FREE PCs, FOR A PRICE
An announcement last week by the Pasadena, Calif., startup Free-PC that it would give away 10,000 Compaq Presarios has brought in more than 750,000 volunteers. What's the catch? Winners of the 333-MHz machines with Internet access must first agree to watch a stream of onscreen ads whenever they use the computer.
Free-PC spokesperson Steve Chadima says data such as age, marital status and income, provided by applicants on the company's website free-pc.com) will determine, in part, who gets the new computers. Ads will be targeted based on interests and past purchases.
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