Once they decided to move away from the access business, AOL is going all out and offering all sorts of free services to cash in on the current eyeball boom, and of course hang on to their dwindling community. Earlier this summer they offered 5 GB free storage to one and all (thanks to that X Drive acquisition), a free phone number, and now they are offering OpenRide to broadband users.
The software, while retaining some of the visual cues of the classic AOL, is fairly clean and easy to use. It is clearly targeted at folks who are comfortable with the AOL interface, but are now switching to broadband connections. For them, this could be best of both worlds. (That is if your world involves a computer running Windows XP Service Pack 2.)
OpenRide is essentially a browser that is split into four panes – one each for e-mail (including accounts that are from non-AOL domains,) instant messaging, video and general Web browsing. The software also has a search box, which is tied to AOL search engine. You can playback entertainment content such as videos as well. These panes resize depending on what you are doing – if you are browsing, the browser dominates, and when checking mail, well mail pane takes up a big portion of the screen. (I am not quite sure what browser this is based on, but hopefully will hear from AOL folks soon, and will update, accordingly.)
Does OpenRide remind you of Flock but for more mainstream users? Anyway, do you think this could become more of a trend going forward – companies like Comcast and SBC offering their own little browser-based clients?
I find interesting (and refreshing) that they package this as software, since they could easily do all of this in a web browser. Does that say something about what “real users” (not Silicon Valley) really want?
Om, it’s the AOL Explorer Browser, an IE-based excellent browser.
http://downloads.channel.aol.com/browser
Do you think the sliding panel interface could be a new way of using program windows?
The interface is horrible, looks great when you look at the pic, but when you actually download the openride beta, it doesn’t compare to the AOL 9.0 SE. You would find it a bit little annoying, switching from one pane to the other. I guess I’ll just stick with my AOL 9.0 or the AOL explorer
I’d say it’s more like Flock for AOL users. We’ve got mainstream users 😉
Om, you have definitely identified a trend for Telcos to start creating their own browser-based clients. BT (British Telecom) are already doing this in the UK in partnership with Yahoo.
I DOWNLOADED OPENRIDE FOUR DAYS AGO, AND HATE EVERY BIT OF IT. I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW HOW TO UNINSTALL IT, OR JUST GET RID OF IT. I GOT TO THE ADD OR UNINSTALL POINT, CLICKED ON THAT AND GOT AN ERROR WINDOW. ANY SUGGESTIONS. UNDO MIGHT WORK BUT I CANNOT REMEMBER WHERE TO FIND IT.
THANK YOU
I DO NOT WANT OPENRIDE, PLEASE DELETE IT FROM MY COMPUTER IMMEDIATELY!
I downloaded Openride 2 days ago and am NOT impresed at all !! I want it removed but cannot find where to “uninstall” it .. it does not show up on my list of programs thru the normal windows “control panel”. I WANT IT GONE !!!
I actually like the idea of it who cares about the name? I can simply launch all of my emails, chatting on aim ,music, video, pictures, ton of radio stations for FREE plus browsing all in one panel. I actualy uninstalled AOL 9.0 because Openride got everything i want instead of all the junk on 9.0. I also like the side panel on the browser easy access to everything from my favorite to channels ect. In conclude i think they did a very good job, you guy can’t complain for their hard work given us the best service for FREE! I Wouldn’t dare to complain or ask for anything more. We should be appreciate what they given us and don’t bitch too much about it. What i want to see for improvement is for them create new theme of Openride instead of that plain blue color thing well for the browser alone you can change some theme color but not the whole thing.
Keep working hard AOL!!!!
I like the look of Openride, but the address book doesnt transfer over, and no way to transfer it. Supposed to be able to import, but import button and address button doesn’t show up as the instructions say it will. AOL Online help tells me it should be automatic if it’s automatic in IE AOL anywhere…which it shows up there. SIGHHHH
I want this so called openride removed from my computer . It has down every thing to screw up and bog down my computer . It is a bunck of CRAP.
It keeps screwing up my verizon routhe daily . I have to call them Verizon to reset it.
Some one should be shot at AOL who dearmed up this so called OPENRIDE Crap.
Here is how you can uninstall OpenRide:
OpenRide can be uninstalled through the Windows Add/Remove process:
I am so disgusted with the program and ha ve talked to Ivan Nicolas in Texas about it and asked to the rest of my AOL programs and now it
has mwssed up the rest of my programs. I have tried 8 times today to get them to delete this program. I cant seem to get in touch with them of atleast get through to them by telephone. I have decided to try to get fixed tonight or I will drop the whole AOL program from my PC.
Everytime I try to sign on to my aim screename on aol openride it doesn’t connect and I’ve tryed it 20,00 times I need help with it because it won’t work!!!!!!!!!!!!!!?????????????????
AOL Openride doesn’t come w/ live or onscreen help. Is there a site on the web where I could find some help?? I want to know if I can set it up to save all my email on my computer automatically as my old AOL 9.0 did. Thanks
Please tell me how to get rid of Open Ride on my ibookG4 Macintosh.
i like the new aol openride. it views basically everything i am constantly doing simultaneously, mail, browsing, im-ing, and the media pane. i have noticed that the software still seems a little “buggy” with respect to the mail. it has somewhat of a ms outlook, look. i will stick with it for now and see how it develops. if there is a site or place i can go to download patches and upgrades, i would be interested
I downloaded openride and hate it…my computer runs entirely too slow now…How do I GET RID OF IT???? I HATE it…I DONT WANT IT ANYMORE…
Wow, it is really something how everyones’ experiences differs on a given subject. I downloaded OpenRide 2 days ago and really like the interface. It may be that the interface is a little too busy but the idea comes from the Integrated Development Environment (IDE) that developers use to see many things at once. Its good if its not too busy and I think AOL might have a pretty good start in satisfying those of us who want to see a summary of subjects (I like the media center pane).
I can’t get my email to even sign on or open!! Is anyone else having this problem!!! Get an error Says “errimapconnectfailed” and I know I am connected to the internet!! And its Openride!! Help pls!! 🙂
i downloaded openride like a week ago. it was weird to use at first due to all the panes open and it did mess up my other AOL 9.0. I tried to uninstall it but could not find it. i contacted AOL and after that I cannot get it to open at all. now the computer is slower, and we still cannot find it in the computer even though it is still on my desktop.this is a disaster.
This new software is very slow to open and it lacks so much of the good features of the old software. For example: Deleting old e-mails and spam is tedious as you have to delete each one at a time. Needs an all delete button. I’ll stick with the old software, thank you. If anyone learns how to unstall,Please share.
For my PC, Open Ride seemed to work well…until AOL’s SSC mandatory upgrade crashed my PC and I restored to an earlier date. SSC would no longer work, Open Ride would no longer login and AIM would no longer login. Uninstalled them all through Add/Delete Programs with AOL Uninstaller, Defragmented the HD, loaded Microsoft’s Live OneCare for security and returned to AOL 9.0. The only good thing about Open Ride was the girl in the Demo was pretty…
I wish I had read this before I downloaded this funky program. They don’t just have a few bugs to get out there is an infestation – this program really bites.
I couldn’t stand the email process and when you wanted to completely close a part of the browser – you couldn’t AHHHHH!! To much crap going on all the time. 6 thumbs down and the boot on this one back to 9.0.
I have always defended AOL to people that did not like it but no more. This OpenRide has messed up my laptop. Slowed the system down so much that it now takes 3 times as long to boot up,and about 2 times as long to shut the laptop down. The AOL uninstaler locks up. I can’t beleived that AOL did this to their long time customers.
I like OpenRide, though I wish it would allow me to import addresses from a CV or had transferred over my AOL addressbook. It is tedious to have to start all over again.
I like being able to see multiple AOL accounts in one screen, as well as some of my POP accounts. It saves me so much time.
I will say initially it was “buggy” for me. My Buddy List wouldn’t load and showed me offline. While the rest of the panes were fine. It somehow corrected itself and now works just fine.
By the way, to delete all spam messages, right click on one of the spam messages and select delete all.
I installed Openride and DO NOT LIKE IT. I want to and will find a way to uninstall. HELP.
I want to uninstall Openride and install aol 9.0. PLEASE help.
Every time I would want to use the AIM for my Open Ride, it took forever to load and never loaded at all.
I need help! I just got a new laptop with Windows Vista (Home Premium) and I downloaded AOL VR. My brother told me about AOL Open Ride so I tried it. I think I’m really going to like it. However, I can recieve emails, but I can’t send them. It tells me that my internet connection was lost and the mail will be saved in my draft folder (error – ML0023). I checked my internet connection and it was fine! I uninstalled the program and re-installed it, but it does the same thing. I can send email using AOL VR. I don’t understand. I was just wondering if anyone has any idea what could be the problem???? Thanks!
OPENRIDE IS AWFUL!!! It is so bad, I thought I had an virus..I ended up taking it to our computer guy at work. I had downloaded the OpenRide from the AOL site, and the file was corrupt! He deleted it and I am back to AOL 9.0VR….
WOW! I just picked up a free copy of OpenRide from WalMart and was about to install it but, I wanted to know more about it first. I am so glad I read up on it BEFORE I installed it.
I hope everyone that has problems with it gets it all worked out.
I HATE OPEN RIDE. I WANT MY 9.0 BACK.
I don’t even like aol 9.0 . It is terrible. It has made my compurt slow and corrupted .It has over rided all the other progrms. Openride is terrible.
I dont want open ride any more how do I take it off and still keep aol 9.0
osephine
I have tried unsuccessfully to delete this darn Open Ride by going through Add/Delete programs but it doesn’t even show up as a program that I have on my computer but that stupid Update pop up keeps showing up-aaauuuggghhh how do I get this stuff off my computer-anyone have anymore ideas???
i went ot install open ride but canceled in the middle of it now i have a pop up it wont go away ANYONE KNOW HOW TO GET RID OF IT IT IS NOT IN MY CONTROL PANEL
I installed AOL open ride, It does not show up like it does on the disc.
At the top it shows AOL 9.0 VR not AOL Open ride like it is advertised.
Whats going on with this?
It was working for a while, then there was an auto download and that was the end of that. When i log on it immediately logs off.
Nick: the same thing is happening to me. did you figure out how to fix it?
I like Open Ride but it keeps closing everytime I open it up. I have tried countless times and it just keeps closing. What can I do.
I’m having same problem,, Can some one HELP me !!!!
How do I get rid of aol openride it just isn’t working for me, I can’t get my mail or into the aim. I can’t sign in, anylonger
Please help me to get rid of it.
Becky
How do I cancel Open Ride? Everytime I try to get something new, everything gets messed up. I WANT TO CANCEL OPENRIDE. hELP!
I spent about four hours with my neighbor last night trying to resolve an issue with AOL – parental controls – and forced updates and I believe I’ve finally convinced him to drop AOL completely. His virus program (McAfee – another pet peeve of mine) picked up the auto update and rattled him, so he cancelled in the middle of the update. AOL then locked him out with a blank screen on sign-on and totally blew up his DSL connection by forcing it to dial-up. After three hours on the phone with three different AOL techies, his final solution was a complete system (XP) restore. Lotsa luck, peeps… but take a hint, if you’ve got another means (dsl, broadband, whatever), drop AOL, you’ll be better off for it in the long run. (Cancel and keep your email accounts, like I did, and just access it from the web) JD
I am also having a problem with connection. I am using the Desktop 10 and I can not do anything with my email, it gives the error errImapConnectFailed also and I can not log into the AOL Computer checkup. It keeps trying to connect me by dial up and It won’t recognize that I have DSL. Any Suggestions anyone,PLEASE!!!
I WANT TO CANCEL “OPEN RIDE”!!!!!!!. I do not like it, nor did I know it was on my computer. I tried to add/remove programs…but it is not there to even “REMOVE”. Please give me a way to remove this asap. Thank you