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Novices will love the intuitive feel of the new CompuServe, while veteran users will appreciate the addition of long-desired features. With version 3.0, the online service replaces its proprietary interface with a slick, Web-like design that conforms with CompuServe's move to an all-HTML format.
CompuServe has improved and radically changed many features. This version is far easier to navigate, with built-in viewers that allow you to read charts, graphs, photos and other multimedia files. Single-click links connect you to various places within the service. The integrated Web browser-Microsoft's Internet Explorer 3.0-bridges the once-vast division between proprietary services and Web-based sites.
CIS allows you to explore other CompuServe areas while uploading or downloading a file. Forum management is also greatly enhanced. This version manages messages in a more intuitive fashion by mapping the threads more clearly. You can log private chat boxes to a text file, and manage all chats from a single window instead of individual windows.
The new UI is more user-friendly, with readily available organizational tools. Some of the most notable are Recent Places, which tracks where you have been in CIS; To Do List, a scheduling applet; a customizable toolbar; and a sorting feature for your preferred areas.
CompuServe 3.0 presents a very good-looking new interface, and offers greater functionality and a more universal approach to the proprietary online service market.
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Compiled by David Hafke, Tom Ponzo, Paul Silverman and Lori L. Bloomer
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