There's a computer giveaway for Macophiles now, too. And yes, there's a catch.
Two days after Free-PC said it would hand out 10,000 Compaqs, a company on Wednesday offered 25,000 free iMacs -- in exchange for one little thing.
Money.
While Free-PC is giving personal computers to Internet users willing to spill personal info and endure ads, One Stop Communication will give an iMac to anyone promising to spend US$100 a month at its online mall for the next three years.
Users must also use One Stop Communication as their Internet service provider, at $19.95 a month, company CEO Israel Rosenfeld said. That charge is waived in any month that a user spends more than $200 at the decidedly patchwork shopping mall run by the company.
Two hours after the deal was announced 2,500 people had signed up for the free iMacs, Rosenfeld said. The company promised delivery of the iMacs within 30 days.
Customers must provide One Stop with their credit card number or enough personal information to prove their credit-worthiness. Each month, a shopper must spend at least $25 each in four different shops in the mall, which will eventually feature a few hundred shops, Rosenfeld said. If a shopper does not shop, his or her account is charged $100.
The commitment represents a $3,600 outlay for a computer Rosenfeld said was valued at $999.
However, Trudy Self, of One Stop's investor relations company, said the extra charges do not equate to a charge for the iMac. By signing up, customers gain access to discount shopping at the company's site, she said.
Customers can sign up for the offer by e-mailing the company or by going to the Compubag section of its site. The shopping mall now offers goods ranging from books and flowers to antiques and computers.
One Stop Communication, which is based in New York and Tel Aviv, is a subsidiary of One Stop Car of Florida.
Reuters contributed to this report.
