  TransmasterDon't Blame Me I Voted For Bill and Opus
join:2001-06-20
Cheyenne, WY
1 edit | Do any of these market types ever learn Remember the good buddy deals on computers if you signed up your first born for life with AOL, Compuserve, etc. It didn't pan out then and it will not pan out now. | |
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 |  Matt3All noise, no signal.Premium
join:2003-07-20
Jamestown, NC
kudos:12 | Re: Do any of these market types ever learn said by Transmaster:Remember the good buddy deals on computers if you signed up your first born for life with AOL, Compuserve, etc. It didn't pan out then and it will not pan out now. These "netbooks" retail for $399, less than some phones which are already subsidized. This is nothing like what you are comparing it to. | |
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| | | | Re: Do any of these market types ever learn It's exactly like what Transmaster is comparing it to. The advertisement would say that a computer bundle (monitor, printer, floppy disks and all) was, say, $599 "after $400 instant rebate." You had to sign up for 3 years of MSN right there in the store, at $25 a month. Who knows if Best Buy was really getting $400 from MSN, but without the MSN you would pay $400 extra. What difference does it make that the netbook retails for $399? Maybe now there will be "FREE" netbook if you sign up for 3 years of Verizon at $50 a month! No difference whatsoever. | |
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| | | | | Re: Do any of these market types ever learn said by massysett:It's exactly like what Transmaster is comparing it to. The advertisement would say that a computer bundle (monitor, printer, floppy disks and all) was, say, $599 "after $400 instant rebate." You had to sign up for 3 years of MSN right there in the store, at $25 a month. Who knows if Best Buy was really getting $400 from MSN, but without the MSN you would pay $400 extra. What difference does it make that the netbook retails for $399? Maybe now there will be "FREE" netbook if you sign up for 3 years of Verizon at $50 a month! No difference whatsoever. MSN did pay Best Buy the money...the issue was that they paid Best Buy money before the subscriber paid for the service, based on the presence of a credit card applied (authorized for $1) and a signature (which wasn't validated against anything).
I know this to be the case, because MSN went on a rampage trying to collect their money owed after the fact. Thousands of people were defrauding that system; it was a nightmare. You could get 5 prepaid cards, load at least $1 on each, and go to 5 different Best Buy stores and get a $400 gift card from each, instantly. $2,000 profit. I know guys who bought ultimate car audio systems, TVs, computers, etc. | |
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| | EPS
join:2008-02-13
Hingham, MA | $399? Hell, I recently got an Eee for ~$259, less than some iPhones. Surprisingly usable too... | |
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| |  DogfatherPremium
join:2007-12-26
Laguna Hills, CA | I agree with Matt, this is a bit different. I already carry a USB AirCard and woudl have certainly considered a cheap Dell subnotebook if the price was right.
As for who would do the Compuserve deal? I needed a laptop and did the deal with Prodigy which at the time (pre SBC days) was a great dial up service with tons of POPs made better by their extensive email filter options which included blocking overseas mail servers (nearly zero spam eventhough I whored my email addy everywhere). | |
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 E1
@healthpartners.com |  Cheap laptop?
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| | No thanks... No thanks, I'd rather pay full price for any device instead of getting locked into a contract with a company.
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Drilling for more oil is akin to giving a methhead the keys to the meth lab. | |
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| AVonGaussPremium
join:2007-11-01
Boynton Beach, FL | Re: No thanks... Ditto | |
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 en102Canadian, eh?
join:2001-01-26
Valencia, CA | 2 year contract with... 5GB cap for a laptop connection?
What are they smoking.
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Canada = Hollywood North | |
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| | | Re: 2 year contract with... You can thank the P2P mofos and people who used 3G as their sole internet for the capage. People like me have to suffer 
I'm a subscriber to the 5GB capped plans. | |
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| |  AVDRespice, Adspice, ProspicePremium
join:2003-02-06
Onion, NJ
kudos:1 | Re: 2 year contract with... CAN't make them cheaper than pcmcia adapter cards | |
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|  BF69Premium
join:2004-07-28
Camden, TN | said by en102:5GB cap for a laptop connection? What are they smoking. No shit. Bump the cap to 25 GB, knock the monthly rate to $40 and maybe it might be worth it for those who have no other interent option. 25 GB isn't much but I understand wireles companies can't offer 250 GB caps like comcast so I think I'm being more than reasonable. | |
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| | en102Canadian, eh?
join:2001-01-26
Valencia, CA | Re: 2 year contract with... Until they open up the floodgates, I would consider 5GB reasonable for ~50/month, and $80 for 200GB/month.
It is wireless, so I do expect a premium... but 5GB is too low for a locked in contract.
I'd use my cell phone tethered and pay month to month, unless I had business that I could justify it. | |
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| | | | | Re: 2 year contract with... I'd rather have them make it a premium product at $100/100GB. Keeps the kids off the network while still in reach for the average business person. Thats over 3GB a day so I can conduct work during the day and still watch some Slingbox while I am away from the fort on the road or at the airport. | |
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| | + Access Fees Would rather purchase the netbook for $399 and use wi-fi where available and tether the rest of the time instead of paying nearly $60/month for two years of "service" (an extra $1440). | |
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| Sammer
join:2005-12-22
Canonsburg, PA | Re: + Access Fees Exactly, it's even a worse deal than your credit card company will give you. Maybe this is intended for people with no cash and such bad credit they can't get credit cards. | |
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 pnh102Reptiles Are Cuddly And PrettyPremium
join:2002-05-02
Mount Airy, MD | Incorrect Headline How is it that wireless carriers would be subsidizing netbooks when it is the customers who purchase these things who would be doing the actual subsidizing?
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"At the moment of conception." | |
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 b1gdr3I Blame Your Mother
join:2001-07-28
York, PA | typo?? Is it SUBSIZED or SUBSIDIZED? | |
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ncbillPremium
join:2007-01-23
Winston Salem, NC Reviews:
 ·AT&T Southeast
| It all depends on the monthly price No one's going to pay $60/month (current cellular data price) for a $399 netbook.
$30/month (even over 2 years) would be very attractive, however.
Especially if you could also use the netbook as a Wi-Fi access point for your other computers/Tivo/etc. | |
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| Sammer
join:2005-12-22
Canonsburg, PA
1 edit | Re: It all depends on the monthly price said by ncbill:Especially if you could also use the netbook as a Wi-Fi access point for your other computers/Tivo/etc. I would expect such subsidized notebooks to be locked to the network for the term of the contract so they couldn't be used as a Wi-Fi access point. Even if they're not locked they will have very little expandability, probably USB 2 and maybe ethernet. | |
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|  joakoPremium
join:2000-09-07
/dev/null
kudos:5
 ·Comcast
| said by ncbill:No one's going to pay $60/month (current cellular data price) for a $399 netbook. $30/month (even over 2 years) would be very attractive, however. Especially if you could also use the netbook as a Wi-Fi access point for your other computers/Tivo/etc. Why not? That's what the service costs. They could buy the $399 netbook and then pay $60/month w/ a 2-year contract or they can buy the netbook with the internet built in and pay $60/month with a 2-year contract and get it for $100 or maybe even free. If you are going to get both anyways, why not?
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