Get An AT&T Netbook For 50 Bucks -- With a Catch

AT&T on Wednesday unveiled a "limited trial" offer for a $49.99 netbook sold through retail stores in two metropolitan areas. All that's required is signing a two-year contract for wireless and wired Internet access -- and that you live in the Atlanta and Philadelphia areas, because the offering isn't available yet anywhere else.

According to AT&T, which made the announcement at CTIA in Las Vegas, the minilaptops it has available are the Acer Aspire One, Dell Inspiron Mini 9, Dell Inspiron Mini 12 and LG Xenia.

AT&T and other carriers have subsidized the cost of cellular phones by making users lock into plans. It's now attempting to do the same with netbooks.

Prices for the netbooks start at $49.99 and go up to $249.99 with a purchase of AT&T's Internet at Home and On the Go plan, which starts at $59.99 per month and includes AT&T DataConnect and Wi-FI. If you don't buy the AT&T services, the netbooks start at $449.99 and go as high as $599.99.

A third option, DataConnect only, gets you netbooks starting at $99.99 and going up to $349.99. There are two versions of the DataConnect plan, one at $40 a month for 200 MB and one at $60 a month for 5 GB.

The netbooks come pre-installed with AT&T Communication Manager, the company said, and will prompt users to tell them when AT&T's 20,000-plus Wi-Fi hot spots are available, as well as store information about previously accessed Wi-Fi networks.

AT&T also is offering 3G-enabled Lenovo X200s for the subsidized price of $749.99 with the plan (or $849.99 with a lesser plan).

"Broadband is not just about speed anymore -- it's about mobility," said David Christopher, chief marketing officer for AT&T Mobility and Consumer Markets, in a statement. "We want our customers to have Internet at Home and On the Go. Pairing minilaptops with AT&T's home, Wi-Fi and mobile broadband offerings enables consumers to get the most from their new devices, virtually anywhere, anytime."

Subsidizing netbooks the way vendors subsidize phones is a fairly recent development, though not new. Verizon is said to be working on netbook pricing deals in the same ballpark, and Radio Shack offers a $100 Acer Aspire One with a two-year plan attached.

SHARE THIS ARTICLE