AOL offers PC for $299

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The King's New Clothes

AOL is finally realizing it's true potential: as a glossy has-been dialup internet provider. Imagine your friend Steve had a computer that was connected to the internet. Steve searched the web everyday and downloaded information onto his computer, and repackaged it, and called it Steve's On-Line. Steve then comes to you with the following proposal: "Hey friend, instead of logging on to the internet like I do, and surfing the web in your own privacy, how about you connect to my computer, and use the sites that I chose? Also, you can look at just my sites, and my pop-up advertisements. You'll recognize them cause I'm gonna monitor where you go and what you look at, and then pick things to sell you via my popup ads, so I'll make a lot of money. Guess what else? I'll also track your email and decide for you who should have your address or not. I may sell it to some friends of mine in another business. Oh, and after a week or so, if you don't download your email off my machine, I'll just delete it, cause I don't wanna clutter up my machine with your stuff. Oh, and besides, after a while, you'll get so used to "my" internet, you won't even miss the real one. And the best part of all? I'm gonna charge you every month for the privilege!!"
AOL selling gutter pc's at a gutter price is NO bargain, and 'the King's new clothes' show alot... that AOL still doesn't see the handwriting on the wall, dialup is going away, duh, and that in it's usual arrogance it doesn't think it's even succeptible to extinction. AOL could take a few lessons from Kodak, a company well-versed in surviving in a changing market. By the way, that friend, Steve, sold nearly $1 Billion in AOL stock since the merger. I guess faith in AOL's marketability doesn't go quite all the way to the top. Hmmmm...

Posted by: Niteowljeff   Posted on: 12/04/03 You are currently: a Guest | Members login | Terms of Use

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