Free-PC May Trade 20,000 Computers for Information

Free-PC Inc. is expected to announce today that it will hand out 5,000 personal computers each month from September through December to applicants who are willing to share personal information about themselves. Including the 10,000 Compaq Presarios shipped in June, the Pasadena company will be on track to give away 30,000 free computers this year. Recipients will be selected based on their income, gender, family type, age, and where they live, with all groups being equally represented, said Steve Chadima, vice president for marketing. Inaddition, Free-PC will make its free Internet access service--dubbed FreePCNet--available to the almost 1.2 million applicants on the company’s waiting list for new computers. Opening up the network will boost Free-PC’s revenue from advertising, which in turn will speed the process of purchasing and distributing more free computers, Chadima said. About 70% of Free-PC’s applicants already have a computer and could take advantage of the free Internet service, he said.