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Technology Stocks : Compaq -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Lynn who wrote (50427)	2/28/1999 11:41:00 AM
From: Pruguy	Respond to of 97611

I agree with your conclusions....You may also be interested to know that pc companies get compensated for the desk top location by aol(and I presume the others as well)..... Lets say you buy a computer and click on to the aol icon and enroll.....Aol then pays a finders fee to the pc manufacturer. The reason I mention this is 2-fold.......Some folks believe this free internet will kill AOL....That argument is blunted by the fact that the first year isn't that profitable for AOL anyhow, since they have to pay the commision....Secondly, most internet users like the ease of use that AOL offers and end up with them after trying someone else anyhow... Secondly, I think this giveaway tactic is very expensive to the manufacturer and may be short-lived as a marketing experiment. Personally, I would think they will end up selling their internet buttons to the highest ISP bidder, not what they are currently doing.