Editing Quantum Link (section)

{{Short description|Defunct American technology company}}
{{redirect|Q-Link|the US telecoms company|Q Link Wireless|the television technology|AV.link|the airline with this callsign|QantasLink}}
{{About|the online service|the company which became [[AOL]]|Quantum Computer Services}}
{{more citations needed|date=July 2022}}
<!-- Deleted image removed: [[Image:Qlink-mainmenu.png|thumb|368px|right|Quantum Link main menu {{deletable image-caption|Tuesday, 17 May 2011}}]] -->

'''Quantum Link''' (or '''Q-Link''') was an American and Canadian [[online service]] for the [[Commodore 64]] and [[Commodore 128|128]] [[personal computers]] that operated starting November 5, 1985. It was operated by [[AOL#1983–91: Early years|Quantum Computer Services]] of [[Vienna, Virginia]], which later became [[America Online]].

In October 1989 the service was renamed America Online, and made available to users of PC systems as well. The original Q-link service was terminated on November 1, 1995, in favor of the America Online brand.

The original Q-Link was a modified version of the [[PlayNET]] system, which Control Video Corporation licensed.  Q-Link featured [[electronic mail]], [[online chat]] (in its People Connection department), [[public domain]] [[file sharing]] libraries, online [[news]], and [[instant messaging]] using On Line Messages (OLMs). Other noteworthy features included multiplayer games like [[checkers]], [[chess]], [[backgammon]], [[Hangman (game)|hangman]], and a clone of the television game show ''Wheel Of Fortune'' called ''Puzzler''; and an interactive graphic resort island, called [[Habitat (video game)|Habitat]] during beta-testing, then renamed [[Club Caribe]].

In October 1986, QuantumLink expanded their services to include [[casino]] games such as [[Bingo (US)|bingo]], [[slot machine]]s, [[blackjack]] and [[poker]] in RabbitJack's Casino; and RockLink, a section about [[rock music]]. The software archives were also organized into hierarchical folders and expanded.

In November 1986, the service began offering to digitize users' photos to be included in their profiles, and started an [[online auction]] service.<ref>{{cite web|title=RUN Magazine Issue 35|date=November 1986 |url=https://archive.org/stream/run-magazine-35/Run_Issue_35_1986_Nov#page/n103/mode/2up}}</ref>

Connections to Q-Link were typically made by dial-up [[modem]]s with speeds from 300 to 2400 [[baud]], with 1200 being the most common. The service was normally open weekday evenings and all day on [[Workweek|weekends]]. Pricing was $9.95 per month, with additional fees of six cents per minute (later raised to eight) for so-called "plus" areas, including most of the aforementioned services. Users were given one free hour of "plus" usage per month. Hosts of forums and trivia games could also earn additional free "plus" time.

Q-Link competed with online services like [[CompuServe]] and [[The Source (service)|The Source]], and with [[bulletin board system]]s (single- and multiuser), including gaming systems such as ''[[Scepter of Goth]]'' and ''[[Swords of Chaos]]''. Quantum Link's graphic display was better than many competing systems because they used specialized client software with a nonstandard protocol. However, this limited their market, because only the Commodore 64 and 128 could run the software necessary to access it.