THE ONLY computer you could get your hands on without paying for it was a stolen one. Within 12 months, they could be free. In the U.S., several upstart companies are passing out computers like peppermints to induce consumers to sign up for premium Internet access packages. As crazy as that may seem, it's really not very different from the business strategies employed in the cable-TV and cellular phone industries, where hardware is given away in exchange for a commitment to monthly services. The firms plan to sign up one million Internet subscribers each in their first year.
Success is far from assured.
After all, computers are more expensive than cellphones. Machines on offer, although not cutting-edge, are not last year's scrap. Nevertheless, some say giving away machines can work, if the right business model emerges. A lot of companies are pushing this trend. Harder to understand is the complicity of computer makers in free-PC schemes.