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AOL's $299 PC
cmj writes "Internet.com reports 'Looking to attract households that still aren't online, AOL is offering new customers a $299 PC system if they sign a one-year $23.90 dial-up Internet service contract.' A click through AOL's ecommerce site reveals the the specs as 1.7 GHz Celeron with 256 MB RAM, 40 GB hard drive, 56K modem, 10/100ethernet card, 17" monitor and Lexmark printer. The PC is running Windows XP, and includes 'AOL Office Powered by Sun'. Also of note is the fact that the $299 appears to be financed at around 22%. The math ( (12*23.90)+299 ) seems to suggest that you can get a $699 computer for $585.80 plus any finance charges. Setting aside the question of whether this is a good deal or not, one has to wonder whether AOL is desperate for new customers and resorting to bribery, or just progressing to the next step of branding. With this action AOL controls everything from the OS to the Word Processor to the web sites their customers browse."
I think this is a fabulous idea and hope many people take advantage of their generous offer.
Did I mention that I own AOL stock? Yeah, I really should've cashed out years ago.
"With this action AOL controls everything from the OS to the Word Processor to the web sites their customers browse."
;) )
Uh Oh, is that Steve Jobs I'm seeing in the distance? Looks like he's fuming...
Next Month: the iNet internet service, so Steve too can also claim to control everything from the hardware to the software to the internet.
(and yes, I own an apple, and hell no, I would never buy iNet
This
I may be wrong about this, but didn't they stop that MSN promotion before they had initially planned, and ended up just letting people out of their contracts?
So that $585 computer could concievable cost even less....
You are telling me that you want people who are, almost by definition, too stupid to get a real Internet connection to have a LINUX PC? Damn, just invite the crackers to go nuts directly why don't ya? :)
Seriously though, these are the kind fo people who would whine about Lindows since it's different. Doesn't matter how much the same it is, they'd whine and not use it.
I mean an AOL user here at work got her computer upgraded from 98 to 2k (new computer). From a user standpoint there is almost no difference. She was even used to loggin in since network shares required it. None the less she found about a million things to whine abou. One was that when you open explorer in 98 it goes to the C drive, in 2k it goes to your home directory. She bitched and moaned that this was confusing/difficult/took time/etc till we found a fix.
No man, you do NOT want these people on Linux, espically not one that is logged in as root by default.
With this action AOL controls everything from the OS to the Word Processor to the web sites their customers browse.
When did my girlfriend start working at AOL?
maybe they don't want to be hreatened by those tea smoking bangers SCO... so are wating for the storm to blow over, or for MS to give them a preferential discount... AOL threatening MS to get better discounts... (AOL only have to threaten to have a Linux distro... like, er compiling the kernel and making it write ASCII art SCO pics...?) never? Well, maybe?
http://gotapex.com
Uhm, I don't think so. Wait, "got apex", whew.
You didn't need the extra set of parentheses - the math already assumes that.
Boy, I'm a geek...
Life is the leading cause of death in America.
AOL's "1. Mail computers 2. ??? 3. Profit!!!" plan is as follows:
Savvy computer users will figure out that erasing the hard drive and installing their own OS removes the 1045 hour time limit, and removing the TNT from inside the computer case completely eliminates the possibility of the computer blowing up.
Then, in an RIAA-like effort, AOL will sue hundreds of thousands of individuals for illegally using their computers, which constitute valuable intellectual property. They will ignore the fact that by law, when they send something in the mail, it becomes the property of the recipient. It will take a long time for this to get to the courts, in order for the courts to throw it out, and in the meantime, many frightened teenagers will settle with AOL for amounts greatly exceeding the market value of the computers.
Clean profits for AOL.
Insurance companies should do this!
You could sign up for a 2 year policy with Geico, and get a '89 Mercury station wagon, with external wood paneling, for only $300 bucks!
"Things are more moderner than before- bigger, and yet smaller- it's computers-- San Dimas High School football RULES!"
You know, as much as it pains me to say this... Uh...
:O OMFG - I SAID IT!
:O Oh Shit! I just said that too!!!
:)
I've actually started to recommend AOL to people!
There it is. I'm sorry. But there is some reasoning here, if you all won't mod me down as a troll first.
The main reason has to do with AOL 9's control of spyware, parental rules for Internet usage, and yes, ease of use. For some users out there this is exactly what they need. AOL's numbers aren't near as high as they used to be due to user savvy, but they do still serve a purpose. Think of all your friends/relative's computers you've had to run AdAware or Spybot on recently and you have to agree...
Even on broadband!
Bad Dobby! Bad BAD BAD!!!
"...Well, there's egg and bacon; egg sausage and bacon; egg and spam; egg bacon and spam; egg bacon sausage and spam..."
LMAO Sucker!
Bill G
I read that as goatsecx too... Sure sign of being on Slashdot too long.
Wonder how many moderators will mod the grandparent post down because they don't read carefully and think goatse.cx has started selling computers. Could you imagine, " - Microsoft Internet Explorer provided by goatse.cx"? The animated page access icon?
Eww.
---
DRM is like antifreeze, to the MPAA/RIAA it's sweet, to the consumers it's poison.
What?
Since when does buying AoL for a year constitute selling your soul?
There must have been a release from the Vatican that I missed. Or maybe in the upcoming "Vatican III" which introduces new methods of selling souls, which will include buying AoL.
- It's not the Macs I hate. It's Digg users. -
Thank GOD for Microsoft...defender of our freedom to choose! Uhhm...wait...
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"Cogito Eggo Sum: I think, therefore, waffle."
do we have to have an acronym for every god damn expression? istr.
Yeah, I noticed that as well. It's yet another obvious case of the control that is exerted on Slashdot by its tinfoil hat manufacturer sponsors.
That computer's better than mine. And mine was over $2000 when I bought it. Maybe it's time to upgrade...
Purchase give something away as a promotion, and then make the recipient agree to give some of its worth back in AOL subscription revenue (or ad revenue for that matter).
It's a scheme to increase the amount of "cash coming in" to the company, even though more cash is going out to make this tiny amount come back in... a scheme to make this worthless craphole of a company seem viable to its shareholders.
I'll bet 10 to 1 that if it catches on, AOL will start using it as a platform for spyware.
You've got owned!
SCO: 800-726-8649
Verisign: 800-361-8319, 888-642-9675
Diebold: 800-433-VOTE (8683)
Or maybe AOL has tried it before? I'm not sure, but either way, here's a little better idea of what that PC will really be like...& mode=classic
http://ars.userfriendly.org/cartoons/?id=20020929
"I like you, but I wouldn't want to see you working with subatomic particles."
oywd. stfu.