SUL.
`PTEMBER 1995
`
`Revealed! When the P6 Is
`
`Slower than the Pentium P 24
`
`Telephony’5 Killer App P. 25
`
`CompuServe, AOL, Prodig:
`
`__l Which Wins Web War? P. 229
`
`THEMAGAZIINE OF TECHNOLOGY INTEGRATIOIN
`
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`
`ASKELADDEN 1530
`
`ASKELADDEN 1530
`
`

`

`Gateways t0 the Internet
`
`Software M
`
`America Online, CompuServe, and Prodigy offer Web browsers, FTP,
`and more, but these services aren’t for everyone
`
`
`
`services' and sup-
`CompuServe’s What’s
`
`port.
`New page links users
`
`Prodigy is the
`.t
`-_
`_
`.
`-ili!i
`" ‘
`to popular new sites on
`:
`,
`|
`.:
`
`only major infor-
`the Internet.
`III) ('1 iiitilli
`mation provider .
`I'i‘ilillli lJi'S
`currently with an
`actual Web ser-
`vice. At this writ—
`
`,
`
`ing, CompuServe
`and AOL were
`still in beta test-
`
`_______
`
`
`
`
`
`l
`I
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`i
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`I
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`,
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`- w.|, eI.
`ing with theirWeb
`
`America Online’s
`ermine I r 6’ w I
`browsers (graph-
`Est...
`
`Exlllfrer ease
`ical front ends for :#
`wmgummtm -‘
`
`ewwmrrmataasa’me '
`va'd“ "“ks 1°
`navigating the In- 2%
`
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`other Internet T—
`ternet and view- $1“
`
`
`“"37:
`-
`-
`‘
`“‘93-
`ing Web pages)
`The rsp Advantage
`fling-1n
`and Web services.
`All these service providers—with the pos-
`
`
`hum":
`‘
`.........
`fi‘filéx‘m
`sible exception of Prodigyvtend to be However, users
`-
`-
`“_
`.... .. m
`more expensive than ISPs (see the text box
`of these providers’
`
`
`PMiEil'S we'mme “fee“ Iii-“1°
`“Convenience, but at What Price?” be-
`services can walk
`
`first thlng you see when you rump
`low). And the speed of phone connections
`the Web now by
`to the Big Three is still mostly limited to
`downloading the
`t” “'9 WW“ w'de Web.
`14.4 Kbps, a drawback when working with
`necessary soft-
`deals floating around that this initial ex-
`the on-line graphics of the Web.
`ware. Internet mail, FTP (the Internet’s
`pense will be nil, or close to it.
`Also, the three providers promise to up—
`file transfer protocol), and Usenet news
`Once you’re logged on to CompuServe,
`grade their networks, but at the time of
`groups are already in place.
`you use the command go ppp to get to the
`this writing only a few 28.8-Kbps connec-
`browser—downloading area. Then you ei-
`tions were available. In contrast, many ISPs Web-Crawling with CompuServe
`offer 28.8 Kbps routinely. But these short-
`CompuServe uses the Spry Mosaic brows— ther walk through menus to download the
`coatings may be offset by the large number
`er, TCP/IP stack, and dialer (the company Windows version of the software or read
`of POPS (points of presence, or local phone
`purchased Spry to obtain the technology,
`instructions on how to connect via third-
`numbers) offered by the Big Three, as well
`as AOL did with InternetWorks and its
`party Macintosh and OS/ 2 software. If
`as by the convenience of onewstop access to
`browser). There are so many free sign-up
`you are using CompuServe’s WinCim or
`
`
`
`
`.
`
`GEORGE BOND
`
`ccess to the World Wide Web
`
`may seem an obvious compo-
`nent of any major on—line ser—
`vice, but the Big Three—America Online
`(or AOL), CompuServe, and Prodigy—
`are just now scrambling aboard the band—
`wagon. All three offer something you don’t
`get from an ISP (Internet service provider):
`a single point of access for Web surfing,
`
`commercial database browsing, and on-
`line conference discussions. They also de—
`liver single-source access to technical sup—
`port and training.
`
`1
`
`II'I‘I'
`-"in-
`can
`to—
`
`Plflfll
`vers
`f r
`o
`IUd'
`Iing
`mild
`free.
`_ h-
`ct:
`'0”:
`ioCU-
`Call
`the
`olu—
`never
`
`gain.
`
`fee!
`
`yo
`I
`.-
`
`
`
`C
`
`1)
`'
`envenlenee, nt at
`
`9
`Wk Pr'
`at we.
`
`Using the Big Three commercial information
`providers can be expensive. Here's what It
`wouldcosttosurfflrelntemetforBOhoursper
`month with each of them.
`
`AOL (America Oniine). The first 5 hours are
`included in the $9.95 monthly fee. You're
`then charged $2.95 for each of the remain—
`ing 25 hours. Total: $83.70.
`
`CompuServe. An initial charge of $9.95 in-
`cludes unlimited use of basic services and
`3 hours of Internet services (i.e., World
`Wide Web. FTP. telnet, and the Usenet
`news reader). An additional charge of $15
`
`gets you an internet Club membership
`with 1? more hours of connect time:
`each of the remaining 10 hours costs
`$1.95. Total: $44.90.
`
`Prodigy. You get 30 hours of connect time
`under the 30/30 Plan. Total: $29.95.
`
`To be fair, these comparisons aren’t
`strictly parallel: CompuServe also has a
`mail surcharge (10 cents for the first
`7500 words and 2 cents for each addi-
`tional 7500 words per message) if you
`exceed approximately 90 three-page. full-
`text messages a month. But time spent
`in mail is not counted toward connect
`
`
`
`charges. The oth-
`er services don't
`have a mail sur-
`charge; they ac-
`count for mail in
`their regular con-
`nect-time charges.
`By comparison, lSPs (In-
`ternet service providers), companies that
`offer gateways to the Internet but rarely
`any local databases, have charges rang-
`ing from about $20 to $30 for 20 to 40
`hours of access via 28.8-Kbps or slower
`modems, plus a dollar or two per hour for
`additional time.
`
`-
`
`‘
`‘
`
`l
`i
`I,
`
`I
`
`
`
`SEPTEMBER 1995 B Y T E 229
`
`

`

`m Turning an Ugly Duckling into a Hollywood Swan
`= To seamlessly integrate the World Wide Web into its existing service, CompuServe faced
`0 two technical challenges: supporting the Internet protocols and getting the software front
`o ends {i.e.. the CompuServe access software and the Web browser} to talkto each other.
`“a Last spring, CompuServe delivered a downloadable Web browser, called NetLauncher,
`.
`.
`_
`_
`.
`> that could work from within a PIT? [I.e., standard lntemet) session established by the
`G dlaler built Into the WInCIm 1.4 Interface. But Ifyou if already used WmCIm to dial into
`CompuServe, you had to disconnect before dialing the PPP session.
`° The latest upgrade to CompuServe's Windows shell, WinCim 2.0, lets you dial a single
`‘4 phone number and toggte between any Web browser and the CompuServe interface in the
`0 same session. The Improved integration is principally due to the Windows Sockets, or
`z Winsock, DLL. Winsock presents a network-independent Interface between Winsock-com-
`= pliant applications. This interface sits on top of a network-dependent component that
`0 supports the specific networking protocol stack (usually. TCP/IPI.
`m For the new version of WinCIm, CompuServe programmers wrote a Winsock networking
`'— layer for both NetLauncher and
`WinCim. Both the Web browser and
`the CompuServe front end now hook
`into the Winsock API- This result Is
`Point-and-click access to both Net-
`Launcher [or any other Wmsock-
`compliant Web browser] and Oom-
`puServe.
`CompuServe has also met the chal-
`Ienge of different software com-
`mands by adding translation algo-
`fiihm? to the mix. Netlauncher and
`WInCIm can now talk each other’s
`lingo' For inmnce’ "he“ a user
`types go pol 1‘ ti es in NetLaunch-
`or, it Wilkes the command “5
`being Intended for a CompuServe (it)
`page and passesthe command in a
`message to WinCim.
`
`Where Winsock fits In
`
`Winsocfil‘émpnam
`application
`
`_
`M
`S
`eggpugm
`edition 2.0
`
`WinCim 2.0
`
`.
`
`_
`
`__
`
`Protocol stack
`
`2
`
`’
`
`'
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`.
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`If
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`
`Thcgfnggihgfiili23:32:12);
`a specific phone number and use
`the Spry software. To peruse news
`groups, or to use FTP to down-
`lead ,a file or use telnet (a remote
`terminal program), you must re-
`sort to a terminal emulator or one
`of CompuServe’ 5 custom soft-
`ware packages. CompuSerVe is
`working to address these issues;
`see the Technology FOCUS bOX at
`[CfL
`'th AOL
`t
`O T
`Lilkea(l:lgoem:1b8erve, AOL was still
`beta—testing its Web software dur—
`jng our review period.
`However, unlike Compu-
`Servc’s software, AOL’s
`is nicely integrated into
`the my”??? Pf?"
`:gfi?::::st giggle): Sag:
`gopher (a database search
`engine).
`You will need special
`software to browse the
`Web ffom.AO.L' The cu?
`2:22:21???{13:31:};:
`load this version of the
`software to get AOL in
`the first place. TO USE the
`Web browser, you need
`the: YerSion 2,5 prev1ew
`edltlon: F‘Vallable for
`dOEZESSLH‘iifilfigAfgII—{l
`a LAN that is linked to
`a T1 connection to the Internet,
`you’ll find a pleasant surprise: One of the
`on one of the hot links on the screen, se-
`Navigator software, you simply point and
`setup items in the network-selection pull-
`lecting a location from a hot list that you
`click to download the browser.
`down menu is TCP/IP. It worked for us
`create, or typing in the URL of the site that
`You run a single executable to install
`you wantto visit after you use due open URL with no fuss on NetWare networks. We
`the software. If you already have a TCP/TP
`command (by typing Ctrl-O or selecting were able to connect virtually instantly
`stack installed. CompuServe’s stack will
`rename your stack and install its own. Your Open URL... from the File menu).
`7
`and run AOL at T1 speeds. AOL is rapid-
`existing Internet client software probably
`The Spry stack and dialer are among
`1y adding 28.8-Kbps connections for high-
`will work with the new stack.
`the more robust that we’ve used, and Com— speed modem access, but so far they are
`If you’ve seen Spry’s Mosaic browser
`puServe’s version performed without a
`concentrated in major metropolitan areas.
`elsewhere (in the Internet-in-a—Box pack-
`problem. During several weeks of use, our
`The browser itself looks a bit different
`age, for example), you’ll immediately rec- CompuServe setup behaved reliably on
`from most of its competitors; it’s much
`ognize CompuServe’s: It has the familiar
`a Gateway P5-60 and an IBM ThinkPad more boxy and industrial looking. The
`menu bar and line-of—control buttons along
`360C. The Spry browser also performed
`usual menu bar and collection of buttons
`the top of the screen, two long boxes in well, including properly handling home
`span the top of the screen, but the buttons
`which you enter URLs (uniform resource
`pages built with the Netscape extensions.
`are long, horizontal rectangles instead of
`locators, which are simply Internet ad-
`Because these extensions aren’t part of the
`the more common squarish ones (see the
`dresses), and the familiar Spry globe for in-
`current HTML (Hypertext Markup Lan— screen on page 229).
`dicating when data is being transferred.
`guage) standard, they can cause problems
`Walking the Web with AOL is a breeze.
`The browser defaults to the CompuServe
`with the way in which some browsers dis- You simply click on hot-linked icons or
`home page on connection. You have three
`play images.
`text links to jump to another page, or you
`choices for navigating the Web: Clicking
`The downside of CompuServe’s Internet
`type in a URL just as you would with any
`
`”If? (fllu'lis "10"“1-
`$2321!56-20mm”
`separate inlerlaces
`1or accessing
`cwtiTllduWid‘eetsleI:services using Wiucim and NelLauncher, respectively.
`Both will also now be able to access the same live PPP connection
`f.fitjrfligrbgaggfliigggolflrg software and exchange commands
`
`Hardware
`( NIC; serial Port and modem, etc.)
`
`230 BY'F E SEPTEMBER 1995
`
`
`
`

`

`Gateways to the Internet m
`
`
`
`MSN: Desktop Internet
`
`
`
`LAN-based connection), or
`With a vision of extending
`via MSN. The Plus Pack sticks
`the Windows 95 desktop out
`an Internet icon on the Win-
`to the world, Microsoft is
`dows 95 desktop.
`busy building seamless World
`You click on this icon to
`Wide Web access for the Mi-
`launch the browser, starting
`crosoft Network, or MSN.
`off in a Microsoft Web page
`Microsoft licensed the NCSA
`that serves as an opening menu.
`(National Center for Super—
`From there, you can take a tu—
`computing Applications)
`torial, go surfing on your own,
`Mosaic Web Browser from
`or search for specific subjects
`Spry International and, more
`using the Lycos Internet cata-
`significant, bought minority
`log. Once you’re out ofMicro-
`interest in UUNet, the world‘s
`soft’s page, you’re navigating
`largest ISP (Internet service
`the Web just as you would ex-
`provider).
`pect, jumping across various
`Microsoft is now extend—
`sites by clicking on hyperlinks
`ing both, enhancing Mosaic
`or hopping directly to specific addresses.
`to support the Windows desktop (e.g., drag and drop, right
`From the menu bar, you can createadesktop shortcut to any
`mouse-clicks, and so on) and branching UUNet into more
`sites worldwide. Currently, the Internet access points are lim— site, build a list offavorite sites, or pull up a history window of
`ited—we had to call in to New York from New Hampshire— recently accessed pages. You can drag and
`.2
`but Microsoft intends to oper_i many additional lines shortly.
`drop text or images to the desktop ortoother
`1;
`'
`.
`.
`.
`.
`.
`2 .5
`The enhanced browser, a component of the Microsoft Plus
`applications. To capture an image to disk,
`Windows 95 Companion Pack, accesses the Web through
`you simply point at the image, clicktheright 3 "‘
`your own service provider, across the LAN (if you have a mouse button, and select Save As.
`a
`
`M'ms‘m cm"
`Redmond, WA
`(206) 88243080
`fax: (206) 9367329
`www‘micr°5°fi'°°m
`
`puSeI’ve home page, drops into a heavily
`text-oriented page.
`
`
`
`SEPTEMBER l995 BYTE 231
`
`crude graphics, and generally an old—days-
`browser on a standard ISP. Using other
`in-cyberspace appearance. However, its
`Internet clients is just as easy. They are
`well integrated, also appearing as launch— Web browser propels Prodigy into the
`Do We Have a Winner?
`able icons. A news-group reader, a gopher} mid-19905. With its high—resolution dis-
`For general prowling around the Internet,
`WAIS [Wide Area Information Service)
`play of non-Prodigy pages, it provides a
`we’d select AOL because of its good in-
`client, and an FTP client are available.
`sharp contrast to the rest of Prodigy.
`tegration and high-speed modem (and T1)
`The browser itself is efficiently laid out:
`connections. Prodigy would run a close
`It has the usual menu bar at the very top,
`Prodigy Flows Ahead
`second, falling somewhat short because
`and buttons and URL boxes under the bar,
`Prodigy, after a long, uphill battle against
`of its slower modem links and lack of a
`skepticism, has gained an edge on its com- with an activity indicator next to them.
`T1 cfimection. CompuServe brings up the
`petition. Its Internet access is easily the
`There’s no special installation needed for
`best integrated of the three services.
`the browser because it’s part of the nor— rear. Without the upcoming improvements
`To be sure, most of Prodigy still looks ma] Prodigy installation.
`in WinCim, it’s simply too much work
`likeiwell, Prodigy. Its screens have a de—
`Prodigy’s browser is easy and intuitive
`having to switch back and forth from the
`cided look of NAPLPS (North American
`to use. Just click on what you want, and main system to the Web browser.
`Presentation-Level Protocol Syntax), an
`you‘re there. How fast you get there is lim—
`The wild card is Microsoft Network, or
`older standard that features big characters,
`ited by the connection speed of your mo- MSN, Microsoft’s fledgling network (see
`Clem—in Prodigy’s case, it‘s
`the text box “MSN: Desktop Internet”
`l4.4 'K‘bps, although 10 ma— above)z Built with Internet integration in
`jor Cities were expected to mind, it should compete as an Internet
`
`get 122.: Ebpphby ézétgoilijiiy.
`gateway right out of the starting block. I
`a s e er
`an
`ps,
`but it can lead to slow transe
`George Bond is publisher of Samsnet. the
`fer times when you’re deal-
`Internet imprint of Macmillan Computer
`ing with graphics—intensive
`Publishing USA, and publisher ofsuch titles
`home pages. The Prodigy
`as Teach Yourself Web Publishing With
`home page itself 13 skillfully
`HTML in a Week and Internet Unleashed. In
`designed to load fast: It has
`an earlier life. he cqfonnded BIX. You can
`a modest-size graphic at the
`contact him on the Internet at gbond®sams
`top and then, like the Com-
`.mcp.com or on BIX as "gbond. ”
`
`filial-iii: SB'EIS'I‘ch'Ifiifi'ggs
`= hourly charges)
`I“ O Cgfiggacpnline, Inc.
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`'U E eltcle 1033 on Inquiry Card.
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`$9 95
`L IE (monlt’hlyfees', excluding
`: hourly charges)
`- CompuServe. InC-
`g’é‘é’gfififgg
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`
`
`l:i‘%ii?g§£610
`sales@cis.compuserve.com
`Clmle 1034 on Inquiry Card.
`agilfiy'féés'"é£ciddifié ' $935
`hourly charges)
`afigggigfgicfii 00-
`(800) 77631.149
`(914) 448-8000
`lnt0998@pr0disv-C°m
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