Archives for April 2010

Help Us Choose Future Editors Choice Selections

NewsgroupReviews.com keeps a running list of the top 5 Usenet providers.  Each receives Editors Choice recognition and high visibility throughout the site.  The first few years we chose the winners in January and the list was static for the rest of the year.  In 2009 we realized that wouldn’t work anymore.

Last summer we decided a change was needed to ensure the awards remained current and relevant.  The solution?  We now evaluate Editors Choice selections on a quarterly basis.  This gives us ample opportunity to review the list and consider all the options.

Not that the Editors Choice list (top 5 Usenet providers) will all change quarterly.  In fact some providers have been on the list since the inception of the awards.  Instead it gives us the flexibility to recognize services as they excel and steer clear of those who fail to meet our visitors needs.

We would appreciate your help in selecting future Editors Choice selections.  Whether you think a provider is great or experience poor service we want to hear about it.  However, please don’t consider us an avenue of support.  You will still want to contact your Usenet provider directly for that.

Positive experiences including high levels of reliability, performance, value and support go a long way and we want to hear about them.  If you would like us to pass the kudos along please let us know.

In cases of poor service, support or billing issues that caused you to leave a provider we would like to learn more about those situations as well.  If you could kindly provide us with enough information to follow up with the vendor it would be appreciated.

Contact us anytime with feedback on the various providers or improvements we can make to enhance NGR.  Due to limited resources we may not be able to respond to you personally but we will read and consider all comments.  Please send your comments to feedback (at) newsgroupreviews.com.

UseNetServer – 2010 NGR Editors Choice Award

Congratulations to UseNetServer for recently being selected for an NGR Editors’ Choice Award.  The awards represents our picks for the top 5 Usenet providers and are updated quarterly to keep up with the market.  The value and reliability of UNS helped them make it all the way up to #2 in our latest list.

As mentioned in previous posts the awards are given in recognition of the best Usenet providers based on factors including service level, performance, and value.  The providers bearing this title are thoroughly tested and evaluated by the NGR editors.  UseNetServer joins Giganews, Binverse, NewsDemon and Supernews as our latest Editors Choice selections.

For UseNetServer the deciding factors included the value and reliability of the service.  Their $10 unlimited special helped them earn the #2 spot.  Other top providers including Supernews and NewsDemon offer comparably priced accounts.  However, UseNetServer stands out for offering high binary retention along with UNS global search which allows you to search newsgroups without downloading headers.

Let’s take a closer look at the UNS High-Speed Plus account features:

575+ Days of Binary Retention
– UseNetServer offers over a year and a half of binary retention along with two years of text retention.  That puts them right in line with other top providers.  Retention continues to grow daily with no end in sight.

Unlimited Usenet Access – $10 a Month for Life!
– The UNS High-Speed Plus plan is normally $17.95 a month.  They are currently offering the same service to NGR visitors for $10 a month for life.  That’s 40% off for the life of the account.  With high retention and UNS global search we consider this one of the best deals around.

UNS Global Search
– The UNS global search tool provides a nice online interface for searching newsgroups.  It offers a number of filters to narrow down search results.  Using UNS global search will save you the hassle of downloading headers.  It currently supports searching up to 250 days of posts.  We look forward to future increases.

24/7 Customer Support – Phone, Online, Email
– You hope to never have technical or billing issues but if the time arises it’s great to know you’re covered.  With UseNetServer you can contact support by phone, chat live online or drop them an email.  You can also find answers to common questions in the support area.

Other UNS features include 99%+ completion rate, news servers located in the US and Europe, up to 20 simultaneous connections and free 256-bit SSL encryption.  All of that packed into a $10 account helped UNS earn an NGR Editors’ Choice Award.  To learn more read our UseNetServer review or sign up for a $10 unlimited account.

Newshosting Offers NH Titan Plan : Unlimited 1.5 Mbps

The team over at Newshosting just added a new tool to their arsenal.  The NH Titan plan.  The new account offers unlimited Usenet access at 1.5 Mbps, 576 days of binary retention and up to 6 connections for $12.95 a month.

Let’s compare the NH Titan plan to another speed-capped offering:

Newshoting NH Titan
– Monthly cost: $12.95-$14.95
– 576 days binary retention
– unlimited Usenet access
– 1.5 Mbps speed cap
– up to 6 connections
– SSL available for $2 a month

Binverse Galaxy
– Monthly cost: $13.99
– 500 days binary retention
– 30 GB unlimited speed
– unlimited 1 Mbps speed cap
– up to 12 connections
– SSL included

Each plan has some advantages over the other.  For the NH Titan account we like that the capped speed is higher – 1.5 mbps vs. 1 mbps.  However, in comparing the NH Titan account to the current Newshosting special (NHXL Powerpack for $15.95 a month) we would pay the extra couple dollars and go with NHXL which includes unlimited speed, up to 60 connections and free SSL encryption.

If you would like to try the new NH Titan account Newshosting is offering a 14 day free trial.  To learn more about the service read our Newshosting review.

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Related press release from Newshosting:

Newshosting adds new plan, continues incredible special

ASHBURN, VA, April 1, 2010 – Newshosting, the world’s leading provider of premium Usenet newsgroup access, today unveiled Newshosting Titan, a plan that gives subscribers unlimited transfers at 1.5 megabits per second along with a full 30 connections for just $12.95. Subscribers can also choose to add 256 bit SSL encryption to this plan for just a mere two dollars more.

On top of this exciting change, Newshosting is extending their amazing March special into April. For three dollars more than the new Titan plan, customers can sign up for Newshosting NHXL Powerpack, which offers unlimited transfers, free SSL and 60 connections, the highest number of simultaneous connections available in the industry. This offer isn’t just a one month deal, either. Sign up for Newshosting Powerpack in April and keep the amazing $15.95 per month price for the lifetime of your account!

Newshosting invites all new customers to experience the enhanced NHXL Powerpack account with a 14 day free Usenet trial.

Easynews Offers 1,000 Unlimited NNTP Accounts

For the first time ever Easynews is offering unlimited NNTP accounts.  Today they announced that the first 1,000 new and existing customers that upgrade their account can enjoy unlimited NNTP Usenet access for $9.95 a month.  They also announced an increase from 30 to 40 GB of web Usenet access for Easynews Plus customers.

Here are the details from the Easynews press release:

Easynews, the world’s original web-based Usenet site, announced that for the first time in Easynews history, subscribers will be able to enhance their account with an Unlimited NNTP option for $9.95 per month. This unprecedented offer is limited to the first 1000 new or existing customers that upgrade their account with Unlimited NNTP starting April 1st. Customers will not only get the benefits of unlimited NNTP downloading paired with the powerful web-based newsgroup browser they already enjoy, but they will be able to keep this unbelievable price and service for the life of the account!

The news doesn’t stop there, however. Current Easynews Plus customers will receive a permanent 10GB per month upgrade of their account for no additional fee. Easynews will now offer new customers their Plus account with 40 gigs instead of 30 for the same low price of $14.97 per month.

This special closely follows the unveiling of the all new Easynews website. Subscribers now enjoy an all new look and feel, with optimized content, tutorial videos, an improved and intuitive support section and much more! This upgrade, paired with a stream of constant enhancements, offers an unbeatable Usenet experience for Easynews subscribers—Usenet that is seamless, faster and more intuitive than ever before.

Register now to upgrade your Usenet experience with Easynews!

Visit Easynews for more details or to sign up.