IT hardly seems possible, but yes, you really can get a free laptop or free PS3 with your AOL broadband connection and, yes, it really is quite a good deal.
It is in fact such a good deal that we predict it will be gone before you can say ‘My favourite price for laptops is free!’ so if you are interested, sign up immediately with AOL to get your name on the list. You have a 7-day cooling off period if you change your mind.
So is the AOL Broadband Wireless Plus with free laptop (or PS3) any good? And what is the catch with the AOL free laptop?
The Included Broadband Package
The AOL Broadband Wireless Plus package which accompanies the free laptop is surprisingly good, offering speeds of up to 8Mb. While it is not unlimited in the strict sense of the word, AOL do give you a gigantic 40GB usage allowance which is more than ample for all but the heaviest of users. After all, 40GB is the equivalent of 1 million web pages!
AOL also throw in a free wireless router as well as wireless security and AOL's 24 hour online support.
AOL is also well known for its excellent customer service and in fact has just been voted best broadband provider for customer service, technical support and quality of connection in a recent UK-wide poll.
Keep in mind though that you will be committing to a 24 month contract with AOL and will undergo a credit check.
The Included Phone Package
In order to get your free AOL laptop and AOL Broadband Wireless plus at this price you will have to take the AOL Talk Pay As You Go home phone package.
This may sound a bind, but it is not a bad phone package at all (it is, in fact, slightly cheaper than the BT equivalent) and you can still use non-subscription override companies such as Telediscount to make low cost calls. You will not, however, be able to use any subscription-based override providers such as 18185 as these do not work on AOL's unbundled telephone exchanges.
The AOL Free Laptop
The free laptop you get with the AOL Broadband Wireless package is a HP Compaq Notebook boasting Windows Vista Home, 1GB memory, 80GB hard drive, a DVD writer, media card and crucially a wireless card so you can enjoy it alongside the free wireless router you will also receive.
There is the option to upgrade the laptop, but there is no real benefit to this. We’d recommend instead buying some more RAM for the laptop so that Vista performs faster, but this is by no means necessary.
For those not interested in a new laptop, you can opt instead for a free Sony PlayStation 3. AOL will even throw in a free game as well as a free Blu-Ray DVD (currently the film Stealth but there are rumours this could change to Spiderman 3).
If you didn't know, the PS3 is more than just a gaming console, it is a Blu-Ray player too, allowing you to watch Blu-Ray DVD's in jaw-droppingly crisp resolution. Blu-Ray players are currently retailing for about £500, so even if you hate games, the Blu-Ray aspect of the free PS3 should be enough to tempt you. After all, why have a HD TV set if you can't enjoy HD movies?
One bit of small print worth keeping in mind is the £14.99 delivery charge you’ll have to pay to receive AOL’s free laptop or the free PS3, but this is a small price to pay for such an astounding deal.
This AOL free laptop (or free PS3) offer will not last long - in fact, we suspect it won't last more than a few months - so get your name on the list by signing up now. There is a 7-day cooling off period in case you change your mind. |
