THE CLIENT:

AOL's version of MusicNet operates through a dedicated (but not autonomous) client called MusicNet On AOL. Unzipped, the size of the client's folder structure is 11.4MB.

Even though MusicNet On AOL is a distinct program, existing outside the AOL program shell and with its own desktop icon, it operates only when the AOL program is logged on. Log out of AOL, and the MusicNet On AOL program instantly stops playing and pokes up a request to sign back in to AOL. This unfortunate arrangement compares badly to the autonomy of the Pressplay client, which operates independently of its distributors, Yahoo! and MSN. The MusicNet On AOL client does boot up independently, but use of any feature, including the search engine, requires signing into AOL through the flagship program.

There is some functional linkage between the two clients. Clicking the Artist Info on AOL buttons brings up an information page within the AOL client. But it's a Web page from AOL's WWW site, not proprietary content within the firewall. So the client linkage assumes that AOL is (or should be) the user's Internet portal. The situation is especially frustrating and resource-wasteful to anyone using AOL's back door TCP/IP entrance, wherein AOL is generally not the ISP.

When it comes to finding music, MusicNet On AOL is the most unfriendly and uninquisitive music program being distributed anywhere. No browsing via directory structure or pull-down menus of genres and sub-genres. Keyword searching only. Clicking the Find Music tab brings the following hostile missive: "Use the 'Search for Music' tool at left to find new music."

There is an alphabetical list of all MusicNet artists (1,066 of them), unclassified by genre--not much more useful than keyword searching. Furthermore, that stark directory sometimes delivers startling results: clicking on Al Dimeola brings up the guitarist's albums plus recordings of Bizet's "Carmen" and music of Schoenberg. Genres are not supplied. Genre searching is enabled by typing a genre into the keyword box, pulling the menu down to "Music Styles," and hoping for the best. Search results are limited to 250 tracks, with no "Next" screen. This astonishingly ineffective system seems to be the brainstorm of a designer deliberately intending to infuriate users, and utterly inhibit the discovery of music. There is no worse music-client interface on the market today.

* No keyboard commands.
* Cannot resize panes within client window.
* Client crashed and disappeared during stream.
* Client crashed during keyword search, causing a crash of AOL's client.

PERFORMANCE:
* Stream buffering is moderate to slow: 10-15 seconds to open during testing.
* Streams sometimes filled with small stutters, making a gurgling effect.
* Streaming is quicker and smoother in the AOL Listening Lounge, which features thousands of songs streamed through the integrated AOL Media Player.
* When downloading, the Stop and Resume buttons are grayed out--they simply don't work.
* After downloading, it takes as long to open a downloaded file as a streaming file!
* Preferences panel is an absolute joke. It consists of three rudimentary settings for burning CDs, and nothing else.
* Users cannot determine download location. In fact, downloaded files could not be located during the test at all using Windows Explorer. It's a secret, known only to the MusicNet On AOL client.