Comments on: Return of the $100 PC

It's not exactly back to 1999, but attention-getting PC prices reflect a competitive environment that mirrors the market back then.

[the Otter]

$287.40 for AOL?

?brings the real price to $387.39. For $12 more, you can head
over to the Special Deals section of the Apple Store and get a Mac
mini. Sure, it?s BYOKDM, but you don?t have to deal with AOL, M$W,
or any other kind of malware. I?d say that *more* than makes up
for the $70-80 a cheap monitor, keyboard, and mouse will set you
back.

Just my 2¢?.

[Des Alba]

You have to pay for an ISP in any case

My ISP charges me $231.12 per year for dial-up, paid in advance, after a 10% discount for paying in advance. My DSL-line from my phone company costs me more than $600 per year and is extremely fast when my time-slice comes around. If I'm the only one on, it's almost instantaneous. During peak times, it's just barely faster than dial-up. Yes, I use both in my house. My point is, people have to pay for access in any case. If AOL underwrites these $100 PCs, that's great. There is no free lunch.

[NeverFade]

I'd rather spend more $ and get a Mac.

N/M

hello mcfly?

when you buy macs the terrorists win

only a person with money to burn spends twice as much for an inferior product.

when intel chips start showing up in macs then ill change my tune but until then i stand by the motto. twice the money for half the product.

[aabcdefghij987654321]

I'd rather spend more to avoid the Mac

Proprietary hardware,proprietary software from a company that makes MS seem like it's open.

[Roman12]

Seems like a reasonable price.

The cost of hardware has been dropping for some time now. I think this is a very realistic offer, because think about it... To put together a PC with a CRT monitor, 256Mb RAM, Intel Celeron CPU, and 40GB HDD is very inexpansive. Unless you buy those components separately it would cost more only because manufacturers keep a big fraction of the price for income, the actual manufacturing price is low, but they are still able to make such offers. It's totally realistic.

Obviously its not going to be a monster gaming PC, but a decent home computer. :)
__________________________________
R.K.
http://www.Remove-All-Spyware.com/

[lingsun]

Still need lots of $ to take it home.

Sounds like a lousy deal. You still have to pay the full purchase price to take the computer home. I don't care if there are rebates or not. And being stuck with AOL stinks too.

[Des Alba]

Low Priced PCs A Good Thing

If we want this information age to be inclusive for everyone, there needs to be a way the less well-heeled will be able to afford an Internet PC. Public libraries and schools do not satisfy the need for everyone to have access, and there are many people who do not have access, especially in rural settings. For many, even a $100 PC may be pushing it, financially. With all the PCs that are replaced each year, I wonder how many are recycled and redistributed to those in need. I think access to the Internet, like access to a Public Library, should be a fundamental right in America. We, in the industry, need to do something to make this happen in America! With the enormous amount I pay in taxes, I believe a small portion of my taxes could be applied toward that end.