FREE ISP: GETTING SOMETHING FOR NOTHING?

They say you can't get something for nothing.Well, maybe you can, but there is bound to be a catch.

I took a chance and tested that theory with a free Internet Service Provider.

I have been waiting (and waiting, and waiting) for my cable service to deliver on its promise of high-speed (and definitely not free) Internet service.

The CD-ROM from NetZero (www.netzero.com) came in the mail.

The company touts itself as "Defenders of the Free World." The software also can be downloaded from the company's Web site.

Relying on a free ISP can save Internet users from $250 to $500 a year. But, yes, there is a catch.

Consider it the difference between public broadcasting and commercial television.

In exchange for free Internet service, subscribers to NetZero also receive the ZeroPort, which displays messages from advertisers.

NetZero users must go to one of the advertisers' Web sites every 20 minutes or risk being booted off line.

The ZeroPort measures about 2 inches by 10 inches.

It can be moved about the screen, but it cannot be moved off screen or closed.

In addition to touting a company's products, the ZeroPort also notifies users of new e-mail and provides tickers for stock quotes, sports and news. What is displayed on the ticker can be customized to meet a user's specific needs.

NetZero's home page provides a search engine with search categories such as autos, home/family, people/chat and others.

Links to shopping, auction, new music and other sites also are featured.

Before installing NetZero I checked with the telephone company to make sure the access number for my area was a local call.

It was.

Setting up NetZero proved to be quite easy.

The software quickly walked me through the process and configured my e-mail account.

Other members of the family also can set up e-mail accounts.

For more detailed information, NetZero's Web site offers extensive resources on set-up with specific browsers and e-mail programs.

Part of the installation involves completing a form that tabulates demographic information on each user.

The form also profiles a user's interests, which is of use to advertisers.

I was surfing the Web in about 15 minutes.

After a few days of NetZero service it's a mixed verdict.

NetZero is easy to use and it's free.

But there is that pesky ad box, the ZeroPort.

Casual Net users may find NetZero (there also are other free ISPs out there) a bargain.

Taking a break to call up one of the advertiser Web pages isn't that big a problem.

Dedicated Web users or online gaming fans are bound to find the ZeroPort invasive and annoying.

FreeSpace 2: Volition/Interplay, P200, 32MB of RAM, 8X CD- ROM, 3-D hardware graphics accelerator.

Supports multiplayer. www.interplay.com

Designer Volition picks up the story 30 years later in this sequel to its exciting space-combat simulation Descent: FreeSpace.

A renegade band of Terrans threatens the uneasy peace between Terrans and Vasudans.

To complicate matters, the alien Shivans return to attempt to vanquish both races.

The story makes for an intriguing plot that the designers manage to weave seamlessly into the game's many missions and action.

Because of the complex plot, mission goals can change in the middle of the level.

Players take the role of a pilot who battles on the side of the Terran/Vasudan alliance.

At his command are more than 70 types of ship with 20 weapon systems.

The ships, especially the capital ships prove impressive.

Capital ships can be up to six kilometers long and they carry the firepower to match their size.

Graphically, FreeSpace 2 boasts of nice touches such as satisfying explosions and nebular gas clouds.

The clouds also serve a physical function as they block ship sensor readings.

Combat is dynamic with ships zipping on and off the screen.

Like any flight or space combat simulation, would-be pilots will find a lot to master in FreeSpace 2, from propulsion systems to shields.

The manual is detailed and the game does offer training missions.

The entertaining plot and fast action make FreeSpace 2 worth the time it takes to learn the game.