RadioShack sells $99 Netbook with 2-year AT&T contract
(Credit:
RadioShack)
RadioShack is selling an Acer Aspire One 3G Netbook for $99, with a two-year AT&T DataConnect contract.
The Acer Aspire One grabbed 38.3 percent of Netbook market share in the third quarter, propelling it past industry pioneer Asus and its Eee PC 4G.
Acer's Aspire One normally sells for about $300.
The RadioShack-AT&T offer, as previously reported, is valid through December 24. The 2.44-pound, 9.8-inch by 6.7-inch Netbook includes:
Built-in 3G capability
802.11b/g wireless (Wi-Fi)
8.9-inch LCD screen
Built-in Webcam
Intel Atom processor
Windows XP Home
1GB memory
160GB hard drive
Built-in memory card readers (dedicated SD and 5-in-1)
Other players in the Netbook market include Hewlett-Packard and Dell.
Dawn Kawamoto covers enterprise security and financial news relating to technology for CNET News. E-mail Dawn. 

No. Effing. Way.
I can do it cheaper with my crappy old laptop and a coffee-house hot-spot. Until such time as I cannot, I won't bother.
It is kind of like the iPhone or other PDA phone. $35 for a data plan! Are you kidding.
That is why I have unlocked iPhone. I opt out of the data plan (just turn it off) and save $400+ per year. At work and home and many other places I have wifi and can check my email. Including my local Walmart;-)
However, the data plans are ridiculous. 5GB is easy to do just hitting web pages for a month, never-mind downloading music or streaming anything. In fact, the obscene data plans are the reason I will never get an iPhone (for now). The one thing (tech-wise, there are plenty of bigger issues, I know) that for sure sucks about living in the U.S. is that our cellular and land-based bandwidth SUCKS. It is at least 10 years behind much of the rest of the modern industrialized nations. So while this is a cool deal, the fact that you are shelling out $700+ per year in data plans (at a bare minimum) kind of negates the fact that you got a cheap netbook...
But hey, at least you "only" spent $100 for the laptop. Yeah, you'd spend over $1500 in data plans if you carried the 2-year contract to its end! But at least the laptop was cheap.
Wait a minute?!!! That little thing only costs $300 overall? Now it makes sense! Gotta sign up with them now!
It's time that AT&T puts down the crack pipe.
When will you be able to take a Wireless Broadband account multi-device? If I could access the 3G Network with this and an iPhone on the same plan (along with a standard PCI card for my laptop) then I would likely sign up and be thrilled.
So basically there is no "I'm gonna buy this laptop with the plan, then cancel the contract 3 days later just Iso can get the computer for 100 bucks."
ATT will NOT cancel your contract unless proof of return has been met with Radioshack. Each laptop has an IMEI attached to it that goes onto the ATT account.
The math:
1st month: $99 + $60 (first month's bill) + $36 (activation fee first bill) + whatever prorations on the first month's bill
2nd month: same - activation fee and prorations, if you cancel you will be charged $200 Radioshack cancellation fee (to offset the cost of the laptop) and $175 goes to ATT as their 2-year service agreement cancellation charge.
If you cancel your contract and do not return the merchandise you are in fact costing yourself close to 499.99 with the cancellation fees and data service contract fees attached.
-Keep the laptop and contract at least 90 days.
- by December 13, 2008 8:03 PM PST
- That's just NOT right...it's really a clear scam to me IMO. So let me get this straight: $99.00 for the laptop THEN $60.00/monthly charge to use the darn thing!?...are you Freaking Kidding Me!!!??? I just bought the VERY SAME laptop @ Walmart for:$348.00 + tax = $374.58 + ALL the internet usages that i possibly want thanks to our next door Public Library AND my next door neighbor Larry who has an WEP-incrypted Wi-Fi Connection (He gave me his password). I don't know about you people but That's just insane!!! With the economy right now that's in the tank & in the brink of a complete,Financial collapse + a looming Full blown depression on the way...who could even afford to get this laptop from Radioshack!!!???
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