On my netbook (“small laptop”), AOL Desktop 10.1 is a thousand times better than the newer AOL Desktop 9.7. The version number confusion is due to the fact that the two software represent two different subfamilies of AOL’s desktop software. One advantage of 10.1 is that it gives you more space to view and type emails. Another is automatic signature insertion and, another, automatic cursor positioning. I could go on.
In conclusion, I don’t know why AOL even bothered with 9.7.