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AT&T to Offer Subsidized Netbooks Nationwide

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cing_logoAT&T announced today that it would sell subsidized Acer, Dell and Lenovo netbooks nationwide after successful tests in Atlanta and Philadelphia. As Rob Bushway’s pointed out, Verizon is already selling a variant of the HP Mini 1000 at its stores.
Pricing details haven’t been released yet, but I highly recommend opting for a USB 3G modem or MiFi router. These options ensure you’ll get more out of your 3G subscription since you can use them with multiple devices. Netbooks are evolving quickly and you don’t want to lock an expensive 3G subscription into a netbook that you may no longer use in two years.
Last month, AT&T announced it was offering a subsidy on the ThinkPad X200, but it appears it didn’t make the nationwide cut. If you are going to opt for an integrated modem, a business-grade notebook like those offered by Dell, HP, Lenovo and others are the way to go.

5 Comments

5 Comments

  1. Stuart

    05/20/2009 at 1:20 pm

    I have to disagree with you on your recommendation of not getting internal 3G with AT&T. That is the beauty of the GMS/WCDMA SIM card. You can transplant it into different devices and 3G connection goes with you. You can easily use multiple devices without an unsightly USB dongle or a different device to carry around. When the MIFI comes out for AT&T that can just be added to the devices which you can just insert your sim and go…And the internal 3G is good overseas since it is usually unlocked on most netbooks so you can get a local sim and save money on data roaming charges

  2. Xavier Lanier

    05/20/2009 at 2:04 pm

    I agree that a USB modem can be a pain, but it’s well worth it considering just about every mobile device has at least one USB port.

    I think there’s a mismatch between people who are willing to pay $60/month for a secondary ISP and the cheap netbooks that are being offered.

  3. Gordon Cahill

    05/20/2009 at 4:15 pm

    Stuart,
    Good in theory but…. Firstly I don’t beleive these sim cards are designed for easy access and require the device to be powered down. I almost never power down my devices. Sleep is my friend.

    And if I had a loose sim it would always be in the device I have at home. I never forget my USB modem.

    I will accept that many/most people will only have the one mobile device and for them this will be ideal. But for the geek…….

    Gordon

  4. Stuart

    05/20/2009 at 8:02 pm

    Well, I have been doing sim swap from phones and other devices for years. I have no problem using it in whatever device I need and swapping as I see fit. As I have a data plan and I also use my devices overseas it is a real boon for me. I never leave my sim loose but having device with internal 3G makes it just as easy to use as a phone when it comes to swapping sims but I also have a dual sim phone.

  5. Jason

    05/22/2009 at 10:45 am

    iPhone SIM card + AT&T iPhone plan + X200T with AT&T WAN card = me happy. Don’t do it very often, but when I’m away and need to connect to the internet using a big boy browser, this setup works wonderfully in times of great need.

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