AfterDawn: News

Sprint to sell Netbook for 99 cents

Sprint Nextel has announced that it will begin selling a heavily subsidized netbook, the Compaq Mini 110c-1040DX, for 99 cents, for users signing up for a two year contract.

The offer is only available through Best Buy. The Netbook by itself costs $390 USD at Best Buy and the retailer will begin selling the same Netbook with a two year Verizon contract for $199.99 USD, a huge premium over Sprint.



The Sprint 3G service contract costs $60 USD a month for 5GB of data, making the actual cost at the end of the contract $1440 for the netbook.

The Compaq itself uses Windows, has a 1.6GHz Intel Atom Processor and 160GB hard drive.

Written by: Andre Yoskowitz @ 8 Jul 2009 2:43

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• 11 comments

• xnmalletx

  Mobile broadband is just so expensive. I'll stick to my wifi for now.

  8.7.2009 03:07 #1

• ThePastor

  Why is it $60 a month? Most PDA or USB dongle broadband connections are in the $35-$40 range. Am I missing something?
  Oh, and what's with the cap? My data plan has no cap and is only $35 at AT&T. I haven't looked into it too much but I think the "tethering" option is only another $20 and again... unlimited.
  
  Seems like a huge ripoff to me.

  8.7.2009 03:55 #2

• hendrix04

  ThePastor: AT&T's straight up data plan (no phone) is $60 per month with a 5 gig limit (looking at it on their website right now). To add data to a phone plan without tethering it is $30 (with tethering $60). The only reason the $30 plan is unlimited is because they don't expect you to use that much data on your phone anyways. So long story short, the price for this is no more expensive than any other carrier.

  8.7.2009 08:34 #3

• Ryoohki

  Originally posted by ThePastor: Why is it $60 a month? Most PDA or USB dongle broadband connections are in the $35-$40 range. Am I missing something?
  Oh, and what's with the cap? My data plan has no cap and is only $35 at AT&T. I haven't looked into it too much but I think the "tethering" option is only another $20 and again... unlimited.
  
  Seems like a huge ripoff to me.AT&T Tethering and data connect plans for aircards have 5GB limit. They are both 60.00 too. If you're paying 35 for data you probably have a data plan and no voice services -- either that or you have the plan that comes with 200 messages a month (otherwise it would have been 30.00). It is only unlimited for your mobile phone. I work in their customer service so I know pricing for all of the plans :)

  8.7.2009 11:32 #4

• ThePastor

  Ahh, yeah, I see.
  Yes, I have the unlimited data plan which is the $30 but that is on top of my phone plan. I can tether for an additional $30 but that feature is able to be turned on and off so since tethering (for me) is only a once in a long while thing I can turn it on for a week and then turn it off and not get raped by the AT&T bill monster.
  
  I still think that even the $30 for a phone data plan is WAY overpriced and $60 with a limit is downright robbery.
  They have you by the short hairs so they'll stick it to you.
  
  Personally, I think ubiquotous data on phones will not become reality until the phone services get their acts together (like they eventually did with phone service) and start charging reasonable prices.

  8.7.2009 13:45 #5

• ZippyDSM

  Verizon has a 250MB limit on their 40$ plan and a 5GB limit on the 60$ plan.
  
  Most of the under 50$ wireless broadband plans have silly data plans.
  
  Heres a thought give me 5GB a month plan for 40$, if I go over charge me another 40$ but do not charge me more than 80$ a month, is so simple they can;t do it because they would rather charge you by the MB....
  
  I do kinda wish I saw this befor I blew 100$ on a asus EEE 4GB PC......

  8.7.2009 14:59 #6

• Morreale

  5GB lol
  
  I go through that in less then like a few days. I mean, in 2 hours I had already downloaded 14GBs (two 360 games) :P

  9.7.2009 01:50 #7

• Ryoohki

  the tethering and laptop connect type plans aren't meant for heavy (or even moderate) usage. a lot of people tend to get them because they don't have broadband available in their area. the first thing i tell someone interested in getting wireless data services is that they aren't intended to replace a home internet connection. its ok for minimal usage but not if you are someone who likes to download media at all. that 5GB wouldn't last me one day. i like to download tv shows and the occasional movie to watch on my days off. if all you do is surf the web and e-mail it would be enough but that's about it.

  9.7.2009 11:07 #8

• ZippyDSM

  Originally posted by Ryoohki: the tethering and laptop connect type plans aren't meant for heavy (or even moderate) usage. a lot of people tend to get them because they don't have broadband available in their area. the first thing i tell someone interested in getting wireless data services is that they aren't intended to replace a home internet connection. its ok for minimal usage but not if you are someone who likes to download media at all. that 5GB wouldn't last me one day. i like to download tv shows and the occasional movie to watch on my days off. if all you do is surf the web and e-mail it would be enough but that's about it.250MB, even 500MB is hardly lite use, they are still in the dailup era where they think monthly surfing is 50MB.....or less.......

  9.7.2009 11:58 #9

• KillerBug

  What a rip off...it costs more than 99 times more than verizon's netbook!
  
  I would be all over the verizon deal...but the capacity is still too limited, and the overage fees are INSANE!
  
  Example: First 5GB are $60...that is $0.0117 per MB...
  But at $0.05 per MB, the next 5GB would cost you $256!
  
  What ever happened to getting a better deal when you buy in bulk?
  
  On top of the insane pricing structure, the netbooks being offered are severely lacking in onboard storage; this means you need even more bandwith to do the same amount of work or play (I am sure this is no accident).

  11.7.2009 06:22 #10

• Ryoohki

  Originally posted by KillerBug: What a rip off...it costs more than 99 times more than verizon's netbook!
  
  I would be all over the verizon deal...but the capacity is still too limited, and the overage fees are INSANE!
  
  Example: First 5GB are $60...that is $0.0117 per MB...
  But at $0.05 per MB, the next 5GB would cost you $256!
  
  What ever happened to getting a better deal when you buy in bulk?
  
  On top of the insane pricing structure, the netbooks being offered are severely lacking in onboard storage; this means you need even more bandwith to do the same amount of work or play (I am sure this is no accident).Netbooks are for people who primarily do activity online. It's not for gamers or someone needing a workhorse. That's why they aren't all that expensive.
  
  Verizon is still more sane than AT&T. Once you go over 5GB it is $0.49 per MB. I don't know why they have that 250MB plan though. For 40 bucks that's just crazy.

  11.7.2009 06:49 #11