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The original CompuServe service, first offered in 1979, was shut down this past week by its current owner, AOL. The service, which provided its users with addresses such as 73402,3633 and was the first major online service, had seen the number of users dwindle in recent years. At its height, the service boasted about having over half a million users simultaneously on line. Many innovations we now take for granted, from online travel (Eaasy Sabre), online shopping, online stock quotations, and global weather forecasts, just to name a few, were standard fare on CompuServe in the 1980s.
CompuServe users will be able to use their existing CompuServe Classic (as the service was renamed) addresses at no charge via a new e-mail system, but the software that the service was built on, along with all the features supported by that software, from forums for virtually every topic and profession known to man to members’ Ourworld Web pages, has been shut down. Indeed, the current version of the service’s client software, CompuServe for Windows NT 4.0.2, dates back to 1999.
I’ll never forget my 300 baud modem and marveling at how fast the text appeared on the screen hooked up to my TV with my C64.
72717,3154 says goodbyeto CompuServe and thanks for turning me into a geek.
What a quiet death. But then again AOL the owner is not too far behind.
I remember using compuserve on a commodore 64 year ago. I cannot believe that was cutting edge at one time. Then of course AOL came into play. I guess it has done pretty well though considering its just now gone.
Both CompuServe and AOL had the wrong business model – NOT FREE !!! CompuServe was $6 per hour plus connect time and AOL would sign you up and NEVER LET YOU QUIT THE SERVICE (AND AUTOMATIC CHARGES TO YOUR CREDIT CARD !!!) – MAROONS !!!
I was a member of “The Source” before I was a member of Compuserve, but back then, it was known as “Micronet.” (Compuserve eventually bought out The Source) These were old guard timesharing companies with an idea that by offering very reduced rates during their off peak hours that they could market to individuals. Eventually desktop systems with more power than mainframes killed off the primary business, and the public services became primary.
I ultimately became a sysop of a forum on Compuserve. Compuserve created the first real one stop shopping place for email (before internet email) and information of all types.
But Compuserve made the mistake of resisting change. I can tell you that those of us involved were shouting warnings to management about what was going to happen (Al Gore and others opening the internet to commercialism) and that they had to abandon the hourly fee model. They didn’t listen. They grudgingly opened up to POP3 email. Once the internet caught on, it was a matter of time before such services died off. AOL survived largely by being “internet for dummies” and using proxy servers to keep people out of trouble. How much longer will they survive? Who knows.
I maintained a classic account because it gave me world wide access to UUNET which I used a few times. Nowadays, with wi-fi everywhere, it isn’t really worth it anymore (assuming the access is still there).
It was a really fun time to be on line. We were all breaking new ground! I met some people there in chat that I still consider friends to this day. Back then, chat rooms were safe because only computer nerds were there.
Yes people were on line with TRS-80s, Apple IIs, and assorted cp/m machines. And then eventually the IBM pc came along! It was all text based, so all you needed was a dial-up connection.
Bye bye old friend.
Chris
I thought CompuServe had gone years ago. I remember using my Atari 800 with a Hayes 300 baud modem on CompuServe.
Had some good times on that service, good memories.
aahhh good old Compu$crew… overcharging at $6 an hour..
what more could ya ask for.. Used to play a space exploration/battle game there…
of course i was only a captain then (wink)
Sigh. Nostalgia.
71236,1416
I used Compuserve a lot for work but, for personal use, I preferred “GEnie” and “FidoNet” — remember those?
I still miss FidoNet a little. It had a local flavor to it that was mostly lost with the Internet and is only now coming back with social networking.
I used both CompuServe and Delphi way back in my TI-994A days. The costs didn’t seem exorbitant back then because there wasn’t much competition (especially when you lived in the boonies) and CompuServe’s network served more markets than anyone else. (This is why AOL bought them out). And they had “Internet mail” before AOL or Delphi did, so it “scaled” with the newer platforms.
Sad to see it go, but like everyone else, I’m surprised it hadn’t gone earlier.
Chris1, boy did you start the memories start flowing. I, too, was a sysop on “The Source” right up to the end, when they were “acquired” by CI$(and the bitterness of THAT has not ever abated).
I tried CI$ but abandoned it. Ended up on BIX for a while, working on a forum there.
I agree that the business model was wrong once the Internet opened up. Owell, que sera sera.
It was a thrill to be “connected” to a source of real information on my Apple II+ with an amber NTSC monitor and Hayes 300baud modem also. I popped for the 80 column card, too!. It was great. I also, at the same time, was using the Apple for Packet Radio on 2 meters, and that was even better! And free! I think I only dabbled on Compuserve, since seemed pricey to me, and Packet was free, and I had the sense that I was actually doing it by myself. Which I was. AOL always seemed to suck as far as I was concerned, and I never used it. I started with SlipNet years ago, when Netscape came along, with a 14.4 modem on a black and white 50mhz Thinkpad and a used 14 inch color monitor I picked up from work.
71555,1144 here.
Joined Compuserve in 1978-79. Logged on with my Heathkit H8. Kept the account a lot longer than I needed it.
Another service I liked was PC Pursuit. It provided no content. It just provided access to an “outdial” modem in twelve cities around the US for thirty bucks a month. One of those cities was Denver. There was a free bbs on the University of Denver that provided Internet access for free. Using PC Pursuit I was able access the bbs from coastal Georgia. The speed was 2400 baud.
The bbs is no longer associated with the university but it is still there and the home of my oldest Internet email address, welkins@nyx.net.
http://nyx.net or telnet nyx.net
70406,250 Here.
Even though I have not thought about, or used CIS in many years, it was my “first”. I am a bit saddend hear abouts it’s demise.
I fondly remember many hours spent in forums, and just exploring UUNET and making friends in the chatrooms. RIP CIS!
A Northgate computer running CP/M and the GEM graphical interface on a green phosphor monitor! 300 baud modem sitting there flashing mystery lights at me and text scrolling so slowly on the screen you could go take a leak and not miss anything. Bulletin Boards that served as discussion arenas (a la DU) and as email!
Nothing worked very well. We all used software redialers to keep calling until we got a connection.
Thank you CompuServe. You won’t be missed but you were an important part of my life.
Ah, I remember CompuServe. I really did not have much use for most of its services as I came from the BBS world where I already had access to forums and email. However, I got a CompuServe account for one reason: all of the Microsoft material was originally on CompuServe only. It was a wealth of information that gave me a significant competitive advantage over most consultants of the day.
I did use Sabre once or twice but it was never as thorough as a travel agent. Today, however, there isn’t much use left for travel agents.
The day that Microsoft moved/copied its material to the Internet was the day I knew that CompuServe’s days were numbered. Frankly, I was shocked it still existed.
Guess what Ed! With nyx.net you really do have to have the www soooooo
http://tinyurl.com/l55sob
Its interesting
Compuserve was the first sort of readily available large scale , more than your neighborhood city area commercial service
A lot of people got started and realized the power of the communications and information availability via compuserve
It got you started but you soon realized it was expensive and added up quickly
It was on dial up , it was mainly text with some pull down windows ( windows 3.1) program from
Cserve called C.I.S. ( Compuserve Information System I guess)
There were automated programs to dial into the forums of you choice , get headers of new messages , you would then select offline and call back to retrieve ( more $ to add up)
However when the internet came – the comparison of actually being to interact with a computer around the world blew away Cserve
However it must be noted that Compuserve got a lot of people started, showed the availability of information sources and pioneered availability of commercial service to private people online
It also demonstrated that if you had a question or a problem that there was someone half way around the world with expertise who would be simply willing to help you out – out of the goodness of their heart
Interestingly just like at AOL ( later ) upper management was clueless
While AOL was giving start up disks ( repeatedly) to anyone who was breathing to get them hooked , and AOL in its ads always had the grandparent spouting ” I use it to talk to my grandchildren by email ” , and always the 14 year old virgin in her bedroom , Cserve as I recall had totally useless ads
I ad was how a guy met a girl half way around the world and I guess got laid
It was a place where you could find drivers and support from many a company before the internet took flight. ZDNet had a forum there. The first academic search engines could be found there (you could look for scientific papers). Lexis-Nexis was also there.
It was very handy to be able to plan your own flight with it through Sabre.
I remember the virtual cb radio forum, as well as all other forums.
It was also quite international. You could find people from everywhere.
At the time, even though it cost money, it was worth it.
Unfortunately, like a lot of businesses, the management didn’t understand the need to adjust to the changing times and respond to competition from new business models and new technologies. Very sad.
At the time, even though it cost some money, it was worth it.
Unfortunately, like a lot of businesses, the management didn’t understand the need to adjust to the changing times and respond to competition from new business models and new technologies.
Very sad, because conceptually they were way, way ahead of the curve.