ISP Review: PeoplePC

PeoplePC aims to bring the "power to the people" by giving us cheap Internet access through dialup, with good reliability and support.

And that it does, and then some. First of all, PeoplePC gives you inexpensive Internet access with thousands of local numbers -- rivaling the footprint of the larger and more well-known ISPs.

PeoplePC also provides spam filtering for email, as well as Webmail access. It also gives its users an instant messaging center, where you can connect to AOL AIM, MSN Messenger, or other services.

PeoplePC also boasts "smart dialer" technology that takes a lot of the pain out of finding fast, local numbers for Internet access.

That's a lot of features for a cheap ISP, so PeoplePC charges a tad more than some of its close competitors. At the same time, however, you're still paying only half of what the major dialup Internet service providers usually require, and the savings can certainly add up over a year.

Cheap ISPs tend to vary in service quality, but PeoplePC makes its reliability one of the major thrusts of its effort to stand out from the crowd. That, and a bevy of special features like spam-blocking and Webmail sweeten the deal very nicely.

Basically, however, you're still getting a solid deal even though PeoplePC might charge a bit more than NetZero, Juno, and Netscape. Value Internet Service Providers like this aim to deliver the Internet for cheap by not providing a lot of the features that AOL Verizon DSL bolt-on to their services. Of course, you don't get the benefit of a broadband Internet account, or of having exclusive content like AOL users.

But for Internet users who want just the Web and email without any frills, PeoplePC makes a lot of sense. If you're looking to have multimedia, super-fast speeds, or exclusive content built into your online service, look elsewhere. For those who want only a stripped-down Internet Service Provider, PeoplePC is one of the leaders.

Great-ISP-Deals.com gives PeoplePC... three stars! A great value!

• $10.95 per month