One of the internet pioneers celebrates a quarter century this week! AOL as we know it today - was launched originally known as Quantum
Computer Services and at it's hey-day had some 30-million member-users of it's internet service.... and I was one of them.
I remember the sounds of my 256-K modem as it dialed the internet connection number, and then the hopeful 'You've Got Mail' (male voice) to indicate I had new email! That became such an iconic part of contemporary society it was included in that Tom Hanks-Meg Ryan movie from 1998 titled 'You've Got Mail'. I recall the early days of AOL as I would view the service on my monochromatic (black & white) screen of my Mac Plus. And then there were the free disks sent in the mail -- remember those? With the latest AOL upgrade came keenly designed sleeves in the mailbox with the CD of new AOL software with free 30-day accounts.
AOL has maintained it's presence but struggles to return to it's dominance in the internet marketplace. One of it's more popular functions - AOL IM (Instant Messenger) continues to be used by many.
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