September 14th, 2005, 1:08 pm

$299 AOL Computer: Can everyone afford a computer now?

Maybe not yet, but this $299 PC/printer, etc. package sure gets a lot closer to that goal.

Sure, it’s all a big AOL ploy to get/keep new subscribers … and you can only get the deal if you sign up for their $24/month service. So it’s really a crappy $600 computer, with crappy AOL service.

But it’s still an interesting indication that companies are willing to help consumers overcome the costs of hardware in order to get them to use their services.

UPDATE: This blog indicates this deal’s been around since 2003. I saw a commercial for it today on Atlanta’s Comcast/Turner South.