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.

[jesusdeluxe]

That could make for an excellent gift depending on monthly cost of AT&T DataConnect plan. Anyone got some numbers?

[FinalJenemba]

I work at Radioshack, its $60 a month. Its a neat little notebook, you pop in a sim card underneath the battery and your good to go.

[rapier1]

So what is the penalty for canceling the contract? If the cost of the netbook + termination fee is less than the cost of the netbook alone...

[justdaven]

It is probably in line with Sprint's 3G subscription rates. ~$60/mo for "unlimited" 5GB plan.

[Penguinisto]

$60/mo. just for a 5GB plan?

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.

[plarsen111]

I am right there with you. I am shocked at what they charge.

[plarsen111]

You would have to have a real good reason to spend that kind of money.

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;-)

[Republic512]

Would it not make more sense just to have an iPod Touch?

[illegallydead]

agreed. This is an AMAZING price for a decent little netbook (it actually has a larger hard drive than my year old $1300 MacBook... lol)
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...

[yoscott]

This rivals what HP does with their printers. It's like the analogy of "getting the razor for free but having to buy the blades". Here's a cheap mini-laptop for you for under $100!!! WOW, what an awesome deal. Well, to use this, you're gonna need to spend over $700/year just to access the internet. And once you do, you're gonna have to limit yourself to 5GB.

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.

[mishani]

For a moment I thought it was true ($99 netbook). Then I read about the 2-year contract and woke up :(

[jabailo]

I'd wait for Clearwire Wimax and a good low cost netbook. 3G is terrible and they often charge per GB of download.

[Vegaman_Dan]

Of all the small netbooks out there that I've worked on, I have to say I like the Acer Aspire the most. If I were to buy any of these from HP, Dell, Sony, etc, I would go with the Acer product. The keyboard is just large enough not to cause you discomfort as the others tend to do.

[Kev50027]

Yeah, I was one of the first in the US with an Aspire One, and I still use it nearly every day. It's a trusty little device. I use the 8GB Linux version.

[Topspin14]

$60 for a data plan is a little ridiculous. Just to point out though, on Verizon with a Blackberry you can tether data to a laptop for an extra $15 a month. So for like 80 a month you get a cell phone with 450 minutes, blackberry service with unlimited data, and unlimited (I'm sure it is capped at something) internet access on your laptop through cell network. Not the worst deal.

[wjsteele]

I pay $20 per month for unlimited data from T-Mobile and that includes tethering! In addition, I have a Sierra Wireless AirCard that I can pop my SIM into and browse with it on any computer.

[tekwiz4u]

So let me get this straight. You pay for a netbook that costs $99. Cool. Then i sign up for a 2 year contract costing $60. hmm...$1440

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.

[tdaloisio]

That just about sums it up. You are getting a $200 subsidy to sign up for a $1,440 data plan. My guess is that the penalty for early termination makes up for that subsidy as well. What appears to be a deal, quickly does not.

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.

[bugzrrad]

it's probably more like $1700+ for the two years; cell taxes are horrendous

[Stealthdragoon]

It's nice, but can u expand it to more hard drive and ram

[illegallydead]

thats not the point. It has a very respectable amount of ram and HDD space. if you want higher performance don't get a netbook

[JeremyK684]

Usually canceling a carrier contract is $200 but I'm guessing that if its done within the 30 days then you don't get penalized...

[dragonc12]

Actually its not like a traditional cell phone contract. If you do cancel within the 30 days you don't have to pay the cancellation fee but you do have to return the Acer to Radio Shack or they will bill you the full cost of the laptop. And even if you cancel within 90 you STILL have to return the laptop or they'll charge you.

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."

[AppleSuxLeo]

Netbook goodness for $99. If it runs Windows , I`m in. (Editors' note: Ad hominem remark removed.)

[Rick Cavaretti]

Just say NO to contracts.

[illegallydead]

unfortunately, that means saying YES to obscene prices. It really is a no-win. You sign a contract, you are stuck with a crap service that you are overpaying for. You don't sign a contract, you are overpaying EVEN MORE for a crap service, but at least you can switch to a different, what you tell yourself to be a less crappy service...

[RS_Mgr_La]

You will be charged the $175 cancellation fee after the initial 30 days. If you do not bring the laptop back within 90 days of cancellation you will be charged $175 from ATT AND $200 from Radioshack.

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.

[Cdativ]

I will tell you how does that work.Coz I work for a online wireless company Iknow how doe sthat work .. now its just for the the 1st month you pay an activation fee ...Monthy bill.+ taxes. you will not be charged for the activation fee anymore!from the 2nd month.If you cancel the contract within 30days from the date of activation you will just be paying prorata charges but AT&T is a good carrier in the sense that even if you are calling them in the 40th day giving them string enough reasons they will still do not charge you Early Temination Fee of $175!. But they will only cancel the contract once they receive a confirmation from the dealer that the Equipment has been returned back to them

[Cdativ]

Also you will be in a contract term from the dealer for 181 days where you cannot modify or change anything in the contract or else they will charge you equipment discount provision of upto $300 (It may vary)

[john85710]

I really don't think $60/month is a good deal for the data plan. That's $1440 for 24 months. Sprint's plan is less, with a free modem. However, I did see one of these on a plane recently, and the size is really nice.

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!!!???