is perhaps todays hottest buzzword. When considering computers, software and services, just how free is free?
First published 1/1/2000; Law Practice Management magazine, “nothing.but.net” column; American Bar Association Whoever said “the best things in life are free” must have landed a boatload of venture capital from Wall Street investors. In case you haven’t noticed, “free” is the latest greatest buzzword in the booming Internet market space. And for the lawyer with a little bit of curiosity, there is a goldmine waiting. Free Computers Before you can get on the Internet, you need a computer. In many cases, you can use any computer with an Internet connection to do your work. With the advent of Web-based e-mail services such as Yahoo Mail and HotMail (see below for details), it is possible – but perhaps not practical – for a lawyer to benefit from the Internet without owning a computer. For those on a budget, there are many options for getting a computer at little or no cost. America Online started the trend by offering a $400 rebate through its CompuServe brand with the purchase of an Emach
