In need of tech help, please

I recently bought a new laptop after about five years of procrastinating because I hate dealing with anything related to technology.  I finally bit the bullet when my old laptop died (duh!)and forced my hand.  But what really amazed me was how quickly and readily I made my decision after angsting about it for years.  And that, dear kossacks was because of you.

As soon as it was clear that I couldn't put off the inevitable any longer, I simply re-read every recent diary  in which fellow kossacks asked for tech support and volia! In a matter of hours, I knew exactly what to buy --  brand, configuration, critical features, price range, etc.  So now, I am coming to you with a question of my own.

My new laptop is an HP PC -- from the business line.  It has built in wireless, ethernet and a dial-up modem.  Because I often travel to places overseas with only dial-up access,  I have always used AOL as my ISP.  While I hate what it does to my hard drive (it pretty much takes over your computer), it always had the best international access capabilites for dial-up.  Also, I have been an AOL customer since 1994 and hate the thought of changing my primary personal e-mail address at this point in time.  So my questions are these:

Does anyone have any suggestions for another ISP that has broad and deep coverage overseas, particularly in the developing world?

Given the changes in AOL since I first subscribed, if I still have to use it for dial-up access overseas, is there a way to have my AOL accounts (yes, multiple) drop into MS Outlook, so that I can manipulate and organize my e-mail  better and easier than I can in AOL?  

And if there is a way to rig this, can I do it separately for each e-mail address or do all of my AOL accounts have to land in the same mailbox in MS Outlook?

It's highly likely that I am not explaining myself perfectly here since I am not a techie, and it's also highly likely that there are options of which I am not aware in the least, for the very same reason.  So please feel free to offer even the most basic insights, since they'll probably be news to me, and don't hesitate to ask any questions that might help you to better understand my situation.

P.S.  In case it matters, my broadband -- and hence wireless --service at home is from Time Warner, though I do not have an e-mail account with them (road runner).

Thanks everyone -- and happy holdiays!

•  Hi mindoca!

  I was just thinking about you tonight.

  I'm sure you'll get the help you need from someone here.

  BTW, there's a meetup in NYC tomorrow night, if you're free. It would be nice to see you.

  by casperr on Wed Dec 26, 2007 at 07:35:24 PM PDT

  •  Caspurrrrrr... Check the diary for the meetup!

    Can't wait to see you.

    by mindoca on Wed Dec 26, 2007 at 07:39:21 PM PDT

•  I'm sorry to

  say that I'm clueless about "tech" stuff, Sweetie.  I just wanted to say "Hi!" and to wish you a happy, healthy, and wonderful new year!  :0)

  by Dreaming of Better Days on Wed Dec 26, 2007 at 07:38:36 PM PDT

  •  Dreaming!

    I am so glad to see you.  I have been meaning to contact you for lots of reasons, not the least of which is the diary that you published most recently.

    I send you hugs and love.  Please let me know if it would be okay to contact you offline and if so, how to do that?

    No more tears left to fight,
    We have made it through the long and lonely night.
    Better days are in sight,
    Oh, it looks as though we're doing something right.

    -- Jane Olivor

    by mindoca on Wed Dec 26, 2007 at 07:46:18 PM PDT

    •  I'm so glad to see you too,

      Sweetie.  (Are you still singing?  I truly hope so.)

      If you'd like, you can contact me at d_of_b_d at yahoo dot com, Mindoca.  Sometimes it takes a bit of time for e-mail to come through, but I'll reply when I get it.     :0)

      by Dreaming of Better Days on Wed Dec 26, 2007 at 08:10:09 PM PDT

      •  Still singing? Not enough, that's for sure.

        I've been in kind of a funk lately but just being online with everyone tonight is bringing back such terific memories that I am singing tonight.

        Also, I just signed up for NN this week.  Hoping I can get there but wanting to lock in both the block rate and early reg.  Apparently, I've finally learned my lesson.  It only took three years:)

        by mindoca on Wed Dec 26, 2007 at 08:15:11 PM PDT

        •  So far it's looking

          like I'll be there too with Ellicatt.  I really look forward to seeing you again.  We had such a nice time last year.

          by Dreaming of Better Days on Wed Dec 26, 2007 at 08:24:17 PM PDT

•  ISP Tech Help.

  My boyfriend used to work for AOL and says you can use Outlook to check your e-mail. Just follow these steps it should be the same for any other e-mail application. Now the best thing you can do for international travels, is to use a prepaid phone card, ISP, or most places will have a cheap local ISP you can get set up for one or two months.

  by godislove on Wed Dec 26, 2007 at 07:41:08 PM PDT

  •  Jeeze, I am already lost.

    A prepaid phone card for dialup?  And how do I configure my computer then?  And get my e-mail (which would now presumably be in Outlook)?  Maybe too much for a diary on dk, huh?  Thanks, godislove!

    by mindoca on Wed Dec 26, 2007 at 07:52:42 PM PDT

    •  First of,

      Do you have Vista or XP?

      by godislove on Wed Dec 26, 2007 at 08:08:44 PM PDT

      •  XP Professional with Service Pack 2 or later

        Just like all the smart kossacks recommended:)

        And not too easy to find, I might add...

        by mindoca on Wed Dec 26, 2007 at 08:10:05 PM PDT

        •  Thanks

          in AOL you can set up the software to use a calling card, it's within the dialing or calling location options. The different steps may vary depending on the version of AOL that you are using. Here is a good place to get started. Hope that helps.

          I wouldn't try to go through the troubles of setting up network or dial-up connections. May end up pulling out all of your hair. Just stick to AOL.

          Obviously advice from my brilliant boyfriend, as you all know how tech savvy I am.  Yes, I remember that diary long ago and how this place helped me get more involved, even on a local level.  Nice to see you again!

          by godislove on Wed Dec 26, 2007 at 08:25:03 PM PDT

•  P.S. Godislove - I am so glad to see you here

  and actively participating (you TU, you!) I remember when you were first figuring out how to get involved before the mid-term elections and we hooked you up with some resources in FL via my Personal Action Plan series in 2006 :)

  by mindoca on Wed Dec 26, 2007 at 08:00:24 PM PDT

•  Free AOL mail

  I don't know if this will help, but I got an AOL address for nuthin' when I signed up for AIM instant messages. I don't use it, but I just checked and indeed if I send to [e-mail], it is received in my AIM inbox. I got to that just by going to aol.com and clicking on the Mail button.

  I'm sure it's not as robust a service as a paying customer has, but it might be a way to preserve your email addresses...assuming they will let you transition them.

  Good luck.

  by gypsy on Wed Dec 26, 2007 at 08:01:50 PM PDT

•  Where do you go

  that only has dial-up access?  Is it Africa?  Almost anywhere else should have wi-fi available, and even most large African cities should have high speed wi-fi available.

  by nightsweat on Wed Dec 26, 2007 at 08:20:15 PM PDT

  •  On the other hand....

    rural England often doesn't. Cheers and best of luck wherever you are.

    by northsylvania on Wed Dec 26, 2007 at 08:22:27 PM PDT

•  Africa, Asia, Central and South America...

  You name it.  And lots of time in the boonies.  Also, spend lots of time in New Mexico, where wireless, and even broadband cellular, is hard to come by except right in town(s).  

  by mindoca on Wed Dec 26, 2007 at 08:25:44 PM PDT

•  Have you seen iPass?

  This is a little tricky, but they're very cool.
  All over the world there are lots of local isp's that do a good job. In many places there are isp's that do a great job in some locations and a lousy job in other locations.  Enter iPass.

  iPass is a sort of clearing house for dial-up.  They have a dialer that you tell your current location to and it will jump onto the best isp in your current city for you, no matter where you are.

  How does it know the best isp?  It records your dial-up experience along with the experience of all the other users in your area.  If Joe's ISP had the best connections for months but is now having trouble, it'll float the next ISP up to the top of the list.  that gives the ISP's incentives to be bettr than their local competition or they lose business.

  You don't have to worry about paying thirty different ISP's as you travel because iPass acts as the central point of contact.  iPass pays the ISP's and you pay iPass and the rate is always the same in any city, no matter who the isp is.

  They work through resellers.  I've used Sayers technologies for our company and had good luck. You can use them or anyone else on the list.

  It sounds complex and it is on the backend, but not to you.  You'll see a pretty simple interface once you install the client.

  by nightsweat on Wed Dec 26, 2007 at 08:28:51 PM PDT

  •  Left off the link

    http://www.ipass.com/...

    by nightsweat on Wed Dec 26, 2007 at 08:29:28 PM PDT

•  Thanks, nightsweat. I will absolutely look into

  it.  And by the way, you were one of the folks  who helped to guide my buying decision.  I owe you a drink at NN.  Cheers!

  by mindoca on Wed Dec 26, 2007 at 08:33:36 PM PDT