Free PCs for Internet users

Tiny and Time have taken the concept of free Internet access one step further - by offering free PCs.

Tiny stepped in first with the opening of Tiny Telecom, a joint operation with Cable & Wireless. Anyone signing up with Tiny Telecom, and who commits to spend a minimum of £29.38 a month on calls and line rental combined, will receive a PC with a 300MHz Celeron processor, 32Mb of memory, a 3.2Gb hard disk, a CD-ROM drive, a 56Kbits/s modem and Microsoft Word. Internet access comes courtesy of Tiny's existing free service, Tiny Online.

Although the deal does not include a monitor, the PC is designed to hook up to a television set. Anyone who cannot, or will not, commit to running up a £360 phone bill over the course of a year can still obtain a free PC - Tiny Telecom will supply one after 12 months, regardless of the amount of money spent.

Time was quick to follow Tiny's lead. Its free PC is of a slightly lower specification - a 2.1Gb hard disk, instead of 3.2Gb - and the commitment period is twice as long as Tiny's, but the overall cost of the deal works out at just £253.80 over the 24-month period of the agreement.

Tiny: 0800 7834575; www.uk.tiny.com

Time: 01282 770044; www.timecomputers.co.uk.

See also:

Resellers react coolly to new impetus in free PC arena

AOL begins talks with Fujitsu Seimens about another free PC deal for consumers.  05 Nov 1999

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