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Technology Stocks : ATI Technologies in 1997 (T.ATY) -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Sleeperz who wrote (3626)	6/30/1999 3:17:00 PM
From: Marc	Respond to of 5927

AOL Offers CompuServe Members $400 Rebates to Buy PCs (Repeat) AOL Offers CompuServe Members $400 Rebates to Buy PCs (Repeat) (Deletes extra word.) Dulles, Virginia, June 30 (Bloomberg) -- America Online Inc., the world's largest online service, will offer subscribers who sign up for three years of its CompuServe service a $400 rebate on low-cost personal computers made by eMachines Inc. The move comes one day after Microsoft Corp., the largest software maker in the world, said it will offer new subscribers to its MSN Internet access service a $400 credit to buy a personal computer. AOL's CompuServe service hasn't significantly increased its roughly 2 million-subscriber base since AOL bought it in early 1998, while AOL's main consumer service has swelled to more than 17 million members from about 11 million in the same period. Like Microsoft, America Online is hoping the $400 voucher will attract thousands of new Internet users. ''It's the first real tending to the CompuServe brand they've done,'' said Bruce Kasrel, an analyst at Forrester Research, a Cambridge, Massachusetts-based research company. Still, ''I don't see consumers jumping on a three-year commitment when there's broadband coming.'' High-speed Internet access, also called ''broadband,'' is expected to have almost 16 million users by 2002, compared with less than 1 million last year, according to Forrester Research. Dulles, Virginia-based AOL fell 3/8 to 105 5/8 in middday trading. Microsoft, whose competing MSN online service has an estimated 1.5 million to 1.8 million subscribers, fell 7/8 to 87 1/8. Pricing The rebate will be given to subscribers to AOL's CompuServe 2000 service, which costs $9.95 a month for 20 hours of use, or $19.95 a month for unlimited usage. AOL unveiled CompuServe 2000, an upgraded version of CompuServe with new features such as a continuously updated news ticker, in February to attract first- time, adult Internet users. AOL's main service is geared to families and costs $21.95 a month. ''The next wave of mass market consumers are coming online. For many of these users, price matters,'' said America Online spokeswoman Wendy Goldberg. ''It will help CompuServe in terms of building its revenue stream and subscriptions.'' AOL's plan had been under development for a long time and is unrelated to Microsoft's $400 rebate, she said. Irvine, California-based eMachine's computers will include AOL and CompuServe software. In return, AOL will make an undisclosed minority investment in eMachines. The $400 rebate will be offered through July, Goldberg said.