you whether or not there's
a surcharge for your local number.jac423@leah.Albany.Edu (Jules Cisek) (10/04/90)
I just heard (on friday) that Prodigy *IS* planning to do something with Amiga eventually. This is comming from a friend who writes software for them. -- | // Amiga Student on Campus Consultant Jules Cisek I do think | | \X/ Computing Services Student Assistant SUNYA, NY USA it's good! | | AMIGA Computer Science Major/Music Minor jac423@leah.albany.edu |