Currently available in beta version only for AOL subscribers, the AOL email client called “AOL Mail on the Web” will be available for the non-AOL subscriber public in 2005.

AOL wants to compete with Hotmail, Yahoo and Google in the free web based email clients category.

Among AOL's improved features — a revamped user's interface, quicker access to email, the possibility to use rich text (different colors and fonts and font sizes), address book, signature, filter for spam, search and 100 megabytes storage limit have been nominated.

The CNet editors consider the interface of the new AOL Mail on the Web pretty similar to Microsoft's Outlook.

Also, there is not much difference among AOL Mail on the Web and Netscape's Webmail, which belongs to the same parent company, Fernando Cassia from The Inquirer considers. Is this another case of the Right-hand doesn't know what the left hand is doing syndrome? Cassia asks.

The company spokesperson Jaymelina Esmele detained from revealing further details concerning email service improvements at AOL.

AOL is obviously chasing competitor brands like Yahoo, that currently offers 100 MB of free email storage, and up to 2 gigabytes for those willing to pay a subscription fee; or Microsoft's Hotmail with 250 MB storage limit. Google's beta Gmail stands apart with 1 GB of free storage capacity — at least up to this moment.

In the past two years AOL has lost 4 millions subscribers, partially to poor spam security, partially to various other defections. In 2004 AOL has concentrated forces in the spam issue, more exactly to increase its spam filters efficiency.