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Getting your first computer can seem daunting and expensive, and that’s before you enter the minefield that is broadband with its many providers and deals.
Although there are several basic and cheap ways of getting yourself a computer of some sort, it’s not always easy to find them, especially if you don’t know where to look. British entrepreneur Martha Lane Fox has devised a scheme called ‘Get Online @ Home’, designed to be a solution to this very problem.
The new initiative offers UK residents a cut-price desktop or laptop computer for starters, and then offers to help them find a cheap and suitable broadband deal for their area. A desktop PC, including a monitor, keyboard and mouse, costs £149, and a laptop will cost you £199. There are also discounts for charities and for those receiving benefits, knocking the price of the desktop down to £99 and the laptop to £169.
Once you’ve chosen your PC you can easily compare broadband deals on the website or by calling. Although many carry a telephone line rental fee of around £12, broadband itself can be as cheap as £5 per month.
Go Online @ Home has teamed up with UK broadband provider TalkTalk to cut a special deal, offering a £50 discount on either computer if you add in one of their broadband packages. Line rental is £14.50 per month, with broadband costing £5 instead of the usual £6.50 each month, as part of a 12 month contract.
With the TalkTalk broadband package users can easily get online and there’s a plentiful 40GB monthly cap on downloads. You’ll get a wireless router so other laptops and wireless devices can be connected to the broadband, and unlimited weekend and evening calls to UK landlines are included in the deal. The company will arrange for everything to be set up for you, and if you have any problems along the way they’re also there to help you out.
The Get Online @ Home initiative seems like a good one to us; there are far too many people out there that want to learn to use a computer and to get online, but don’t know how to start and can’t afford it.
If you’re interested, you can find more information at getonlineathome.org.
Let us know your thoughts on our comments below or via our @Gadget_Helpline Twitter page or Official Facebook group.
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