Welcome to the MacNN Forums.

Target Practice · May 15, 2002, 11:04 PM

Kinda zany name and zany interface. Looks nothing like AOL 7.0 and has the Gecko browser engine. And you can chat with with mac.com screennames.

Any one else playing with it?

PMG4DP · May 15, 2002, 11:17 PM

Yea, I just downloaded it about an hour ago. It's a start...the UI needs a lot of work. The size of the IMs and well the size of the UI general needs to be a lot smaller.

Montanan · May 16, 2002, 07:12 AM

It's great to see a new AOL version that brings their Mac software pretty much to feature parity with AOL for Windows -- hopefully, it's an indication that AOL retains a very strong commitment to the Mac platform.

And good riddance to IE!

But the new UI -- particularly the toolbar -- is horrible. Looks like they just recycled a bunch of XP icons they found in a dustbin somewhere. About as far from Aqua as you can get.

xyber233 · May 16, 2002, 09:55 AM

Anyone got a screenie of part of the toolbar? I'm debating whether or not I should download it. Is it a lot better?

Colonel Panic · May 16, 2002, 10:52 AM

geez - that is one big-ass toolbar....

WinsOBoogi · May 16, 2002, 12:03 PM

And some ass-ugly UI.

Adam Betts · May 16, 2002, 12:13 PM

Beautiful or not, you decide...

There's lot of new stuffs in AOL X v.2 but I don't have the time to snap all of them. Perhaps someone here could do it

[edit: FYI, I'm not lonely. I just created this new SN so I don't have to edit out all of the SN in my buddy list, etc in photoshop

I just don't have enough time today]

[ 05-16-2002: Message edited by: Adam Betts ]

lookmark · May 16, 2002, 12:34 PM

Reminds me of the Public Beta a bit.

More screenies?

KaptainKaya · May 16, 2002, 12:41 PM

Well, its better than the 5.0 beta of last year. Not a bad start for a UI but it could be toned down a couple hundred pixels

Can anyone post it to d/l? I need to get AOL eventually when I get my own place, plus my roommate uses it (but not on Mac, and thats the only comp. we're gonna have). Thanks!

BZ · May 16, 2002, 12:50 PM

I must say I am impressed. Yes, the top is a little too "aquafied" and big but the speed of browsing more than makes up for it. AOL Should also make their aps a little more dock aware.

BZ

philzilla · May 16, 2002, 12:58 PM

people... IT'S AOL!

case rested.

KaptainKaya · May 16, 2002, 01:06 PM

Originally posted by philzilla:
people... IT'S AOL!

case rested.

And...? give them credit. They're using gecko instead of IE now, and they even allowed Apple to tap into the Oscar server...something they didn't even let Microsoft use a few years ago when they wanted to.

gumby5647 · May 16, 2002, 01:19 PM

ahhhh... my scroll wheel doesn't work!! oh how horrible...

otherwise, reduce the toolbar down and a few other UI tweaks and i think we have a winner...

Adam Betts · May 16, 2002, 01:58 PM

Originally posted by philzilla:
people... IT'S AOL!

case rested.

So? My parents have to use it because it's the only ISP in my home town. It could be "better" if they put some attention on it and Ver 2 seem to be huge improvement from 5.0 for X. Give them some time. It's still only beta

Next time, give some good reason why people shouldn't be using AOL. Don't bash on AOL

They're starting to realize that mac market is the way to go.

digimage · May 16, 2002, 02:06 PM

Originally posted by gumby5647:
ahhhh... my scroll wheel doesn't work!! oh how horrible...

otherwise, reduce the toolbar down and a few other UI tweaks and i think we have a winner...

The Scroll Wheel isn't ready in Web Browser windows yet. It's a gecko thing.
The wheel works for me everywhere else tho.

The toolbar is way too big.

Jowy · May 16, 2002, 07:00 PM

It's ok. I like to see that AOL is payin attention the UI even if it's not that great right now, it's a start. For awhile there I was thinking that they'd just keep the same old look of v5.0 till the end of time.

xyber233 · May 16, 2002, 11:05 PM

I like the interface now that I use just text and no icons. Its good to see that AOL on the mac is almost on par with windows. I also like the switch to Netscape Gecko.

KaptainKaya · May 17, 2002, 12:45 AM

Not a bad start. A lot better than last years release. I just had to try it at work..oh well, had to set it up anyway!! Now, about the tabbed browsing in Mozilla....I think AOL should adopt that.

Montanan · May 18, 2002, 07:10 PM

You know, the more I look at the UI for the new AOL for Mac OS X, the more I'm convinced that I'm also looking at the UI for the (not yet released) version 8 of AOL for Windows. That new interface looks so much like XP ... I'm willing to bet that AOL is using its unwitting Mac users as the guinea pigs for a planned revamp of its Windows UI.

Anyone wanna take that bet??

schep · May 18, 2002, 08:22 PM

Originally posted by digimage:


The Scroll Wheel isn't ready in Web Browser windows yet. It's a gecko thing.
The wheel works for me everywhere else tho.

The toolbar is way too big.

Works in mozilla thats gecko isn't it

gnosis · May 19, 2002, 12:41 PM

can someone tell me where to download it? i downloaded from VersionTracker, and ended up with the AOL for OS X v1 even though it's listed as v2 on the VT page....

keyword: macbeta just tells me i'll have to wait 3 days for them to tell me if they'll "let me participate in the beta program"

this is ridiculous

Montanan · May 19, 2002, 12:58 PM

Originally posted by gnosis:
can someone tell me where to download it? i downloaded from VersionTracker, and ended up with the AOL for OS X v1 even though it's listed as v2 on the VT page....

keyword: macbeta just tells me i'll have to wait 3 days for them to tell me if they'll "let me participate in the beta program"

this is ridiculous

The only legitimate way to get it is to be accepted as an AOL Mac beta tester. I think acceptance is pretty much automatic, though, and they usually seem to get back to you within a day or so of your request.

Adam Betts · May 19, 2002, 01:56 PM

I've decided to put em up for download via iDisk.
http://homepage.mac.com/thebettsbro/AOLforOSXv2.sit (16.7mb)

Have fun

KaptainKaya · May 19, 2002, 04:09 PM

Originally posted by Adam Betts:
I've decided to put em up for download via iDisk.
http://homepage.mac.com/thebettsbro/AOLforOSXv2.sit (16.7mb)

Have fun

Careful with the bandwidth there Adam. I hope with one download you don't get iTools shut off! I'll post it later on my server when I get the chance though

gnosis · May 20, 2002, 12:22 AM

well, still haven't heard back from macbeta, and the link isn't working (bandwidth) so...

jaredbkt · May 20, 2002, 12:36 AM

If anyone has more screen shots of this new AOL on a web site I'd love to see them. Thanks.

Adam Betts · May 20, 2002, 04:07 AM

Here are more screenshots of AOL for MacOS X v.2 in action:
http://homepage.mac.com/adambetts/PhotoAlbum5.html

Enjoy

undotwa · May 20, 2002, 06:08 AM

Originally posted by Adam Betts:
Here are more screenshots of AOL for MacOS X v.2 in action:
http://homepage.mac.com/adambetts/PhotoAlbum5.html

Enjoy

Besides the toolbar, most of it... actually looks pretty good. Although it's not what I would call 'compliant', but it seems to fit together well.

It even uses sheets!

clebin · May 20, 2002, 08:36 AM

Can someone take a screenshot of the full browser?

I assumed AOL were using Netscape 6.2.x, but from what I can gather here, they're just using Gecko. Vanilla Netscape 6 would be a huge mistake for them... This looks much much better, if a bit bright.

Chris

KaptainKaya · May 20, 2002, 10:45 AM

Damn server...it won't let me share the AOL file. I'll find a way though..

tenchi71 · May 20, 2002, 01:23 PM

Originally posted by clebin:
Can someone take a screenshot of the full browser?

I assumed AOL were using Netscape 6.2.x, but from what I can gather here, they're just using Gecko. Vanilla Netscape 6 would be a huge mistake for them... This looks much much better, if a bit bright.

Chris

Just like always... the browser is integrated into the AOL client. Unfortunately, tabbed windows aren't implemented. Here's a quick looksie!

Full Screen Link

[ 05-21-2002: Message edited by: tenchi71 ]

Adam Betts · May 20, 2002, 02:02 PM

tenchi, could you please shrink the pic and link to large version instead? Thanks

xyber233 · May 20, 2002, 08:15 PM

I recommend switching the interface to "text only". Not only does it look better, but its more functional and less annoying.

hamiltondj · May 20, 2002, 09:04 PM

Is the browser a modified mozilla or just the geko engine?

tenchi71 · May 21, 2002, 09:34 PM

Originally posted by Adam Betts:
tenchi, could you please shrink the pic and link to large version instead? Thanks

Sorry about that, shrunk the size and created a link to the full size pic.

Originally posted by hamiltond:
Is the browser a modified mozilla or just the geko engine?

It uses the Geko Engine within the AOL client software. It has all the same quirks and benefits (minus the tabbed browsing) of Mozilla, without the Mozilla interface.