jami_welch Posted December 15, 2003 Share Posted December 15, 2003 (edited) i thought there could be a place to disscuss this so here it is :) title edited Edited December 17, 2003 by Blaise Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Selecta Posted December 15, 2003 Share Posted December 15, 2003 funny post, i think thats a bad idea, cause i dont like ads! :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jami_welch Posted December 15, 2003 Author Share Posted December 15, 2003 if you use a pop up blocker, would they know? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Keldyn Posted December 15, 2003 Share Posted December 15, 2003 I'm confused here. What is this all about? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jami_welch Posted December 15, 2003 Author Share Posted December 15, 2003 (edited) https://www.neowin.net/comments.php?categor...4#comment169004 they give u a free pc if u watch so many adverts also do they pay for the obligatory internet access? had anyone signed up yet? Edited December 15, 2003 by jami_welch Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stncttr908 Veteran Posted December 15, 2003 Veteran Share Posted December 15, 2003 I'm quite sure that the ads aren't javascript based since that would be much too easy for people to find a way around. I'm sure they run off the software that you're required to have installed and running at all times. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Keldyn Posted December 15, 2003 Share Posted December 15, 2003 What a god awful idea. Imagine having your computing experience interrupted every 20 minutes with full screen ads? I couldn't use a computer like that. Free or not. It would not be so bad if the advertising were less intrusive. Perhaps a banner across the top of the screen? I can't see this becoming too popular. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jami_welch Posted December 15, 2003 Author Share Posted December 15, 2003 banner on the top of the screen sounds better, i'd go for it if it was just that Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SimplyPotatoes Posted December 15, 2003 Share Posted December 15, 2003 (edited) 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. seems like they can do it without anyone hacking the ads, even tho i think people are going to go insane with those ads interupting Edited December 15, 2003 by SimplyPotatoes Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blaise Veteran Posted December 15, 2003 Veteran Share Posted December 15, 2003 this is doomed to fail, I'd like to have seen the business plan they put together to get their financing. So..who's gonna volunteer to test this for Neowin? :shifty: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Xab Posted December 15, 2003 Share Posted December 15, 2003 All of their ads and things are controlled through software, since this is a free PC I have no doubt someone out there will find a way to go in and take out all the junk, and keep the PC from being disabled. Otherwise, fullscreen ads every 20 minutes? What the hell are they thinking? We would all have to sit with egg timers by the PC. Imagine the AIM conversations: FreePCMoron1: Uh oh, almost time for my commercial break, talk to you in a minute SensiblePerson233: You can get a PC at Walmart for $200... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trix Posted December 15, 2003 Share Posted December 15, 2003 couldnt someone just re-install windows onto the machine or install linux or somthing simillar(SP?) ? edit: some spellings Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
daveoc64 Posted December 15, 2003 Share Posted December 15, 2003 Couldnt you just reformat it? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SimplyPotatoes Posted December 15, 2003 Share Posted December 15, 2003 well you dial into their server using their custom made dialing software...and then it would scan your pc and when you dial in it checks to see how much your using it, if your not using it any and you never dial in to them....they are going to take it back Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cesardrgn Posted December 15, 2003 Share Posted December 15, 2003 hum... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+John Teacake MVC Posted December 15, 2003 MVC Share Posted December 15, 2003 What a god awful idea. Imagine having your computing experience interrupted every 20 minutes with full screen ads? I couldn't use a computer like that. Free or not. Ive seen some peoples PC are like that at the moment, Ads all over the place because of the ammount of spyware and crap they have it so this would probably be better for them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+John Teacake MVC Posted December 15, 2003 MVC Share Posted December 15, 2003 so its going to have any ammount of spyware and crap on it, id like to see what a scan of adaware returns on it. Someone should get the PC and do a report on it exclusively for neowin. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jami_welch Posted December 15, 2003 Author Share Posted December 15, 2003 yeah a reprtre on this "deal" and they can try to see what happens when they fiddle with the macheine :p Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fizbin Posted December 16, 2003 Share Posted December 16, 2003 Could you not just add another hard drive to the machine and setup a dual boot with linux on the other hard drive. If you have a broadband connection then just let your computer use their software for 2 to 3 hours while you are a sleep. Or you could just use knoppix and do the same. Just an idea. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheElite Posted December 16, 2003 Share Posted December 16, 2003 but do we have to pay for the dialup access? I already have adsl, so i wont go for it if they want us to pay for dialup. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+John Teacake MVC Posted December 16, 2003 MVC Share Posted December 16, 2003 i think its a load of crap, what do the company get out of it ? just imagine the wasted bandwidth and resources if all 100,000 computers are connecting to a server. They could be using it for something good like the seti project or something along those lines. I thought that people hated spyware and we were trying to get rid of it not increase it. to a noob its like get a pc pre loaded with spyware, you dont have to worry about installing spyware we have already done it for you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Japlabot Posted December 16, 2003 Share Posted December 16, 2003 It will be cracked: When there is a will, there is a way :yes: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+John Teacake MVC Posted December 16, 2003 MVC Share Posted December 16, 2003 (edited) yeah well the case will be rivited or something instead of conventional screws, so apart fromm ripping the case apart there wont be a way to get inside. therefore if you rip the case apart its damaged and they would get suspicious. so theres no way of modifying the hardware. Oh yeah it will be cracked but it might be harder than what people think. Edited December 16, 2003 by Sawyer12 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Borbus Posted December 16, 2003 Share Posted December 16, 2003 I think the ad software requirement is built into the hardware. There would be no point cracking it anyway. The pc still belongs to metromony not yourself so anything like that would be the same as hacking into someone elses pc over the internet i figure. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mantra Locust Posted December 16, 2003 Share Posted December 16, 2003 FreePCMoron1: Uh oh, almost time for my commercial break, talk to you in a minuteSensiblePerson233: You can get a PC at Walmart for $200... LMFAO Haha! That's great man! :rofl: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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