There are plenty of reasons to welcome AOL 3.0. Among other things, you can say good-bye to the lost time waiting for graphics to download-the new, faster art downloads in version 3.0 let you spend less time waiting and more time exploring. Progressive image rendering enables you to enter an area before images have completely downloaded by clicking on temporary placeholder icon buttons.

The Welcome screen has been redesigned to provide single-click access to AOL's most popular areas: E-mail, People Connection, the Internet, Channels (formerly the Main Menu), What's Hot and Today's News. You can now explore 26 areas in the Channels area, where new faces are mingled in with the familiar sights.

A toolbar with pop-up descriptions of the new icons allows easier access to areas such as Keyword, Favorite Places, Personal Filing Cabinet, Member Services and Online Clock.

AOL E-mail has been revamped as well. You can now add hyperlinks with drag-and-drop, or change the text and background color of your messages with the new message-formatting toolbar.

In addition, you'll see an improved Web browser with enhanced security features, support for tables and frames, a Find feature to aid your searches and hyperlinks integrated with AOL's proprietary content. And there's more to come: Internet Explorer 3.0 will be incorporated into the new software in the fall, once Microsoft has released a final version.

Whether you're a starving artist or a nonprofit good-deed doer, the Web has a free home (page) for you. Browse these virtual real-estate agencies for a site without the sticker price.

CompuServe and Prodigy are also improving their Web services. With the launch of Virtual Passport, CompuServe plans to get users deeper into the Web. This technology will give CompuServe members access to other Web sites that charge for a subscription, incorporating those charges into your monthly CIS bill. It allows you to enter a single password and user ID, and access these sites automatically.