Free-PC to Exchange Computers for Exposure
to Ads, WSJ Says
Bloomberg News
February 8, 1999, 12:26 a.m. PT
California, Feb. 8 (Bloomberg) -- Free-PC.com, a California-
based company founded by investor Bill Gross, plans to give away
sub-$1,000 PCs manufactured by Compaq Computer Corp. to people
who agree to share personal data about themselves and be exposed
to Internet advertising, the interactive edition of The Wall
Street Journal reported, citing Gross. Consumers must agree to
use them at least 10 hours a month and allow the machine to
download advertising displayed in a strip on the right side of
the screen, The WSJ said. Free-PC, one of several start-ups to be
announced Monday at a conference called Demo 99, underscores the
Web's impact on industry economics; executives had predicted that
falling PC prices would eventually lead to free machines, the
newspaper said.
Microsoft Corp., the No. 1 software maker, said today it
plans to reorganize into four groups to focus on customer service
and hopes to bring back a top programming wizard who spearheaded
the development of Windows 95 and the Internet Explorer browser.
(The Wall Street Journal Interactive Edition 2/8 www.wsj.com)
--Abigail Wyatt in the London newsroom (44 171) 330 7018 /ad
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