I remember CIS when it used to cost something like $24.00 an hour for 1200 or 2400 Baud access in 1988. Kept dropping the line, though CIS still charged you until you logged out, IIRC. Friggin' expensive!

Glorified bulletin board, way back then. Jesus, I am old...

Actually, now that I've awoken from a cold sleep, I think the rate was somewhere in the vicinity of $48.00 per hour. Man, they screwed everyone back then.

I agree with the negative rating. ZERO. if they could be put as the last internet provider I would do that. I have been with them for years. never good customer service. terrible downloads. no response to errors or questions or repeated disconnects. they don't support many graphics. and now of all things, when I complained they began billing me once a week instead of once a month! complaints are getting nowhere. I will be disputing and cancelling my service with Compuserve. don't get it! it will be a nightmare!

i had this for 3 yrs it rocked!

What are you people talking about? AOL OWNS COMPUSERV as well as wal-mart connect, same access numbers, same Screenname Service almost the same client without as many useless features.

I only have AOL to compare it to (from 3 years ago), so while pricey, manipulative, not leading-edge, and full of ads, it's OK I guess.

Their service SUCKS. It is unreliable, has an ugly graphics display, and is totally not useful for people that know anything about using the internet.

I absolutely hate compuserve. I've been stuck with it for 3 whole freakin years! Its horrible. It is by no way even worth an outrageous 21 bucks a month! Thats about what, 252 bucks a year! It doesnt even let me connect to stuff. whenever napster was around, I could never connect to that. I cant listen to streaming audio or anything that has to connect to another server. Compuserve is terrible. Never get it. It is indeed a cheap version of aol, and it isnt even cheap, and aol can actually let you connect to other servers. If you do come across a computer with a 3 year deal of compuserve, DON'T GET IT.

My CompuServe Nightmare: My ordeal with CompuServe started back in August of 1998. I signed up for Compuserve's unlimited hours "free" trial. I called to cancel within the month of September (before 30 days was up) and I was told I could have another month of Compuserve with absolutely no charge. I naturally accepted this extention of my trial. Big mistake. They charged $xxx.xx on their so-called "free trial time". Maybe they do not understand English very well; free means you DON'T charge. I was blatantly lied to by the Compuserve representative I spoke to. After numerous calls to Compuserve were getting me nowhere, I decided to write a letter to the president of Compuserve, Mayo Stuntz. I later received a reply in December (almost two months later) from Cserve's executive liason indicating that the charges would be removed. I also at this time got my bank to block any attempts by Cserve to place any charges on my credit card. Fine all good, the matter was resolved, or so the letter I was sent, said. Now 6 months later (that's right, count 'em, six months), Compuserve is charging me. The reason for this charge from a company who's services I have not used since October of '98 remains unclear. The cserve representative I spoke to over the phone was of no help (big surprise). Compuserve has threatened to call in a collection agency (since my bank won't let them charge my credit card). Let them call in their colletion agency, and see what good it will do. The truth WILL prevail. And it has!!! (to a certain extent) I have yet to hear anything from CompuServe after sending out the last letter. Don't take wrongful billing from any company sitting down! Do something about it!! CompuServe Service: Now to describe how bad the Compuserve online service really is: Content: dull and uninteresting overall is poor quality Speed and reliability: quite sluggish generally unreliable often a hassle to connect slow browsing and downloading off internet Other: e-mail is poor (some find the pigeon method of mail superior) the program interface colours are frankly, damn ugly the program sounds are very annoying and unpleasant Overall Compuserve experience: Abysmal. AOL is not worth its cost; CServe is definitely not worth its cost. Why do you think so many people left it? Long time rival AOL, bought CServe in February 1998; that goes to show miserably they were doing. Of course, AOL isn't going to spend much of its billions to improve Compuserve (heck, they barely spend enough to improve themselves).

I've never had Compuserve, I'm just seeing if I can push AOL down as far as I can.

I don't always get hooked up th efirst try--but that might be my phone line, and not cs. I like that I can have 6 email addresses, and the price is good. I wish the email were more html-friendly.

If there was such a thing as a NEGATIVE star, this would be the time to use it. I bought my daughter and mother-in-law computers that had the "Sign-up now with CS and get $XX off!" Sheesh! Took at LEAST THREE days of calling just to hear a person speak and put me on hold. Not isolated... EVERY TIME I've tried to call for ANYTHING, it's more painful than pulling teeth. Once I *finally* got the info squared away, the dial-up connection is ALWAYS busy... ALWAYS! Even using multiple numbers. If you are considering buying one a computer that is attached with a COMPUSERVE deal, pay the extra and get another server or shop around for someone who has the "MSN" deal instead...PLEASE! PLEASE!

buggy, slow, proprietary crap!

I think it's a little overpriced. Way to much advertisement for paying $21.95. But I signed a contract when I bought a new pc. One thing that really bugs me is ~ I get disconnected at the worst times. I could easily get better service at a cheaper price.

Compuserve is what I use, and it is the best system ever. You get 3 free years, and then it's pretty cheap afterwards. They have great features: Instant messenger, news, entertainment, men, woman, interactive magazines, tv schedules, food coupons, chat, love, exercise, horoscope, tarot card readings [I'm not kidding].

I've never used Compuserve, that's right never but I'm still giving them a terrible and here's why. I bought a computer about 1 year ago and then returned it within the hour ( I went to another store and they had the same one for $100 less) and Compuserve which was notified of this never cancelled my internet agreement. Since that time they have charged me $21.95 a month for a internet connection that I've never activated and never knew I even had. Then when I finally caught on they cancelled my service and agreed to refund the money once they got confirmation (for a second time) from the store that it should have never been started because the computer had been returned. Well that was almost three months ago during which time they haven't charged me for Internet service once thank god..instead they charged me a $450 cancellation of contract fee. Excuse me while I leave this message so I can go and get back on hold to wait for someone at Compuserve to pick up and talk to me.

It wont let me play one of my games online where as AOL did let me. It screws up A LOT! It wont let me online often. It kicks me off A LOT! It just SUX!

The first few months of the service were fine. As time wnet on I noticed that the help department was not very helpful in getting my problems resolved. I am very unpleased. I have been with CompuServe for 2 years now and I am thinking of canceling my contact, paying the difference and getting a new service. It is that bad.

An AOL wanna-be. Substitute a less annoying voice, and a bit lower price and a slightly different look, and you have Compuserve. The browser is slightly less mediocre than AOL's. It still sucks!

Slow to get on. Sometimes it takes too long to get from web page to web page.

It isn't able to connect to as many websites as AOL.

Used this for a couple of years. As time went by we had more and more trouble getting on line when we needed too. When we moved we changed to a different service.