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I think it's funny that you would go ahead and encourage misconceptions in your post while your sig dispels one.

Or do you suggest that I pay $239.88 for a 12-month commitment to dial-up Internet access at home?

You're kidding, right? I'm going to give you the benefit of the doubt and assume that it's been so long since you've had a dial-up connection that you don't realize that you have no fucking clue what you're talking about. Do you live in a cave? Mom's basement? Prison possibly? Netzero is still alive and kicking with a $9.95/month offer, with no commitment. There's also PeoplePC Online. Both of these are cheap dial-up.

$9.95 is a hell of a lot cheaper than the $239.88 misconception you were shouting about.

I think I just figured out how your estimate got to be so far off. You're still on AOL, aren't you?

Aero

PeoplePC is still very much alive. The company I work for manages a section of their television advertising and I assure you, they are doing just fine.

it's the people's PC.

I believe this is the people's pc.

You're probably thinking of PeoplePC.

I still can't figure out how peoplepc gives you a nice Gateway computer for the price of your dial up connection. Could this be, if price is an object, the best computer of all time? Look, I pay my ISP $19.95 per month, and people pc has a computer plus dial up for that. Could we say that as long as I intend to go online, I pay $19.95 per month (and that money goes out the door never to return) for as long as I am able to get online.
With people pc, you have a "membership", and for the term, 48 month, you have the computer, then at the end of the term, you renew, and don't they then send you a new computer (then current technology) and you return the now 4 year old machine? Just this week, in reporting on the AOL 299 machine, Wall Street Journal reported that in the last quarter alone, people pc added 90K accounts! What then, is the catch, besides the finance charges, not getting to keep the machine?
Especially when viewed from the angle of paying your ISP from now on...

You can get dial-up Internet access with no AOL bullshit and a cool PC starting at only $20/month from PeoplePC while paying NOTHING down.

You can buy a PC for $200 at wal-mart.

... and that's just a few of many MANY options out there. Now why the fuck would you shell out $300 for an OK computer on-top of having to pay $24/month for internet service that'll suck phat donkey ass?

go AOL. tsk.

EarthLink does have issues with turning some profits but losses are very low, and they added 52 million dollars in cash to the bank, bringing their cash position to over a half a billion dollars.

Additionally, EarthLink is aggressively pursuing in 2003 the "value" $10 dial-up business by offering services thru its recently acquired PeoplePC subsidiary, which is guna put a lot of lethal pressue on United Online which offers spam-ridden, windows-only service thru custom dial-up/networking software which basically takes over your tcp/ip stack.

EarthLink is by far the most diversified ISP in the United States. AOL and MSN are doomed dinosaurs stuck in the dial-up age, scrambling for their lives trying to land broadband deals with telcos a whole TWO YEARS behind their fiercest competitors.

A few things I learned:

• salaries are really low in the UK while cost of living is about the same or higher.

• laws regarding work permits are outdated and although Europe (and particularly the UK) has a huge IT shortage, it's still tricky and time-consuming to get a visa or work permit.

• see BritainUSA for information on working in the UK, Overseas Labour Service for work permit info (again UK) and in particular the section on the Tier 1 part of applying for a work permit.

• it's much easier to work for an American company that is trying to establish a presence in Europe. It's easier because you can apply locally, they take care of relocation, and they pay you in American dollars, which means you get a much higher salary because the dollar is so strong. I've heard that PeoplePC is desperate for IT workers in Paris and London.

• get a book on working and living in whatever country you're interested in. I highly recommend Living and Working in Britain for the UK-inclined.

...PeoplePC , without the engaging salesman.

The enRamp program [http://news.cnet.com/news/0-1005-202-1798138.html ] allows participants to obtain PC's by paying
monthly charges of $24.95 or less over a three-year period, deducted from paychecks or organization dues.

According to Jon we would have Universal Health Care...if everyone worked for giant corporations. Jon, what was your point again? Oh, yea, computers are good for people... Thanks for the update.
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