For information about how to receive the Smart Money newsletter as soon as it is published, please click HERE . People are giving computers away to users who are willing to endure continual advertisements on the screen. You can also get a free or very cheap computer if you subscribe for Internet service. Conversely, some computer retailers are offering free net service for a certain period with the purchase of a computer. The only catch, apparently, is that subscribers will be subjected to ads but that s the case with paid service as well.
Eyeballs are valuable and becoming more so.
Talking to people in the Web content business, we find that advertising revenues in some cases are exceeding expectations. The doubts about whether advertising could support Web enterprises are being answered, though we doubt that advertising will bail out all the hundreds of Web sites being launched. Be wary about investing in PC or ISP companies unless they have something very special going for them. If cheap or free computers and ISPs spell trouble for some firms, they also mean the Internet will continue to expand at its frantic pace. A new user gets on board the Net every five seconds.