Computer to read this article

1999/10/01 Waliño, Josu - Elhuyar Fundazioa Iturria: Elhuyar aldizkaria

• Hardwarea
• Periferikoak

Like all commercial fashions, this is the new fashion coming from the United States. In July, large U.S. companies and major Internet servers (Microsoft, America Online, Micron Electronics and others) started “giving away” computers with a “small” condition: in exchange for receiving a new computer, you will have to connect your server to the Internet for three years. Yes, you will have to pay for the Internet connection: 17,99 dollars a month for three years. It is not much, but with the accounts you will discover that in total there are 647 dollars, approximately 100.000 pesetas/4.000 pounds, the market price of the computers that currently offer (K6-2, 400 MHz, 4 GB, 64 MB RAM, CD and modem) is similar to the one they have on the market. These computers have been known as Free PC on the Internet market, but if you prefer Macintosh do not worry as Free Mac has already started: Freemac.com is a new company that will “give away” a million iMac users who hire their internet service.

Taking into account that in Euskal Herria (and in Europe) there are many servers that provide free internet connection, this system would not be a success here, but there are many people who are dedicated to inventing new commercial channels. See the following type of “Free PC”:

Send a hard and you will enrich

Haven't you ever reached the mailbox at home the letter that asks you to send a hard one to seven other people, promising that it's a lot of letters that you'll receive soon and that you're going to be rich? A similar system has been used in an Internet zone (www.onlineamigo.com/free-pc-le.htm) to give “free” computers: you buy a computer that costs 2.199 dollars and for it they offer different and comfortable payment methods. So far everything is normal. The question is that they offer you something more: for every client that you get will discount 300 dollars of the price of your computer. So, if you send 7 clients you will have the computer for free.

Gift printers printers printers printers

After receiving this computer as a gift, will we have to buy the printer? No Lord! They give precious internet printers. Tektronic Inc has been the company that has started in this case, but although this case is similar to free pc, it has a difference. They give you their best printer, the Phaser 840 colored laser, valued at $2,499 (400,000 pts./16,000 pounds approx. ). The only requirement you are going to have is that for three years you can only use the ink of your brand on the printer, and at least you must print monthly the number of pages that they themselves have indicated. The number of pages varies according to your company, of course. After three years, the printer will be totally yours, without having to continue fulfilling these conditions. You can see it on http://freecolorprinter.com. But keep in mind that this is only for US users.

And in Euskal Herria?

In Euskal Herria we take the opposite road. Here no one gives you the computer, but they give you access to the Internet everywhere. However, few have already begun to make this type of offers. For example, Telefónica sells computers through its TeleLine service at 99,900 pesetas/3,996 pounds. But with the computer also gives you access to the Internet for a lifetime. It should be taken into account that in the “gifts” we mentioned above it was also about similar things, since it paid that amount and obtained the computer and Internet. It is not the only offer of this type, and little by little we will see more.

As we have said, on the Internet there are many sites that offer this type of pagotx, but don't trust, here nothing gives you.