But there were a couple of critical differences in that deal: For one, with its millions of paying dial-up customers, AOL didn't need to build out an incredibly expensive broadband distribution system.

FORBES: Magazine Article

Earlier this year it launched a network adapter for its PlayStation 2 gaming system that lets customers play against each other over the Internet using either a dial-up modem or a broadband connection.

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While Dash has done a good job of keeping the overall system responsive, it can't completely hide the effective difference between broadband and early dial-up modems.

ENGADGET: Switched On: Dash delivers open roads, open questions (Part 1)