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grabbi
19-09-2007, 19:58
Wonder what, if anything, Virgin are doing to counter the offer of free Laptops to AOL/Orange and other ISPs.

It seems like a move of despiration, which, in theory SHOULD work, tying down customers to a 12 Month contract, like many ISPs do, BUT you get a Free Laptop with one of the best ISPs out there (AOL).

So, its not about Virgin SHOULD be doing this, but could something new be on the horizon to see Virgin counter this with their own offer of something to win back the number one position from BT, or do they simply not have the funds to do something as expensive as this?

One way or the other, the Existing Customer isnt going to get anything, so I dont know why I made this thread.

Just out of interest, I think.

dilli-theclaw
19-09-2007, 20:03
Did you just say that AOL was one of the best ISP's out there?

zing_deleted
19-09-2007, 20:07
they are 18 month contracts also

{FU}Fubar
19-09-2007, 20:16
AOL has to be one of THE worst ISP's Out there lol and the laptops that pc world offer are awful heh

dilli-theclaw
19-09-2007, 20:18
Well my string and two cups ISP is worse - but not by much :)

{FU}Fubar
19-09-2007, 20:19
Well my string and two cups ISP is worse - but not by much :)

lol classic

grabbi
19-09-2007, 20:49
Then why are they a popular choice with consumers?

They are easily 3rd in all the providers. (BT, Virgin being the top two, respectively)

Plus a 70% satisied ranking in the BBC Watchdog program?

Sorry about the 12 Montsh thing. I thought AOL were doing 12 and Orange 18. Oops!

AOLs Laptops look bloody good, though. Come with Vista, which, in itself requires a pretty decent computer to run it.

dilli-theclaw
19-09-2007, 20:58
AOL is, in my opinion, the work of the horned one.

I speak, unfortunately, from experience.

They are a populour choice because people put up with it, in simple terms apathy.

Anyway I'm not getting into how bad AOL is - You only have to look elsewhere on the 'net for that. :)

As for a free laptop, well I guess as long as it works and all. Hopefully people wouldn't be so silly as to sign up to a service JUST to get a laptop.

grabbi
19-09-2007, 21:05
Im not saying I would, but you have to admit, when you hear "Sign up and get a free Laptop" it sounds bloody good... almost too good to be true...

dilli-theclaw
19-09-2007, 21:12
If enough people do it (isp's) I could see virgin doing too tho.

xpod
19-09-2007, 21:29
Then why are they a popular choice with consumers?

Much the same reason why certain other products i can think of are so popular mabey.......people just going with the flow:)

Stuart
19-09-2007, 21:59
Then why are they a popular choice with consumers?

They are easily 3rd in all the providers. (BT, Virgin being the top two, respectively)

Plus a 70% satisied ranking in the BBC Watchdog program?

Sorry about the 12 Montsh thing. I thought AOL were doing 12 and Orange 18. Oops!

AOLs Laptops look bloody good, though. Come with Vista, which, in itself requires a pretty decent computer to run it.

AOL do well for several reasons.


Marketing. From packaging the latest version of their software on every magazine cover CD to television, AOL have always marketed themselves wll.
Bundling. People who don't know better will tend to use what is bundled with their PC and not research the market. Symantec and AOL have both made a fortune marketing (IMO) substandard products this way.
They are a known brand. ISPs like Be, Zen internet, etc, may be superior, but Joe Soap will go for a brand name he/she knows.



Just had a look at the AOL site. They are offering up to 8 meg and a laptop that is apparently worth over £400 for £20 a month, for a minimum of 24 months. Now, without knowing the specs of the laptop, I can't comment on whether it's worth what they claim (I suspect it isn't though). Compare this with Be, who offer up to 24 meg, with a three month contract, but no laptop.

Also noticed one odd thing. They require a direct debit and a credit card.

zing_deleted
19-09-2007, 22:03
http://shop.carphonewarehouse.com/aol_eligibility.php?TAG=1 click find out more on the laptop bit and it tells you what you get ;)

NTLVictim
19-09-2007, 22:26
Dear God, I just clicked on Jeff T's link....I have eye probs because of the stuff I have to take, but so far not that bad...good luck, Jeff!

xpod
19-09-2007, 22:40
Dear God, I just clicked on Jeff T's link....I have eye probs because of the stuff I have to take, but so far not that bad...good luck, Jeff!

And i thought my Carpal tunnel Syndrome injections were bad:shocked:

Mick Fisher
19-09-2007, 22:49
:LOL:
Anyone who thinks AOL is a good ISP would be over the moon with a PCWorld Laptop.
Horses for courses? :)

How long before VM slips below the AOL level........:shocked:

grabbi
20-09-2007, 02:17
All Im saying, is that to anyone out there that doesnt know the facts, is gonna see "Oooo! I get a free laptop," (we all know it isnt Free Free, but it is to many other people. Much like a Phone is never free on contract. Your still paying for it...)

AOL must have a massive pocket to hand out laptops on Credit, and then advertise their product ontop of the 3,000 discs I nicked from a shop to throw at people in my bedroom... (and you think Im joking! :P)

xspeedyx
20-09-2007, 08:59
I have to admit aol used to be good now with a fup that limits u to about 40GB theyare **** how ever u should NEVER think vm will do thiss that router thats coming out soon is gonna be chargeable

Graham M
20-09-2007, 09:36
I have to admit aol used to be good now with a fup that limits u to about 40GB theyare **** how ever u should NEVER think vm will do thiss that router thats coming out soon is gonna be chargeable

aaaand breath! :)

Wicked_and_Crazy
20-09-2007, 10:05
All Im saying, is that to anyone out there that doesnt know the facts, is gonna see "Oooo! I get a free laptop,"

Isnt that the point or marketing???


AOL must have a massive pocket to hand out laptops on Credit, and then advertise their product ontop of the 3,000 discs

Who says PCWorld arent paying for the PC's or at least a portion of it?? Who says the credit isnt factored into the contract total price (just hidden)

3000 discs hmm must cost all of a few hundred quid

dilli-theclaw
20-09-2007, 10:40
Dear God, I just clicked on Jeff T's link....I have eye probs because of the stuff I have to take, but so far not that bad...good luck, Jeff!I've already had the right eye done, it's no where near as bad as you'd think :)

Wicked_and_Crazy
20-09-2007, 10:43
I've already had the right eye done, it's no where near as bad as you'd think :)

I need my eyes checking, i clicked on your link and instantly thought what has a vasectomy got to do with eyes? I was thinking they had replaced your eyes with your balls :D

dilli-theclaw
20-09-2007, 10:44
And i thought my Carpal tunnel Syndrome injections were bad:shocked:I was asleep you know (some people have this done while awake!), can't stand needles myself :) Which is funny being diabetic and injecting three times a day....

Anyway I will now return to topic or I'll have to spank myself lol ;)

Jules
20-09-2007, 15:12
I was with AOL for a few years and had no problems at all but I know a lot of people have

xpod
20-09-2007, 15:54
I was asleep you know (some people have this done while awake!), can't stand needles myself Which is funny being diabetic and injecting three times a day....

Anyway I will now return to topic or I'll have to spank myself lol

(slaps hand in advance for ot)
I`m a strange one(smart a**e remarks always welcome @xpod)......i dont mind the dentists needle but any form of needle i can actually see is another matter entirely,especially the big ones.:shocked:

Had the wife and son not been with me that first time i had to go for the steroid injections i would have been out that hospital like a shot when i seen the size of that thing.The needle was more like a extra long hole punch and he had to swivel it around in there just trying to locate the actual "tunnel" area as it were.(The hair on my back is standing up just thinking about it)

The second time was even worse......simply because i knew what was coming:erm:

EDIT My father(rip) once had an op with his eyeball hanging on his cheek as they worked away.Quite able to see out of it too so he was....hope you get it fixed ok

lauzjp
20-09-2007, 16:21
so is going for one of these free laptop/pc offers a definate no-no then? I was tempted. but I wouldn't pass the credit check anyways :p:

tubbles
20-09-2007, 21:25
I was with AOL for a while and must admit that i had no problems with them but, that was not broadband back then. I think that the ease of use is what takes people to AOL, you don't have to set up mail accounts and stuff like that and there are of course the Chat rooms there. This is still a big draw for AOL with msn and the like closing chatrooms down. As for the free laptops.... well you get nowt for nowt i was always told and there must be some kind of drawback, all you have to do is work out how much it costs per month and then look at the minimum contract length do the bit of maths and that is what the laptops are worth cos they will not lose out on the deal.;)

Richy99
20-09-2007, 22:12
i thought they were 24 month deals

zing_deleted
20-09-2007, 23:17
i thought they were 24 month deals

yep I was wrong

ukxenon
21-09-2007, 00:15
AOL got AOHELL for a reason go with there free trail and then ring up and try yes TRY and cancle :mad: .
The laptops they are offering are garbage i would rather spend £299.00 on Acer Aspire 5052AWXMi Laptop AMD Turion 64 MK38 1024MB 80GB DVD RW SuperMulti 5in1 Card Reader 14.1" TFT Windows Vista Home Premium.

That would beat the endless phone calles to AOHELL

GSX1402
21-09-2007, 01:37
sure it ain`t

A****oles On Line



:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:p::p::p::p::p::p::p:

Mick Fisher
21-09-2007, 02:11
sure it ain`t

A****oles On Line



:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:p::p::p::p::p::p::p:
:LOL:
I would also expect the laptop to have a nice adware infection preinstalled to a hidden partition plus some way to stop you reinstalling an OS except from some restore mechanism that will restore the adware thingie in the process.

And there will be AOL's own software to contend with that I have heard referred to as being like having a virus. :)

GSX1402
21-09-2007, 02:15
you mean there are people that dont think it is!!!!!!!!!!!!



:dunce:

grabbi
21-09-2007, 18:47
http://shop.carphonewarehouse.com/aol_eligibility.php?TAG=1 click find out more on the laptop bit and it tells you what you get ;)

The Laptop is bloody good! Dell Inspiron. 1Gb RAM, Centrino 540. Vista.

Had a do on one today in the shop, and its impressive.

Shame about the £25 price for 24 Months.

ginge51
21-09-2007, 23:50
AOL has to be one of THE worst ISP's Out there lol and the laptops that pc world offer are awful heh

I never had any problems with aol for the time i was with them ever.

---------- Post added at 22:50 ---------- Previous post was at 22:44 ----------

aaaand breath! :)
arrrrrgggghhhhh :)

TheDon
22-09-2007, 00:20
The Laptop is bloody good! Dell Inspiron. 1Gb RAM, Centrino 540. Vista.

Had a do on one today in the shop, and its impressive.

Shame about the £25 price for 24 Months.

They really aren't.
They're end of line. You can't even buy the same model from Dell anymore.

The laptop will be fine for general use, but that's it.

bywater
08-10-2007, 17:11
I left Virgin Media for this deal and sofar have been very happy with the deal. I always knew I wouldn't get the 8Mb speed due to me being a little far from the exchange. My modem is syncing around about 5.8 meg. The wireless router that was bundled as been flawless. My speeds are constantly higher than Virgin media 4Mb @ 24.99 for the same price I have so far had a flawless connection and pages and websites that now actually load quickly and unlimited telephone calls. Free technical support and customer support has been good and calls answered with 2mins compared to my 45min wait trying to cancel my Virgin broadband. Don't know where call centers are but have always got a very friendly Irish lass. The laptop is fine and I am very happy with it allthou I might downgrade to XP from Vista for awhile. I was scared off from leaving Virgin Media but am sofar glad I have made the move. I was fed up of waiting for the promised upgrade from 4Mb to 8Mb that as been a customer service lie for the last year. Also what clinced it for me is that I promised myself and Virgin Media if I had to call technical support at 25p min for any reason I would leave. So have taken my custom elsewhere. I have also found AOL a really good content provider comparable with Virgin broadband plus. I do get a 40Gb download cap but thats plenty for my use. I can use this as and when I want no halfing of speed if I do a big download on any given night so far. Time will tell but we are off to a good start.

Oh and you don't have to have any propriety AOL browsers for install it works with all other browers IE firefox etc. ADSL all the way for me now after the last years debarcle with Virgin Media. As far as I'm concerned Virgin Media lost the plot. Had been a customer for over 7 years.
:tu::td:

Mick Fisher
08-10-2007, 18:08
I left Virgin Media for this deal and sofar have been very happy with the deal. I always knew I wouldn't get the 8Mb speed due to me being a little far from the exchange. My modem is syncing around about 5.8 meg. The wireless router that was bundled as been flawless. My speeds are constantly higher than Virgin media 4Mb @ 24.99 for the same price I have so far had a flawless connection and pages and websites that now actually load quickly and unlimited telephone calls. Free technical support and customer support has been good and calls answered with 2mins compared to my 45min wait trying to cancel my Virgin broadband. Don't know where call centers are but have always got a very friendly Irish lass. The laptop is fine and I am very happy with it allthou I might downgrade to XP from Vista for awhile. I was scared off from leaving Virgin Media but am sofar glad I have made the move. I was fed up of waiting for the promised upgrade from 4Mb to 8Mb that as been a customer service lie for the last year. Also what clinced it for me is that I promised myself and Virgin Media if I had to call technical support at 25p min for any reason I would leave. So have taken my custom elsewhere. I have also found AOL a really good content provider comparable with Virgin broadband plus. I do get a 40Gb download cap but thats plenty for my use. I can use this as and when I want no halfing of speed if I do a big download on any given night so far. Time will tell but we are off to a good start.

Oh and you don't have to have any propriety AOL browsers for install it works with all other browers IE firefox etc. ADSL all the way for me now after the last years debarcle with Virgin Media. As far as I'm concerned Virgin Media lost the plot. Had been a customer for over 7 years.
:tu::td:
Good for you! And I am glad you are enjoying your new supplier.
I'm sure there are many who share your view.

Artemis
08-10-2007, 19:20
I love the way they give you the option to upgrade to a "Intel® Core™ Duo", and only later actually start calling a Core 2.

It ain't even like they tell you which type. It could be an Intel Grade X Hamster-powered Waffle Iron Pro for all they tell you.

bywater: you're about the only happy AOL customer I've met. :D I was sorting out BB for a flat I share with friends, and two of them came from AOL and demanded someone else right from the word go.

WillPS
09-10-2007, 18:26
You know Intel released a chip called the Core™ right?

The Core 2 is the successor to the Core. Of course not to be confused with a core which is a term for any CPU. Yes, Intel made a trademark out of an already well-used term.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Intel_Core_(CPU_architecture)

maxmick1969
10-10-2007, 11:11
hi all

I thought i would type this post while i was sitting here bored to death especially when i saw someone state that AOL were a broadband provider that was within the top three....
So here goes -
In all my 20 years of being a computer engineer and responsible for connecting hundreds of friends and customers to the net both dial-up and broadband i have yet to see a completely happy AOL customer.
Up to three years ago i would log how many customers that i was transferring from AOL to other providers usually BT or NTL/virgin during my working week..
The record stands at 23 in one week this started with 7 customers on the monday ,AOL customers services were getting to know my voice and knew what i was going to ask next before i said it(THE FOUR DIGIT RELEASE CODE).
In the period january 2005 to october 2007 this year i personnaly transferred 293 customers from AOL to other providers and all for a well known list of the same problems..below is a small list..

60 second log offs.....
firewall issues (no exceptions having to be unticked)not recommended...
virus and spyware higher with AOL...
AOLs own security measures affecting speed and stability of pc.....
AOLs own security insufficiant as infections always found using any other anti-virus and anti-spyware...
This also doesnt include long periods of being on the phone to customer service...
This is my own factual rant for the day and must also point out to everyone..
no matter what anyone says here or anywhere..
(DO NOT TRY AOL AND IF YOU ARE ALREADY WITH THEM LEAVE NOW)

also please do not try to belittle yourself by trying to defend AOL to me by posting a reply to this post as i will not accept this under any circumstances and this is due to everything i have experienced over the years as a computer engineer..(I DEFINATELY KNOW WHAT I AM TALKING ABOUT )

maxmick

tweetiepooh
10-10-2007, 13:06
My folks are happy with AOL. To them it just works, did on dial-up, does on ADSL and still does with a router. All they need to do is fire up one application and the rest is done for them.

Personally I wouldn't let AOL within parsecs of my own machines.

willas00
10-10-2007, 18:40
AOL Broadband
Up to 8Mbps download speed**
40 GB download allowance
Wireless router included (worth £50)
No connection fee
Includes AOL Talk Pay As You Go Plan (more call plans available)
Wireless security
If you live outside the selected areas you might still be able to get this offer
**It may vary on the quality of your phone line and location.

The Laptop

Choose from the free laptop or our upgraded options.
Option 1 - Free Laptop
Option 2 - £49.99 + Bigger HDD
Option 3 - £149.99 + Faster Processor

All notebooks come with 1GB memory, DVD drive, media card, Windows Vistaâ„¢ Home & more.
*Delivery charge of £14.99 applies at point of purchase. Minimum 24 month contract applies. BT line required. Subject to credit check and line survey.

Full Laptop Spec
http://www.my-chat.co.uk/LaptopSpec.PNG

http://media.phonehouse.com/mediaserver/servlet/AssetServer?id=DELLINSPIRON230077&ver=14&RD=YES