HSBC is giving away Dell laptops or Amazon bookreaders to customers who open a high-end checking account. Depositing at least $50,000 in “new money” will get HSBC Premiere customers their choice of a free Dell Inspiron Mini 10 or Amazon Kindle. The offer is good through February 26, 2010, according to the bank’s website.

New customers qualify for the giveaway, although existing HSBC customers can also grab the freebie by opening an investment account with $50,000. One catch: although the Premiere account can be opened with 50 Large, you will need to carry $100,000 in your checking account to avoid a $50 monthly fee; HSBC does give you 90 days to get your balance up to that six-figure mark. (IRAs don’t count toward your total balance requirement, but HSBC does allow its small business customers to participate in Premiere.)

As of January 12, 2010, HSBC was paying an annual percentage yield of .01% on balances of $5 or more in a Premiere Checking. That’s obviously not a lot, so you may want to calculate any difference in interest between your current bank and HSBC before switching. Premiere Checking also features a debit card with Paypass technology as well as free checks, no issuance fee for money orders or official checks, and bonus rates on CDs, according to the bank. Ever the global institution, Hong Kong-based HSBC also gives Premiere users free international banking center services, a nice bonus if you travel overseas a lot.