What's the difference between an ISP and a proprietary service?
ISPs:
- Connect you with the Internet
- May supply you with a browser and space for a homepage
- Flat-fee pricing (usually $19.95/month)
- Usually a reliable connection
AOL, CompuServe, MSN, etc:
- Have their own proprietary content
- Offer popular chat features
- Moving toward flat-fee pricing
- Web access is selective (sometimes) and less direct
- Connecting can be a problem