Some key events in one of the most talked about trends of the year. Feb. Free-PC offers a free Compaq PC to 10,000 applicants. Customer interest knocks site out temporarily. Mar. Start-ups DirectWeb, Gobi say they will give away PCs for customers who agree to three years of Internet service. Skeptics raise concerns about such start-ups.
Trend continues through the year.
Dell unveils plan to sell ISP service to U.S. customers. Free year's worth of access given on some PCs. Aug. EarthLink sues Microworkz for breach of contract. Microworkz customer complaints later culminate in suit by the State Attorney General of Washington. Oct. Prodigy says it has signed up 120,000 customers in the six weeks following the launch of its rebate offer.