That was the original (and quite bright) idea. unfortunately, in practice, those that needed to fix a tire on a Giant Halfway (including myself) learned it is not quite that simple. On top of that, the ride is quite stiff and the brakes are poorly designed.
I don't think you can get anything better for the price you paid though. I sold mines for 500 (instead of 550 which is what I paid for it new) and 600-something ( on a rear suspension, hard to find model). If you offer me any of these bikes for free I would say no, but that doesn't mean yours will not meet (if not exceed) your expectations.
Let us know what you think about your bike. It's been a while since we get a review of a 1/2way.
I was wondering when you would puncture the balloon...
Lalato: 14R is quite right, a particular bike may be right for one person and their case but a poor choice for another in their application. The Giants come with a good company reputation and assurance of general quality.
Let us know how you experience the bike, and if required we may be able to provide suggestions if you wanted to mod something, like tyres or whatever.