Tiny Computers, the biggest PC maker in the UK, has dropped after just a month an offer it billed as "Britain's first free PC".

Tiny says 90% of customers had preferred another option of £200 off a higher-specification machine. Both offers involved signing up for Tiny's phone service, provided by Telia and Cable & Wireless Communications.

The free PC offer had served its purpose in achieving wide publicity, prompting 25,000 calls from the public and its 100-plus showrooms around the country becoming inundated with customers.

Existing orders honoured

Those who have already ordered the free PCs will still receive them. The machines cost a £40 delivery charge and mean users have to sign up for 12 months to the telephone service at standard rates. If their call bills already average £30 a month they should only lose out in terms of call discount schemes they may have.

Sales staff in Tiny's showrooms quickly guided customers away from the free PCs if they mentioned wanting to play games or perform anything other than rudimentary functions.

But the free models still had 300Mhz processors, 40x CD-rom drives, a 3.2GB hard drive and 32Mb of memory. There was no monitor but the computer had an adaptor to display on a TV.

'Public want PIIIs'

"The vast majority opted for Pentium III systems, saving themselves £200 off," Tiny spokesman Jim Buchanan told BBC News Online.

"They wanted a system that would last three or four years and were surprised when they came into the showroom that they could buy one for just £500-£600 upwards. The promotion really increased awareness.