AT&T rolls out three subsidized netbooks

Acer, Dell, and Lenovo netbooks to be bundled with 2 year contract

AT&T to offer Dell Mini 10, Acer Aspire One, and Lenovo S10 netbooks

 There is an ever increasing trend among telecom service providers to bundle their offerings with netbooks. Actually, if one comes to think of it, it actually makes sense because people now-a-days are buying smaller and more portable netbooks for their day to day work like sending e-mails, blogging, visiting social networking sites, chatting, etc. These netbooks give them the freedom to carry their office and personal work with them, where ever they go. The netbooks come equipped with Wi-Fi and some of them even come with a built-in 3G module. Thus, users can use the netbooks 3G or other wireless functionality to access the web on the go.

So, most of the telecom operators are bundling their services with netbooks. A user can purchase a netbook from these telecom operators at a discounted/subsidized price but, in return the user has to sign an agreement for a data plan offered by the same telecom operator. On these lines AT&T has tied up with computer makers like Dell, Acer, and Lenovo whereby they will sell select netbook models of these companies to the user at a subsidized price and in return the user has to sign a two year contract with AT&T.

AT&T will offer the Acer Aspire One, Dell Mini 10, and Lenovo S10 netbooks at a subsidized amount of $200 a piece and the user has to sign a 2 year contract for either $40/month (200MB free data transfer per month) or $60/month (5GB free data transfer per month). AT&T DataConnect plans offer consumer and small business subscribers, access to the nation's fastest 3G mobile broadband network, along with unlimited use of AT&T Wi-Fi service, featuring more than 20,000 hot spots nationwide.

David Christopher, chief marketing officer, AT&T Mobility and Consumer Markets said that, “Lightweight and connected, netbooks continue to interest consumers and small business customers. We expect that, paired with AT&T home broadband, Wi-Fi, and the nation's fastest 3G mobile broadband network, they'll have great appeal to busy, on-the-go consumers and working professionals. We're offering the latest and greatest connected devices."

AT&T also announced that it will begin offering AT&T ConnecTech services which have been specifically tailored for netbook customers through its more than 2,200 stores. This service will give users three options of support for netbooks purchased from AT&T, with prices from $99 for remote online support to $199 for in-home technical support.

All the three netbooks are powered by an Intel Atom processor and 1GB RAM. They weigh less than three pounds, run on Windows XP operating system, and offer 160GB of hard disk storage. For connectivity they are equipped with Wi-Fi and 3G. All these devices will be available through brick and mortar stores, online at www.att.com, and through other direct sales channels.