Free Pc Anyone?

[Kunal]

A British start-up is to offer up to free PCs to the public. The catch? The PC fills the screens with ads for 60 seconds every 20 minutes.

Each month, the company, Metronomy, mails a CD containing targeted advertising. Your PC will work only if the CD is installed. You must also agree to use the PC at least 30 hours a month and you must sign up to use the Internet. It is unclear from weekend newspaper reports if the punters must pay for Internet access, but if this service is free, Metronomy will have pulled off a extraordinary feat of economic engineering.

Customers sign up for three years, but can simply return their PCs, if they don't want to continue with the scheme, company founder John Thornhill told the Mail on Sunday.

Metronomy will monitor computer usage - but not Internet surfing activities - as well as as ad-watching activity. If enough people sign up, this will give the company an opportunity to flog market research, we figure.

http://www.metronomy.com/

[mooseman2070]

what are the specs? ill try the link

[DWk]

i dont think the pc is worth it for any of us...... but i guess its easily crackable....

popup blocker anyone? :P

[RGX]

Easily reversible, few registry tweaks or a format and a new install of windows and its yours :D

[DWk]

yea a new install......or just switch harddrives :D

[vivitron 15]

you cant just reinstall, cos the pc sends info to them each month to say how many hours youve used it and how many ads you viewed.

but as a file server, im sure itd be no problem :D

[RGX]

Originally posted by vivitron 15@15 December 2003 - 21:30
you cant just reinstall, cos the pc sends info to them each month to say how many hours youve used it and how many ads you viewed.

but as a file server, im sure itd be no problem :D
Register up with a fake name if you know you are going to move soon ;)

[DWk]

or just dont call em and move :)

[Livy]

i seen this in a pc mag a few months ago, not this exact company, but other companys doingt he same thing. good for people who cant afford a pc.

[Mïcrösöül°V³]

i assume to get this free comp, you have to live in england, or london? i live in the USA, so i guess no free file server for me, lol :P

[Livy]

Originally posted by Mïcrösöül°V³@15 December 2003 - 22:41
i assume to get this free comp, you have to live in england, or london? i live in the USA, so i guess no free file server for me, lol :P
there will probably be a company doing something similar inthe usa aswell/

[callum]

Minimum Specification:
Intel Celeron 2.4ghz, 256Mb RAM, 40Gb Hard Drive, Intel Extreme 64Mb onboard Graphics, DVD Rom, 56K modem, Integrated Audio, Infinity Ext Speakers, Microsoft XP Home pre-installed, IBM E54 15" CRT Monitor and Includes Full 3 year IBM warranty

Not bad for free.

I read their terms and conditions and you only have to use it for 30 hours per month. So you could maybe create a second partition and install windows on it and leave the original on a few times overnight, each month.

[DWk]

yea that would be a very nice option....just leave the sucka with like 1 gig :D

would the program report hdds 2? cuz you could throw another hdd there hehe

[bigdawgfoxx]

Its not that nice really..I wouldnt deal with all those damn ads...

[Mïcrösöül°V³]

comes with a 15 inch monitor, i didnt think they even made them that size anymore.

[100%]

This would be fun just to break the code.

Id start with the CD - minituarize the ads, see what prog launches them - and find which code is saying what and where to the pc.

If we all get one - we can compete who cracks it first
http://www.theartofcomics.com/renaud/images/renaud10.jpg

[mooseman2070]

Originally posted by callum@15 December 2003 - 23:24

Minimum Specification:
Intel Celeron 2.4ghz, 256Mb RAM, 40Gb Hard Drive, Intel Extreme 64Mb onboard Graphics, DVD Rom, 56K modem, Integrated Audio, Infinity Ext Speakers, Microsoft XP Home pre-installed, IBM E54 15" CRT Monitor and Includes Full 3 year IBM warranty

Not bad for free.

I read their terms and conditions and you only have to use it for 30 hours per month. So you could maybe create a second partition and install windows on it and leave the original on a few times overnight, each month.
its not like theyre gonna give you an alienware or any other good computer company, like dell or gateway (im just naming them because a lot of people have them, dont start saying "dell sucks balls" or "gateway licks grandma boobs" or "dell has a 1" penis" or any other stupid things like that)

[DWk]

Originally posted by Zedaxax@15 December 2003 - 20:08
If we all get one - we can compete who cracks it first

after all...they ARE free :D

[SciManAl]

thier agreement statement says you have to maintain a dail-up connection with them at all times... (not connected, but in a state of readiness) that would suck... just have them ship it to a empty house.. take the comp... and go home and reformat... etc.. and know that you got a 2.4 gighertz Intle P4 for freee... that alone is awsome...

[johnboy27]

I sent an application just for the hell of it.The wife is using a P166 right now and i am too cheap to build her something new at the moment.

[zapjb]

I'm in the USA. Don't think I'll get it. But I applied anyways. :unsure:

[Evil Gemini]

The following 5 key terms and conditions are for your guidance only, and do not constitute a legally binding agreement. Before delivery, you will be required to complete a written agreement, either by post or online.

1) On screen advertising: In exchange for your free PC, you must accept up to 3 minutes of on-screen advertising per hour of PC use. Every month, you will receive a cd containing adverts to be shown over the following four weeks. Each disc must be loaded onto your PC for the system to update. Should you fail to do this, your PC will be disabled.

2) The PC is lent to you for a term of 36 months, after which you will be offered a new computer and a new agreement, or you can simply return the old machine to a local collection point.

3) Your household must use the PC for at least 30hrs per calender month, or approximately 1 hour a day.

4) The PC must be connected to the internet at least once a month, and you must maintain an ISP dial-up account throughout the term of the agreement.

5) The principle applicant should be 18 or over, and provide a home telephone number. We will conduct a security check linking you to the address given. Under certain circumstances, you may be requested to provide alternative proof of ID. This offer is restricted to one PC per household.

If you accept these terms and conditions and consider yourself eligible, then please click on the 'Order your free PC' button to the left of your screen, and complete the short application form.

This is very strange.

They havent got alot of terms and conditions for something like this :unsure:

[vivitron 15]

The following 5 key terms and conditions are for your guidance only, and do not constitute a legally binding agreement. Before delivery, you will be required to complete a written agreement, either by post or online.

therell be a whole list of stuff to agree to once youve given them an address to post an app form to.

[freak]

has anyone acually got one of these?

[muchspl2]

no clearly a scam
http://filesharingtalk.com/index.php?showtopic=108184
and I can't believe no one was screaming scam in this thread wtf

[AcID ZeR0]

If it wasn't a scam then it's easily a free pc.

1) Sign up, Get it

2) Take the hard drive out

3) Stick the hard drive in a old shit pc connect it to the net via. network

4) Use the new PC as your own, Whilst the old pc can be left on showing ads every 20 minites, and then dick heads will think your still seeing the ads on the new pc they gave you.

[tesco]

Originally posted by AcID ZeR0@8 April 2004 - 11:35
If it wasn't a scam then it's easily a free pc.

1) Sign up, Get it

2) Take the hard drive out

3) Stick the hard drive in a old shit pc connect it to the net via. network

4) Use the new PC as your own, Whilst the old pc can be left on showing ads every 20 minites, and then dick heads will think your still seeing the ads on the new pc they gave you.
that was my plan...i could use the hard drive on my file server computer im making...noone would use it since its a pentium 133 lol. and it doesnt have a monitor, or even a case, so ill never have to see those ads...woulda worked perfectly, i was just waiting for someone to post if its a scam or not.