3 ms·

Why Netbooks Will Soon Cost $99

17 points by nickb 18y ago

moses1400 18y ago
i finally had a chance to play with a dell netbook this week and it was perfect for browsing, blogging and chatting
pmjordan 18y ago
"Soon", huh? You can already buy various netbooks here (Austria) for "free", €1 or so as long as they get to lock you into a contract for 2 years. examples (links all in German): A1: €0 up front, €29/mo; €79 up front for shorter than 2 year contract: http://www.a1.net/privat/netbook http://www.a1.net/privat/netbook T-Mobile: €0 up front, €25/mo: http://shop.t-mobile.at/2151810010/1_1_3_5/3883f3fce5c87fc0999a29c4eef9af01/10011/index.html&intTab=1 http://shop.t-mobile.at/2151810010/1_1_3_5/3883f3fce5c87fc09... that works out to about €600-700. Stand-alone netbooks go for around €350-400 typically, so you'll have to use about €200-350 worth of the data plan over the course of 2 years. Unless this is their only connection to the internet, I very much doubt most people will use it that much.
dmix 18y ago
The headline is somewhat off... the initial cost will be $99 but if it comes along with a contract with any North American mobile carrier then there's no doubt they'll make that money back and more.
- notauser 18y ago
  Similar to the T-Mobile G1, which currently has a cost somewhere between £180 and £720* despite the handset being 'free'. Nevertheless there are times when finance can be a great deal. Anyone who took out a cellphone contract in Zimbabwe just before the huge deflation must be enjoying their fixed price (now costing ~0.0000000001% in real terms) right now. *Depending on how you value the cost of the supplied services - the £180 is for someone who fully utilises the bundled minutes/data valued at the lowest cost I can find of obtaining the same plan elsewhere.
danw 18y ago
You can already get free ones with a mobile broadband contract in the UK. There's also a chinese manufacture that's produced a $99 model to buy: http://www.mobiew.net/2008/09/06/hivision-nb0700-mini-price/ http://www.mobiew.net/2008/09/06/hivision-nb0700-mini-price/

17 points by nickb 18y ago

i finally had a chance to play with a dell netbook this week and it was perfect for browsing, blogging and chatting

"Soon", huh? You can already buy various netbooks here (Austria) for "free", €1 or so as long as they get to lock you into a contract for 2 years. examples (links all in German): A1: €0 up front, €29/mo; €79 up front for shorter than 2 year contract: http://www.a1.net/privat/netbook http://www.a1.net/privat/netbook T-Mobile: €0 up front, €25/mo: http://shop.t-mobile.at/2151810010/1_1_3_5/3883f3fce5c87fc0999a29c4eef9af01/10011/index.html&intTab=1 http://shop.t-mobile.at/2151810010/1_1_3_5/3883f3fce5c87fc09... that works out to about €600-700. Stand-alone netbooks go for around €350-400 typically, so you'll have to use about €200-350 worth of the data plan over the course of 2 years. Unless this is their only connection to the internet, I very much doubt most people will use it that much.

dmix 18y ago

The headline is somewhat off... the initial cost will be $99 but if it comes along with a contract with any North American mobile carrier then there's no doubt they'll make that money back and more.

notauser 18y ago
Similar to the T-Mobile G1, which currently has a cost somewhere between £180 and £720* despite the handset being 'free'. Nevertheless there are times when finance can be a great deal. Anyone who took out a cellphone contract in Zimbabwe just before the huge deflation must be enjoying their fixed price (now costing ~0.0000000001% in real terms) right now. *Depending on how you value the cost of the supplied services - the £180 is for someone who fully utilises the bundled minutes/data valued at the lowest cost I can find of obtaining the same plan elsewhere.

danw 18y ago

You can already get free ones with a mobile broadband contract in the UK. There's also a chinese manufacture that's produced a $99 model to buy: http://www.mobiew.net/2008/09/06/hivision-nb0700-mini-price/ http://www.mobiew.net/2008/09/06/hivision-nb0700-mini-price/