Change in the air for "free PC" start-ups

 

latest developments

The "free PC," one of the hot consumer items of 1999, appears to be going away fast. "The Webzter was a disaster." - Rick Latman, founder of Microworkz, describing one of the start-up's PCs, in a previous interview.

Is troubled Microworkz down and out? Consumers looking to do business with "free PC" company Microworkz may have a tough time: Phone lines are disconnected, and its home page offers nothing more than a logo. Emachines, Free-PC to merge update Inexpensive PC maker Emachines will merge with Free-PC, the company that kicked off the free PC craze earlier this year by giving away computers with complementary Internet service. Free PC company Gobi eyeing new services Although many of the "free PC" start-ups have stumbled recently, one of them says that it's looking into expanding the type and kind of services it offers in 2000.