Microsoft Corp. and Chinese-based computer maker Lenovo said Monday they will launch market trials for pay-as-you-go purchases of computers in China and India. Consumers will be able to purchase a Lenovo PC for about half its retail price and pay off the balance over time by purchasing pre-paid cards from Lenovo.
(Via digg.)
This might just work in developing countries. People really can't afford computers even at the low prices we have them right now (they are low in developed countries only). But time seems to be removing the "Personal" from personal computers. I was pretty unhappy when I read this story at first. You have to buy minutes to use the computer, which suggests that the computer still belongs to IBM or Microsoft. But then I realize if it wasn't for this deal, people who can't afford the original price of a computer wouldn't have access to a computer at all. Something is better than nothing. And the more people computing means more people online and richer the internet.
Tags: lease, timeshare
