AOL Deutschland GmbH is reported to be in negotiations to provide new subscribers with a subsidized PC from Fujitsu Siemens Computers BV, following on from the revelation that the ISP intends bringing such an offer to market before Christmas. The internet service provider, a unit of AOL Europe, the joint venture of America Online Inc and Bertelsmann AG, will charge consumers who sign up for AOL for three years DM50 ($27.25) per month for the machine, according to the Wall Street Journal Europe, citing sources familiar with the situation.
This puts a price of DM1,800 ($985) on the machine, in a country where a top-spec PC costs about DM2,000 ($1,089). AOL clearly hopes to replicate the success of its Compuserve brand in the US, where a $21.95-per-month three-year subscription allowed users to claim a free $400 eMachines Inc PC. But the model has so far failed to take off in a big way in Europe, with some schemes in the UK already admitted failures.
