America Online Introduces All New AOL For Mac OS X; Next Generation of AOL for the Mac, Delivers New Features, Enhancements and Elegant Design.

Business/Technology Editors

DULLES, Va.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--August 12, 2002

America Online, Inc., the world's leading interactive services company, today announced the availability of the all new AOL for Mac OS X, with enhancements to AOL's most popular features and an elegant new design that takes full advantage of Mac OS X's stunning Aqua user interface.

The new AOL for Mac OS X was developed with extensive consumer feedback by AOL members who wanted an online service designed for how they use the Internet today and that was a seamless part of the design, functionality and navigation of the Mac OS X operating system.

AOL for Mac OS X brings together enhancements to AOL's popular e-mail and instant messaging features, such as a counter on the Mac OS X dock that displays the number of new messages; the new AOL Search; the addition of new short-cut keys, as well as several Mac-first features, including the integration of the Netscape Gecko Web browser.

David Gang, Executive Vice President of AOL's Product Marketing Group, said: "Our first priority is giving our members the best online experience available, no matter what kind of computer they use or how they get online. We've listened to what our members who use Macs want, focused on the features they use most, and taken a number of steps to make AOL's convenience and ease-of-use more fully integrated into the Mac environment."

"We're very excited that AOL is continuing to enhance the experience for its Mac users with this newest release of AOL for Mac OS X," said Ron Okamoto, Apple's vice president of Worldwide Developer Relations. "AOL Mac users will enjoy the enhancements made to this latest version of AOL for Mac OS X that take advantage of the core features of the platform including the award-winning Aqua user interface and easy-to-use Dock."

As AOL has become the central way that members communicate and share information, the new AOL for Mac OS X includes improvements to the core messaging, community and safety features that AOL members rely on the most, including:

- A new message counter that displays the number of new e-mails and instant messages on the AOL icon in the Mac OS X Dock when members are connected to the service. Other features include support for HTML-rich e-mail; an online presence indicator with a one click way to send an instant message or e-mail and add names to the Buddy List(R) feature or Address Book; Buddy Icons to personalize instant messages; the ability to extend an instant message conversation into a Buddy Chat with friends; and automatic address suggestions from a member's Address Book for added convenience when sending e-mail and instant messages.

- More versatile Buddy Lists with the ability to customize font type style and size; mobile device icons that show when members are using a wireless device; idle detection that signals when members have been away from their computer; and personalized "away" messages. In addition, the Buddy List and Address Book can each be accessed with shortcut keys.

- The all new AOL Search, a comprehensive online search service that delivers faster and more relevant results across all of AOL and the Web with Google's best-of-breed search technology, along with localized, contextual search results.

- AOL offers the best safety and security features in the industry, and to help parents keep kids safe online we offer award-winning Parental Controls and privacy protections. Additionally, AOL for Mac OS X members can easily report Terms of Service (TOS) violations and questionable messages by simply clicking on a new "Notify AOL" button on the e-mail window.

- A new Welcome Screen with one-click access to e-mail; digital pictures through the You've Got Pictures service; My Calendar, chat, and updated news and weather forecasts each time members sign on. Programming rotates throughout the day with expanded news coverage that's timely and topical, making it easy for members to hear and talk about breaking news, entertainment, celebrity updates and key issues. The new design also puts local, community-focused features such as shopping, local movie and entertainment event listings, and other resources front and center throughout the service to make AOL an even more relevant and valuable part of members' daily lives.

- A "speed detect" feature that automatically delivers an online experience optimized for a member's connection speed. When a member signs on via a broadband connection, AOL presents seamless access to the Internet's best selection of audio and video content -- news reports, sports highlights, music videos, movie clips - via the Welcome Screen.

- For convenience and easy navigation around AOL, many toolbar headings have been moved to the Menu Bar -- the area where Mac users are most accustomed to find commands.

"Mac First" AOL Features

The new AOL for Mac OS X offers several features that are first for the Mac, including:

- Integration of the Netscape Gecko Web browser, providing a fast and seamless Web browsing experience that delivers the very best programming on the Web;

- Apple's QuickTime media player for easy enjoyment of streaming video and audio content when accessing the AOL service through a high-speed Internet connection;

- Compatibility with Apple's iChat, for instant messaging between Mac.com members, AOL members, and AOL(R) Instant Messenger(TM) (AIM) users.

- Access to AOL Favorite Places from anywhere so members can access content and pages from their home computers as well as from work. With AOL for Mac OS X, members can also access their e-mail, Buddy List, Address Book and other favorite features from any computer.

- AOL for Mac OS X is compatible with Apple's AirPort, providing members with the freedom of wireless home networking - so they can be online anywhere at home without plugging in their Mac.

AOL members on the Mac will continue to enjoy all of the unique features available only to the Mac platform such as the ability to play and embed sounds in an e-mail and share them with other AOL Mac users; the ability to attach files by dragging and dropping them into the e-mail attachment window; and the ability to enter every e-mail address in a single box and change the delivery type for each address (to/cc/bcc) with a simple click. Users can also have the text of instant messages, as well as chat, e-mail and buttons under their cursor read aloud using built-in speech synthesis.

This new version of AOL for Mac OS X is available as an upgrade for existing members at no additional charge in the United States at AOL Keyword: Upgrade and at www.aol.com

About America Online:

America Online, Inc. is a wholly owned subsidiary of AOL Time Warner (NYSE: AOL). Based in Dulles, Virginia, America Online is the world's leader in interactive services, Web brands, Internet technologies and e-commerce services.