| Free laptops have become the calling cards of a | | | | This is rare but just to show it's not an isolated |
| broadband company desperate for you your | | | | incident, it's also true of a Compaq cq61 laptop deal. |
| business. Since the Carphone Warehouse started the | | | | That laptop is around £120 cheaper when it's in the |
| idea in the early days of broadband (when AOL was | | | | deal. |
| convinced that no-one would move from dial-up) | | | | Presumably, in these cases, the mobile broadband |
| there have been many attempts to mass-market | | | | company had chosen to buy the laptops in bulk and |
| free laptop deals. | | | | dramatically slash the price in return for their |
| These days consumers are even more suspicious of | | | | customer's loyalty. In any case these examples show |
| them than they are of most 'free' offers. Clearly | | | | the importance of doing your sums when it comes to |
| there's no such as a free laptop, just as the there's | | | | these free laptop deals. |
| no such as a free lunch. | | | | This is true even within the same free laptop deal. |
| In the case of lunch the ulterior motive is usually a | | | | There can be very different results depending on the |
| word in your ear. In the case of the laptops it's even | | | | type of mobile broadband bundled with the laptop. |
| more tangible - the cost is simply built into the | | | | For example, the samsung N130 netbook is a better |
| monthly price. | | | | deal with 3GB a month of mobile broadband |
| But is that always true? | | | | allowance than than it is with 1GB (even though the |
| If it were the case then you'd be able to take the | | | | 1GB deal is cheaper). Finally, the calculation is not |
| cost of the mobile broadband away from the overall | | | | infallible. |
| cost and be left with the cost of the laptop. | | | | The big problem with is it that laptops can look like a |
| However, performing this calculation will sometimes | | | | great deal just because there aren't discounted at |
| bring surprising results. | | | | retailers. Since retailers tend to discount their top |
| In a recent Samsung R530 Review the reviewers | | | | choices, or the laptops that they rate most highly, |
| found that - even taking away the price of the | | | | this can be misleading. |
| mobile broadband - it was still around £140 cheaper | | | | It's not just whether the free laptop is a good deal |
| to get the laptop in the deal than to buy it on its | | | | that consumers need to check, then, but the |
| own. | | | | specifications of the laptop itself. |