Free Email, but not for Us -- D. E. Shaw & Co., L.P. today launched Juno, a nationwide free email service sponsored by advertiser dollars, claiming the model used by free TV and radio stations ought to work on the Internet. The custom software and service will be free to the user; the software will display ads tailored to the user's "member profile" while he or she reads and writes mail, and while messages are transferred via modem. (Users who aren't within a local call of about 200 dialup numbers will be able to use an 800 number at no cost.) The new service currently lacks file attachment capability, but more importantly, it lacks a Macintosh version of the free software, which is required to access the service. The company claims it will consider developing a Mac version if there's sufficient interest.
D. E. Shaw & Co -- 800/654-5866 -- <charlesa@juno.com>
