AOL Now Selling Computers

[mac-er]

AOL is now selling PC's for $299.99 with a one year subscription to the service. One year service is $286.80.

For $586.79, you get a desktop, manufactured by Systemax, with:
Intel Celeron 2.4GHz
Microsoft Windows XP Home
17-inch CRT
256MB DDR
40GB HDD
CD-ROM
Lexmark Ink Jet Printer
1 Year Warranty

Comes with AOL Office software powered by Sun.

You can upgrade to CD-RW and 80GB for $79.99, or for $199.99, you can get 2.8 GHz, 512MB, DVD-RW and 80 GB.

 

[iSaint]

I think we had a discussion the other day on how cheap computers would get. I stated then that I was surprised this wasn't happening already. I guess it could be a good deal for someone, as long as AOL takes care of adware, etc. What type of service is provided?

 

[Nermal]

It's undoubtedly onboard video. Sounds like a rebranded version of Star/OpenOffice, so if these computers sell, it should slightly lessen the reach of MS Office

And $23.90/month for dialup?

 

[PlaceofDis]

great, what else is AOL going to do to stop their ship from sinking?

i doubt this is going to work for them, but who knows...

 

[amholl]

RIP OFF!
cant u get the same thing from Dell for like 300 bux?
Do they give u any discounts on the service?

 

[ravenvii]

Anyone thinking how that Dell $299 computer pwns that one?

Oh, and...

 

[dotdotdot]

Anyone thinking how that Dell $299 computer pwns that one?

Oh, and...

Thats awesome!

 

[mac-er]

Do they give u any discounts on the service?

That'd be a no.

And, if you cancel the AOL service, you still pay $23.90/month for the remaing months on your contract plus $40.

 

[watcher2001]

A company called People PC did this years ago but gave you the PC for free. Of course you did have to sign up for a 3 year contract.

 

[lordmac]

I think we had a discussion the other day on how cheap computers would get. I stated then that I was surprised this wasn't happening already. I guess it could be a good deal for someone, as long as AOL takes care of adware, etc. What type of service is provided?

Aol provides anti-virus and anti-spyware software free to all subscribers and dose a decent job of automatically scanning email for such things as it comes in. AS much as people seem hate aol to the extremes for not much reason, its not a bad service for new and not very technical computer users. Also an interesting fact aol used to be mac only way back when, and you have to give them some respect for being one of the few companies to completely beat Microsoft when competing with them head on.

 

[watcher2001]

Aol provides anti-virus and anti-spyware software free to all subscribers

For 23.90 a month I would not neccesarily call that Free. plus you have to question if it is any good.

and dose a decent job of automatically scanning email for such things as it comes in.

Gmail does an outstanding job filtering spam as well and it is FREE...

AS much as people seem hate aol to the extremes for not much reason, its not a bad service for new and not very technical computer users.

On this I have to agree with you. For the computer illiterate (God knows there are enough of them out there) AOL does provide a decent service. I would still rather have your average AOL user spend 50 bucks on a basic computing class at your local community college and then go with a real connection.

Also an interesting fact aol used to be mac only way back when,

I (as much as I hate to admit it) was an AOL member toward the very beginning and I was using a windows PC. I did not realize that that they were infact first targeted to MAC. Thanks for the info.

and you have to give them some respect for being one of the few companies to completely beat Microsoft when competing with them head on.

I can kind of agree with that. I have to ask though Did MicroShaft actually try to compete with them?