Paths to the On-Line ‘Superhighway’

The Clinton Administration has called for a network of national data “superhighways” to transmit words, numbers, graphics, sound and video into homes, offices and schools. These proposed highways would be much faster than today’s communication pathways, which primarily rely on regular copper phone lines to carry data. If tomorrow’s networks are multilane thoroughfares, today’s are like one-lane country roads. Yet despite their limitations, today’s networks have attracted millions of users. To get on board, all you need is a personal computer, a phone line and a modem. If you’re shopping for a modem, get one that operates at 14,400 bits per second. You can buy them for as little as $129, and they’re four times faster than the more common 2,400 bps modems.

About 3 million to 4 million Americans now subscribe to a major on-line service such as America Online, Compuserve, GEnie and Prodigy. No one knows how many people sign on to computer bulletin boards (known as BBSs) but there are thousands of such boards around the country. Like the on-line services, most boards carry “shareware”--software you can try for free and pay for only if you like it.

The Internet, a global network of networks, is accessible to virtually anyone on a university campus, as well as employees of many companies and government agencies. There are between 15 million and 20 million users worldwide.

Although access was once limited, ordinary folks can now join the Internet by subscribing to a commercial provider. Netcom ((800)-501-8649), for example, provides unlimited access for $17.50 a month.

Anyone with an Internet account can exchange electronic mail with any other Internet user. It’s also possible to “cruise” the Internet, connecting to universities, libraries and other resources all over the world.

I use the Internet to peruse the University of California’s huge library catalogue. You can also access the Library of Congress and hundreds of other libraries throughout the world. Internet users can participate in any of perhaps 5,000 discussion groups on subjects ranging from the Bible to bestiality. Internet “mailing lists” cover everything from Jane Austen to orchid growing. You can even join in a live global party line via an Internet Relay Chat.

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There are some drawbacks, however. First, the Internet is kind of hard to use. Eventually Internet providers will offer easy-to-use Windows and Mac software, but for most systems, you’re now stuck having to learn some fairly obscure commands.

The second problem is that the Internet is enormous. Finding your way around can be a major challenge. If you’re serious, consider a book such as “Riding the Internet Highway” by Sharon Fisher (New Riders Publishing, $16.95) for some excellent rudimentary advice.

The third problem is that a lot of good information is copyrighted and not available from the free databases on the Internet. Don’t expect companies such as Dow Jones, Times Mirror or Encyclopedia Britannica to give away their intellectual property.

However, some Internet providers, including Netcom, provide access to the United Press International news wires.

If you want ease of use and access to lots of copyrighted information, consider one of the major on-line services. My favorites are America Online (AOL), Compuserve and Prodigy.

America Online has the most elegant interface of the three. It doesn’t have as much information as Prodigy or Compuserve, but it’s rapidly expanding. AOL recently began offering the full text of Time magazine as well as the Chicago Tribune and San Jose Mercury News. It also has UPI and a number of business news offerings and databases. AOL is the best service when it comes to chatting. Many of its forums offer live discussions where you can interact in real time with experts and other members.

All on-line services offer stock quotes (15 minutes behind the ticker) and some financial research services. AOL charges $9.50 a month for five hours of access. Additional hours cost $3.50.

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Compuserve is the oldest, largest and most comprehensive on-line service. It’s a great research tool. I use it to look up information about software and hardware and rely on its health database when someone in my family is sick. I also like its electronic mail services. All the major on-line services are now linked with the Internet, so regardless of what service you use, you can send e-mail to people on other services.

Compuserve costs $8.95 a month for unlimited access to basic services, including a nice mutual fund database. Many of the more valuable services cost between $8 (at 2,400 bps) or $16 (at 9,600 or 14,400 bps) an hour. Some features carry an additional surcharge.

Prodigy--for which I write a regular computer column--is targeted to home users. It doesn’t have as much depth as Compuserve, but its new menuing system--which premieres this week--makes it easy to navigate. The company will soon release new Windows software, which doesn’t have the same look and feel of other Windows programs but does offer some extra features, including the ability to view color news photos on-line.

The photos, which take up a lot of bytes, are downloaded to your machine as you read the related article so, by the time you’re done reading, you just click on “photo” and see the picture within seconds. AOL and CIS also offer news photos and other graphics, but they’re a bit harder to access.

Prodigy charges $14.95 a month for unlimited access to most basic services and $3.60 an hour for forums and a few other services. Like AOL, Prodigy gives you several sign-ons for a single account, which is nice for families or small offices.

If you’re on any of these services, drop me a note. My America Online ID is LarryMagid. On Compuserve I’m 75300,2105. My Prodigy ID is KPVN58A. As always, my Internet address is magid@latimes.com.

Computer File welcomes your comments. Write to Lawrence J. Magid, 898 Chestnut St., Suite 3, Redwood City, Calif. 94063, or message magid@latimes.com.on the Internet or KPVN58A on Prodigy.