AT&T is offering a $99 portable PC in a promotion with Radio Shack, although you need to sign up for a two year contract using their $60 per month data service. A leaked flyer indicates the deal will be offered from December 14 to December 20, 2008 .
AT&T cut the first netbook deal, bundling mobile broadband data service with an Acer Aspire One netbook for $99.99 if users also sign up for a two-year AT&T DataConnect mobile broadband service agreement starting at $60 per month. The deal is available through December 24 but is a likely precursor to similar bundles.
The Acer network retails for $499 although netbooks are now available for as low as $300. But at $60 per month for data service, the device is priced more for road warriors and power users rather than a consumer value offering. Dell and HP are offering similar broadband deals with some of their netbooks.
Smartphone/wireless data bundles tend to be priced more cheaply. For instance, data service with the iPhone offered via AT&T is $30 per month for unlimited usage. Service prices for Netbook bundles, like notebook cards, will likely remain higher because a computer typically consumes much more mobile bandwidth.
The Acer Aspire One netbook includes built-in 3G and WiFi (802.11b/g) radios, weighs 2.44 pounds, runs Windows XP software on an Intel Atom processor and includes 1 gigabyte of memory, a 160-GB hard drive, built-in memory card and a built-in Web cam.
“No question about it, netbooks could drive data usage,” said Avi Greengart, an analyst with Current Analysis. But the discount of $200 or $300 pales next to the $1500 you’ll spend on service over a two-year period.”
A $400 discount on the netbook, divided into 24 months, represents a savings of close to $16/month. But an early termination fee from AT&T can cost around $175 and you’re stuck with service to a small netbook rather than a more flexible card or USB dongle.
Of course, if you can get by with (essentially) free WiFi at Starbucks (with a Starbucks card), you might save $1000. Meanwhile, Clearwire’s Mobile WiMAX service in Portland costs $30, $40 and $50 a month or $10/day.
Mobile WiMAX is currently available in Baltimore and Portland, Oregon, and coming soon to, Chicago, IL, Washington, D.C., Boston, MA, Dallas, TX, Forth Worth, TX, Philadelphia, PA, Providence, RI, Las Vegas, NV, Grand Rapids, MI, and Alanta, GA.
