The new and free AOL wants you back

Chances are, if you don't have America Online, you did at one time. AOL introduced millions of people to the Internet. But over time, it lost its relevance and its subscriber numbers dwindled.

Today, AOL is moving away from its role as an Internet service provider. It continues to offer dial-up service. But it's giving away other features. The company plans to make up the difference with advertising.
This means its chat rooms, entertainment services and security programs are free. New users can go to AOL's Web site and click the Sign Up Now link.

After signing up, you'll be prompted to download AOL 9 Security Edition. The program can cause an overall system performance slowdown, especially on older computers. The download is not necessary to access the Web site. But it does include some of the items below.

1. Web browser.
AOL's Web browser has a built-in pop-up blocker. It offers one-click access to mail, AOL Instant Messenger, AOL Radio and more.

Currently, only subscribers get parental controls that limit Web sites, chat rooms and instant messaging. AOL plans to make these services free soon.

Web neophytes may enjoy the browser's myriad abilities. But they come with pop-up advertisements, even with the pop-up blocker enabled. And the browser lacks customizability.

In you decide to change browsers, AOL offers no easy way to export Bookmarks. However, LinkaGoGo has a free tool. It will convert AOL Bookmarks into Internet Explorer Favorites or Firefox Bookmarks.

2. E-mail.
Millions of people learned about e-mail from AOL. If you don't like your current e-mail provider, you can switch to AOL. Be forewarned, though, that AOL's e-mail is like relationships: easy to start, hard to depart.

If you're already using another e-mail program, you probably can import your data into AOL. Typically, you export your information as a CSV (Comma Separated Values) or tab-delimited text file. Check the Help system of your current program.

To import those addresses go to AOL's main page and sign in to AOL Mail. Click the Addresses tab. Click Import. Click Browse to locate your CSV or tab-delimited text file. Click Import.

Getting your stuff out of AOL is harder. In fact, many people stayed with AOL for that very reason. But there are ways to do it.

If you decide to stop using AOL e-mail, you can forward your stored e-mail to your new address. Or, you can download all of your AOL e-mails into Microsoft Outlook or Outlook Express.

You also can use a third-party program. With just a few clicks ePreserver ($25) and TrueSwitch ($20) can download your mail and your address book.

3. Computer Protection and Maintenance.
AOL Safety and Security Center is a free monitoring system (Windows XP/2000 only). It includes firewall, antivirus and anti-spyware programs.

The antivirus and anti-spyware programs automatically download updates. And they can scan your computer at specified times.

AOL also offers One-click Fixes. This program fixes common problems with just a mouse click. For example, it will turn on Windows Automatic Update or prevent Internet Explorer from opening ActiveX programs.

4. Entertainment.
AOL has a number of television programs, music videos, concerts and Internet radio stations. They can be accessed from any Web browser.

AOL Television is for those feeling nostalgic. Old series-like Alice, Scarecrow and Mrs. King, and Welcome Back Kotter- can be fun to watch.