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How Cheap is Your Free? (8/3/99)
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Okay, it's official: FreeMac has announced its plan to give away a million free iMacs to the "right kind of people." (The "right kind of people" are generally going to be people who could pay for an iMac on their own, but we'll discuss that shortly.) As faithful viewer Jerry O'Neil points out, the New York Times has a pretty solid article that analyzes the ins and outs of FreeMac's press release. Basically, it comes down to this: in terms of actual monetary payment, FreeMac's free iMacs only cost $718.20. Personally, we think that's pretty cheap for a free computer, especially considering that this is a free iMac, and not some nasty-looking box from Cheapoworkz or MicroSavr.
See, it's complete folly to think that anyone offering you a free computer isn't going to charge you for it-- or, rather, they're going to charge you for something else, and "give" you the computer for "free." Free computers always cost something, so you get into this whole question of which free computers are more expensive; FreeMac's free iMac is $718.20, but Micron's free PC is $1087, according to CNET. Confused yet? Don't be; just keep in mind that this whole trend has completely redefined the word "free," and get used to it. (Or don't, since plenty of people don't think the whole "free computer" business model can possibly succeed anyway-- take Robert Morgan and his latest RFI Report, for example.)
In FreeMac's case, the $718.20 you'd pay for your free iMac is actually paying for three mandatory years' worth of Earthlink Internet service (which is a waste if you've got an existing faster connection via ISDN, ADSL, or cable modem). But in addition to the actual money you're paying out, you'll pay for your free iMac by selling a little part of your soul; in other words, prepare for advertising. Lots of it. Two gigabytes of your iMac's hard drive will be filled with promotional materials. And from time to time, you'll be "offered discounts and services from a group of as yet unnamed marketing partners." And to make sure that they only enlist people who have money to spend on the goods and services they'll be pushing, you only qualify for a free $718.20 iMac if you also qualify for a FreeMac credit card. Now, if you're not the sort who balks at long-term contracts and can stomach the prospect of a guaranteed and steady stream of advertising, you may still find FreeMac's offer a good deal. Others, however, would probably be better off shelling out the additional $480.80 for an iMac with no strings attached...
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SceneLink (1700)
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And Now For A Word From Our Sponsors |
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 | | The above scene was taken from the 8/3/99 episode: August 3, 1999: FreeMac's free iMac is cheaper than some free PCs, but it's not for everybody. Meanwhile, Apple-watching prognosticators focus their full attention on "Kihei," the next-generation iMac, and Andy Ihnatko puts the smack-down on an iBook that just smiles and asks for more...
Other scenes from that episode: 1701: Gimme $20 on Seybold (8/3/99) You waited for over a year. You read rumors about wireless Internet access, sub-$1000 prices, instant-on, an eight-hour battery life, pen-based handwriting input, Mac OS Lite, and a gazillion other features that may or may not have made it into the final product in some form or another... 1702: Takes A Licking... (8/3/99) We admit, we were more than a little disappointed when we first saw an iBook up close and personal. And not because of the styling, or the color choices, or anything like that-- we were bummed out because of the iBook's sheer size...
Or view the entire episode as originally broadcast... | |  |
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