America Online, by far the most popular online service (and also the single largest Internet gateway), has consistently taken a cross-platform approach in its software releases. Version 3.0 was available first for Windows, of course—in accordance with the prevalent industry practice of market-share-driven software development. However, AOL 3.0 was released first for Windows 3.1, not Windows 95. And this was in fact quite logical, since Win 3.1 still claims the largest AOL user base and remains the most widely used platform overall. A version for Windows 95 soon followed, needless to say, and now AOL 3.0 is available on the Mac as well (in both 68K and PowerPC versions). This sequence of releases is remarkable in its completeness and uniformity: the software's interface and functionality (with one notable exception, which we'll address) are virtually identical across all platforms.

The exception has to do with the way AOL integrates Internet Explorer (which in turn relates to Microsoft's IE release policy). Since Explorer is first and foremost a Windows 95 product, other versions of the software are less capable. And this means AOL's "default browser" is less capable on the Win 3.1 and Mac platforms.

On the Mac, oddly, the browser is "based on" Explorer 2.1 (rather than Explorer 3.0) and does not match the performance of the Microsoft original. Experienced users will not care, though, since AOL 3.0 works smoothly as an Internet access network and it's easy to run any browser you choose (in our case, Navigator 3.0) in lieu of the one that's bundled. AOL still rates high marks for its sleek design, its consistent cross-platform implementation, and now, its flat-rate pricing policy.

CompuServe 3.0 also sports a sleek new interface; whether you prefer it to AOL's will be a matter of personal taste. And, again like AOL, CompuServe implements IE 3.0 most successfully in its Windows 95 version. But there is a major difference in the way the browser is implemented: because CompuServe is in the process of converting to HTML-based Web standards, Explorer is integrated seamlessly into the online software, at least for Windows 95 users. (AOL continues to use proprietary software, so IE 3.0 is launched as a separate, stand-alone application.)

Many people will prefer the way CompuServe has integrated the Web with its own content, but others will have reservations about this and other aspects of the CompuServe experience. Macintosh users, for example, have increasingly been left behind (CompuServe does promise a 3.0 version for the Mac, but the current Mac interface has long been out-of-date and lags far behind either Windows version in both functionality and ease-of-use). And CompuServe's pricing strategy is an issue on any platform: the company plans to concentrate on add-on premium pricing, a far cry from the flat-rate trend that has fueled Internet growth in recent years. It remains to be seen whether CompuServe's wide-ranging content and forums retain sufficient allure to sustain this pricing model, but the policy is bound to hobble the service in the consumer mainstream. CompuServe's core users, though, are sure to like the new 3.0 interface.

Microsoft's Macintosh Internet team, the San Jose-based "MS Bay," labors under an impossible assignment: bringing the company's Mac products to parity with their Win 95 counterparts. Impossible, because Microsoft's driving focus is, and always will be, Windows dominance across the board. That said, the Mac division is doing a credible job of buttressing the company's "cross-platform" claims.

Internet Explorer 3.0 for the Mac, currently in beta, offers much of the functionality (and most of the look and feel) of the Windows 95 version. For example, IE 3.0/Mac supports Microsoft's innovative cascading style sheets. Some gaps (such as JavaScript support) remain, however, so even though Microsoft is making real progress on the Mac side, Netscape Navigator 3.0 is still—for many reasons—the Macintosh browser of choice.

(Reviewed November 30, 1996)