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AOL has stepped up to the plate lately, offering lots of services integrated with its AIM chat client. First it was the new beta of their next generation chat client, Triton. Then, the announcement that they would bundle a web browser with it.

Now, they are planning on launching a free, web-based e-mail service that will tie into their AIM chat client. It is expected to offer 2 gigabytes of storage and will store messages indefinitely, rather than the 27 days that the AOL users have now. AIM users will also be able to check and send e-mail from their chat program.

The article also hints at some possible Ajax-type integration.

The Web-based interface will also have drag-and-drop capabilities, allowing users to sort mail without having to check multiple boxes and hit a “move” button.

All of this will only be available on the Windows platform initially, with no mention of when it (or if) it will be available for the Macintosh platform.