
 INTERNET ACCESS AT $3 PER MONTH - DELPHI MAKES THE GLOBAL CONNECTION
 --------------------------------------------------------------------

The Internet has very nearly outgrown its status as a network and become a
metaconcept subsuming everything in its path. Virtually all the commercial
online services, with the lone exception of Prodigy, have established e-mail
gateway connections to the global network. And Prodigy ostensibly is only
wrestling with how to make the sometimes indecipherable vagaries of the
Internet interface rational to their largely novice user base. But these
gateways generally allow only individual e-mail messages to pass to an
Internet address. And while many users are joining mailing lists that work
with these gateways, they are unable to participate in such services as
Gopher, Archie, WAIS, Directory Databases, and the much richer world of
Internet services available by File Transfer Protocol (ftp) and telnet login.

The Delphi Online Service began offering full Internet access this past
December, including real-time electronic mail, File Transfer Protocol (ftp),
and telnet access out to other services on the Internet and becomes one of
the very few large consumer online services to make the full connection.
DELPHI currently sports about 100,000 users making it the fifth largest
commercial service behind Prodigy, CompuServe, GEnie, and America Online.
While CompuServe, GEnie, and AOL offer e-mail gateways, none of the four
services offer a full Internet access to their callers at all.

According to Rusty Williams, DELPHI's general manager, "Prior to now, anyone
interested in accessing the Internet had a very limited number of options. In
most cases you had to be connected directly through your company or school.
DELPHI is now an important low-cost access option available to home computer
users. Anyone can connect to DELPHI with a local call from over 600 cities
and towns throughout the US and in many foreign countries."

DELPHI's Internet gateway swings both ways. Callers to Delphi who access the
service by direct dial, Sprintnet, or Tymnet can port out to any of thousands
of services on the Internet. But Internet users can also access DELPHI by
telnet to delphi.com to gain access to services such as Grolier's Academic
American Encyclopedia, the Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Reuters and UPI
news services, stock quotes, travel reservations, real time conferencing, and
multiplayer games as well as hundreds of Special Interest Groups (SIG)
covering as many topics of interest.

DELPHI has also added the Internet SIG where members and staff can exchange
useful information about use of the Internet. The SIG includes a discussion
forum as well as downloadable files containing Internet access software
programs, documents describing various services on the network, and guide
books. And of course, DELPHI users now have an Internet mail box where they
can receive mail.

DELPHI is currently one of the most aggressively priced commercial services
offering two fairly reasonable pricing plans. The 10/4 plan costs $10 per
month and includes 4 hours of connect time with additional hours priced at $4
per hour. The 20/20 Advantage Plan is $20 per month and includes 20 hours of
connect free connect time with additional hours priced at a very attractive
$1.80 per hour. This is an exceptional value considering the local access
from some 600 cities. Access using Sprintnet and Tymnet during peak business
hours does involve a surcharge and Internet access incurs a $3 per month
surcharge.

Currently, DELPHI is also offering Boardwatch readers a unique trial
membership program whereby prospective users can receive 5 hours of access at
no charge. To participate in the program direct dial callers can call
800-365-4636. On connect, press ENTER once or twice and at the PASSWORD
prompt enter BW34. Internet users can access DELPHI to see what is available
on the service by entering telnet delphi.com. At the login prompt, enter
JOINDELPHI and at the PASSWORD prompt, enter BW34. Through either access
method, callers will complete an online registration form, including credit
card information, and receive five hours connect time. Subscriptions can be
canceled with no further obligation if you don't wish to continue under the
10/4 or 20/20 plan. Both DELPHI and BIX are operated by General Videotex
Corporation, 1030 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, MA 02138; (800)695-4005
voice; (800)365-4636 data.

