Sorry victor, duty called.
How can Dell beat this price? Think EP's going for the
jugular?
Compaq Chief Hints At Joining New Trend Of Giving
Away PCs
February 18, 1999 4:37 PM
NEW YORK -(Dow Jones)- Compaq Computer Inc.'s President and Chief
Executive Officer Eckhard Pfeiffer said the computer maker is
considering offering free personal computers in response to a movement
started last week by Free-PC.com, the London-based newspaper
Independent reported Thursday.
Pfeiffer only said Compaq (CPQ), the world's leading PC maker, was
looking at the idea. Further details weren't provided.
According to the Independent, over 500,000 users have registered for a
computer with Free-PC.com. The California company last week started
accepting applications for 10,000 free machines it promises to give away.
Free-PC.com plans to take about 90 days to sort through the
applications and pick recipients, it said.
Free-PC.com officials have said users will be chosen on the basis of their
compatibility with advertisers. In return for a computer, participants must
provide Free-PC.com with basic information about their income, hobbies
and interests. In addition, Free-PC.com will monitor which Internet sites
the users visit and which ads they click onto for more information about
particular products.
Free-PC underscores the World Wide Web's impact on industry
economics. Industry executives had predicted that falling PC prices
would eventually lead to free machines, just as some cellular services
give away handsets in exchange for recurring service fees. Paul Otellini,
an executive vice president at Intel Corp., in January suggested that
companies would experiment with giving away machines in exchange for
a commitment for monthly Internet service.
Copyright (c) 1999 Dow Jones & Company, Inc.
|
