AOL Launches PC Line

[Lord_of_the_Dense]

AOL courts novices, Spanish-speakers with budget PC that includes a year of AOL service.

America Online is introducing a budget PC bundled with its Internet access software in both Spanish and English, as it looks to lasso novices and Spanish-speakers alike with the offering.

The AOL Optimized PC is scheduled to go on sale in Office Depot retail stores across the U.S. later in August. AOL is positioning it as an easy way for novice users to get online.

The entry-level PC system, including a monitor, keyboard, mouse, and printer, is priced at $299.99 with a 12-month membership commitment to the AOL service for $23.90 a month, bringing the total to $586.79.

Read entire story here (http://www.pcworld.com/news/article/0,aid,117362,00.asp).

Who's gonna be first?! :blah

[Lehk]

Oh dear $DEITY no.

[CCSDUDE]

Whoever has my laser sight on their head? lol

[LordNIkon]

Let me think about it...........uhmmmm NO.

[Lord_of_the_Dense]

lol..nice avatar Nikon.

[phalkon30]

I heard it comes with a special keyboard too. They added a few keys such as "LOL", "WTF", and "OMG". This has microsoft scrambling to release a patch for this new 107 key keyboard.

You can find it on the AOL.com website by searching for keyword "JK"

[g-smooth2k]

Source: PC Magazine (http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,1759,1635168,00.asp)

AOL PC Pic (http://common.ziffdavisinternet.com/util_get_image/7/0,1311,sz=1&i=78157,00.jpg)

America Online, provider of e-mail and Internet service, is offering new subscribers a PC for $299.99—as long as they sign up for at least a year of AOL dial-up service at 23.90 per month. Broadband customers can sign up for the $24.95/month AOL BYOA (Bring Your Own Access) plan, which includes unlimited access to AOL for Broadband features and unlimited dial-up access. (The high-speed connection must be procured from another provider.)

Built by Systemax, the AOL Optimized PC includes a 2 GHz Intel Celeron Processor, a 40GB hard drive, 256 MB of RAM and a CD-ROM drive, a 17" monitor, a printer, speakers, a mouse and a keyboard. Microsoft Windows XP Home Edition, and the AOL Office Suite, a modified version of Sun Microsystems's StarOffice software, which includes spreadsheet, word processing and presentation software, are pre-installed.

"We found that 27 percent of the population hasn't purchased their first PC, " Jaymelina Esmele, AOL Corporation Communications said. "We developed the PC with them in mind, to lower the barriers they have—cost, language, and the relevance of being online."

AOL 9.0 Optimized is included as well as AOL 9.0 Optimized for the AOL Latino service. The online services giant decided to target Spanish-speaking households after its own research showed that Hispanic-Americans are less likely than other groups to have Internet access. AOL executives say its software is engineered to ease the switch between English and Spanish.

All of the included software can be accessed through the AOL Desktop, which can be easily cus-tomized. Parental controls, spyware protection, Web pop-up controls, and enhanced spam fighting tools are included as part of the AOL software and service.

The PC will be available at Office Depot stores and directly from AOL beginning August 15, and at other retail locations in the fall.


Source: New York Times (http://www.nytimes.com/2004/08/12/technology/circuits/12aoll.html)

Not long ago, many computer makers offered discounted Internet service to attract customers. Now America Online has reversed that arrangement. Next week, the big Internet service provider will begin selling a system, the AOL Optimized PC, for $300 to people who sign up for its dial-up service for at least one year.

Unlike many such deals, AOL's does not involve rebates and includes a full setup. The computer is based around a 2-gigahertz Intel Celeron processor and Windows XP Home Edition. A modified version of Sun Microsystems' StarOffice software is loaded onto the 40-gigabyte hard drive. A 17-inch cathode-ray-tube monitor, speakers and a Lexmark inkjet printer are part of the package.

The PC will be available at Office Depot stores and directly from AOL by telephone (866-692-6572) beginning Sunday. The year's worth of dial-up Internet service that buyers must agree to purchase has a monthly rate of $23.90.

AOL expects that the new computer will mostly be bought by people who currently do not have Internet access.

"Among these people, perceptions about the price of a computer are much higher than it actually is," said David Wellisch, the vice president of AOL Latino.

Because AOL's market research indicates that Hispanic-Americans disproportionately lack Internet service, the customized software on the AOL Optimized PC is designed to allow users to switch easily between English and Spanish.

[Toog]

gee, how many failed "low cost" machine "deals" have included required (internet) service contracts? Remember that fun internet deal that suffered at the hands of California law? ;)

[broadwayrock]

Yahoo are bring out their own brand of portable dvd players amongst other products.

[Digital Bliss]

just great they shove cds down our throats now pcs ughhh and let me guess it wont even be a real pc just like aol isnt the real intrent this roally sucks who is going to buy this shit and in that since who pays 20 somewhat bucks a moth for dailup lol.

[mountain_rage]

people probably won't even realise that they can get openoffice for free oh well.

[talkinghand]

oh dear mother of god what is the world comming to!

[MushroomheadXIII]

I don't like budget pcs, well not from aol. Well, depending what brand i guess some are okay, my pc is a custom! But its old, only AMD Athlon XP 2200, i wnat faster but cant afford it.

[random]

lol, those pcs cant do anything except internet and word processing

[Psilaxs]

WOW!, just found out about this, this is scary. Now, instead of people thinking the internet IS AOL they will think AOL actually makes the PC's they are using and other assorted hardware.

AOL Idiot: "uhh my AOL CD-Rom is making coasters.
Computer Literate Guy: "Uhh, say wha!? AOL CD-Rom? They don't make CD-Roms, what KIND is it?
AOL Idiot: "I Already told you!, it is an AOL CD-Rom.

Repeat this scenario across BBS's and chat rooms everywhere, and you have an internet ready to implode with sheer anger and frustration. I fully support segregation of AOL and Yahoo users into their own sub INTRA net, where they are CUT OFF from everyone except themselves, whoever manages to survive and actually learn anything will be rewarded with the option to join the real world of computing.

[bmc152003]

yeha f*** aol im tired of stubborn ignorant people....