I used to use AoL disks I got in the mail to stay online - you know, three month trial of the service they used to send out in the mail, then you call them to get it canceled. I don't think I will ever do that again, though, because every time I tried to get off AoL's overpriced service before they started charging me, they'd keep giving me the run-around and try to sell me things I didn't need. As for why I wasn't continuing the service, they'd drill me like an interrogation - which means, for me, AoL isn't even worth the price of FREE.
I don't think AoL sends trail disks out in the mail anymore, though... I think they probably caught on that people were freeloading off them like I did.