NetZero third generation dial-up.Manufacturer: United Online (United Online, Inc., Woodland Hills, CA, www.unitedonline.net) A merger of the Juno and NetZero online services in 2001. Later that year, it acquired the BlueLight.com service from Kmart. In 2004, it added to its portfolio of consumer Internet services by acquiring Classmates Online, Inc., which operates Classmates.com. See Juno. Inc., Woodland Hills Description: Internet connection comparable to lower-tier DSL broadband Internet speeds Price: $14.95 per month UNITED Online promises "dial-up as fast as lower-tier DSL broadband" with its new NetZero HiSpeed 3G dial-up service. The software can be downloaded from NetZero's Web site and installed on any computer. But in a recent test of the service under normal operating conditions, HiSpeed 3G didn't live up to its promises. The connection speed averaged 37 kilobits (thousand bits). For technical specifications, it refers to 1,024 bits. In general usage, it typically refers to an even one thousand bits (see kilo). Also Kb, Kbit and K-bit. See kibi and space/time. per second. Other dial-up services provide speeds of up to 46.6 kbps. Typical DSL speed is 256 kbps, although it can fall to 60 kbps. But that's still higher than NetZero's average. A slight increase in speed can be achieved for a tradeoff of quality in the pages being viewed; in other words, a slightly faster download rate is possible albeit with lower resolution. NetZero is convenient, though--no DSL box or cable modem connections required, just a phone jack with a modem-equipped computer. The Business Journal welcomes candidates for this feature. Products must be made in the L.A. area. Please e-mail ideas to newsdesk@labusinessjournal.com. |
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