Net users to get free PCs
Free-PC Inc. Monday said it will offer consumers a free Compaq personal computer, free Internet access and e-mail if they agree to receive targeted advertising on the desktop. Developed by idealab!'s Bill Gross, Free-PC said one of its charter investors is USA Networks Inc., which will invest $10 million. That company's Internet ventures, including Ticketmaster Online-City Search will be featured on a Free-PC home page. Consumers can sign up at free-pc.com. The company said during a trial of the concept, it will ship 10,000 computers to customers in the second quarter of this year. "Set-top cable boxes have been free for a long time, and now cell phones are virtually free," said Gross. "This is now possible because of the explosion of e-commerce, and the opportunities for interactivity and targeting that the computer allows. Merchants will pay to reach you, so they essentially will subsidize the cost of the PC," he explained. Ads will be drawn from a collection stored on the hard drive that ships with the PC, allowing rich media and interactive ads to be displayed quickly. The advertisement database will be updated when the user is online. |
