AT&T has issused the following press release. Here it is, verbatim:
AT&T* today announced the expansion of its netbook and notebook lineup, offering customers more choice with three new devices that can access the nation’s fastest mobile broadband network. As an added value, AT&T is also offering – for the first time for netbooks and notebooks – AT&T DataConnect Pass pay as you go service – the pay-as-you-need it data service that does not require a long-term contract.
The full lineup of netbooks and notebooks is now available online through AT&T’s new Mobile Broadband Center, http://www.att.com/mobilebroadband. The new devices include the Acer Aspire AS1830 Notebook, the Acer Aspire One 532h Netbook and the Dell Inspiron Mini 10 HD netbook. In addition, the Acer Aspire AS 1830 Notebook and the Dell Inspiron Mini 10 HD netbook are also available at AT&T’s more than 2,200 company-owned retail stores.
“Demand for high-functioning, lightweight, mobile computing devices remains strong among consumers and small business customers who want access to the Internet while on the go,” said David Haight, vice president, product development, AT&T emerging devices. “By offering the DataConnect Pass Plans, customers receive added value, choice and flexibility to decide when to consume data within the parameters of their personal budget, for a more consumer-centric and convenient experience.”
AT&T has also launched new Quick Start services, which include AT&T ConnecTech® technical support offerings that provide customers expert help setting-up, synchronizing and customizing new netbooks, smartphones, LaptopConnect cards or 3G Microcell devices. The AT&T ConnecTech Quick Start services are available for purchase in AT&T stores starting at $49.
With the Quick Start for Netbook service, a ConnecTech expert will remotely access your device to install software, update firmware, troubleshoot software conflicts, connect to your home Wi-Fi network, and more. Similarly, with the Quick Start for Smartphone service, we will help you sync your calendar, email and contacts with your PC, enable data back-up, connect to your home Wi-Fi network, personalize your smartphone with interactive tutorials and more.
Netbooks/Notebooks
Equipped with updated features for an enhanced customer experience, the netbook and notebook feature 10.1 to 11.6-inch screens and each weigh approximately three pounds, easily fitting into most backpacks, purses and briefcases. AT&T online pricing for the devices starts at $39.99, with a two-year data service contract, including a 200MB plan for $35 per month or a 5GB plan for $60 per month.
For customers who prefer the AT&T DataConnect Pass service option, pricing for these new computing devices starts at $449.99. AT&T DataConnect Pass offers customers access to the nation’s fastest mobile broadband network, along with access to AT&T Wi-Fi service, featuring more than 23,000 hotspots nationwide. Premier Membership customers have access to more than 125,000 global Wi-Fi hotspots through roaming agreements.
AT&T DataConnect Pass plan options include:
DataConnect Day Pass (100 MB) – $15
DataConnect Week Pass (300 MB) – $30
DataConnect Month Pass (1GB) – $50
Acer Aspire AS1830 – Whether you need to access MS Office for school or work or simply just want a powerful machine to surf the net, the Acer Aspire AS 1830 is ideal for the person who’s constantly on the go. Available in a bronze color and weighing less than 3 pounds, this notebook offers a powerful computing experience complete with an Intel Dual Core i3 processor with 2GB RAM, 250 GB Storage, 2GB of memory, 11.6 inch high-definition display, up to 6 hours of battery life, a 1.3 megapixel web camera, and runs on a Windows 7 Home Premium operating system. Acer Aspire AS1830 is $239.99 with a two-year contract and is available in AT&T company-owned retail stores and online at http://www.att.com/mobilebroadband.
Acer Aspire One 532h – Looking for the perfect wireless companion to help you stay connected with family and friends via your favorite social networks, or simply manage email and explore the Web? Look no further than the Acer Aspire One 532h netbook. At less than 1-inch thick and weighing just 2.75 lbs, features include LED Backlit display, the latest Intel N450 Atom CPU processor, a 10.1 inch display, up to 4 hours of battery life, a full size keyboard and runs on a Windows® 7 Starter operating system. Acer Aspire One 532h is $39.99 with a two-year contract and is available in AT&T company-owned retail stores and online at http://www.att.com/mobilebroadband.
Dell Inspiron Mini 10D – This netbook offers a higher quality video experience with an HD display and integrated graphics acceleration and is well suited for streaming your favorite on-line content or playing high quality videos downloaded to the device. Weighing in at 3.1 lbs, the Inspiron Mini 10 HD is available in light blue and features an Intel Atom N450 processor, 1 GB RAM, 250 GB storage, 10.1 inch high-definition display with a built in 1.3 megapixel web camera. It offers, up to eight hours of battery life and runs on a Windows 7 Starter operating system. Dell Inspiron Mini 10 HD is $39.99 with a two-year contract and is available in AT&T company-owned retail stores and online at http://www.att.com/mobilebroadband.
For customers who want the peace-of-mind of knowing that their new netbook or notebook is covered against accidental damage, AT&T ConnecTech has also just introduced a new two-year extended warranty for both devices, available in AT&T retail stores for a one-time cost of $99. The warranty provides repair and replacement coverage for defects in materials or workmanship and normal wear and tear, as well as power surge protection, and coverage for spills and damaged or broken parts.
For information on existing laptop offers, please visit us at an AT&T retail store or online at http://www.att.com/mobilebroadband or by calling 1-866-MOBILITY.
*AT&T products and services are provided or offered by subsidiaries and affiliates of AT&T Inc. under the AT&T brand and not by AT&T Inc.
Limited-time offer. Other conditions & restrictions apply. See contract, rate plan brochure and rebate form at store for details. Subscriber must live & have a mailing address within AT&T’s owned wireless network coverage area. Up to $36 activation fee applies. Equipment price & availability may vary by market & may not be available from independent retailers. Early Termination Fee: None if cancelled in the first 30 days, but up to $35 restocking fee may apply to equipment returns; thereafter up to $325. Some agents impose add’l fees. Offnet Usage: If your mins of data use on other carrier’s networks (“offnet usage”) during any month exceeds your offnet usage allowance, AT&T may at its option terminate your svc, deny your contd use of other carriers’ coverage, or change your plan to one imposing usage charges for offnet usage. Your data offnet usage allowance is the lesser of 24 MB or 20% of the KB incl’d with your plan). DataConnect Plan is not unlimited and substantial charges may be incurred if included allowance is exceeded. Sales tax calculated based on price of unactivated equipment.
AT&T DataConnect Pass. Can only be used on AT&T’s wireless network and cannot be used on another carrier’s network, either domestic or international. Requires laptop or netbook with aircard/connect card capable of working on AT&T’s wireless network; internet access to sign-up; and a new SIM card. AT&T DataConnect Pass supports data usage only, and does not support SMS, MMS, or voice calls. Actual speed and coverage may vary. Time begins expiring immediately upon purchase/activation or redeeming PIN for the initial session, whether or not you are using the service. Once your time expires or you consume the allotted data, whichever occurs first, your data access will cease. DataConnect Pass session fees are non-refundable. Not Compatible with Apple Mac. For complete terms and conditions see Session Based Wireless Data Services Agreement at att.com/TermsofService.
AT&T ConnecTech. Residential customers only. Not available in all areas. Limited time offers, taxes and surcharges extra, hardware and software limitations may apply, and service-specific terms and conditions apply (see http://www.att.com/ConnecTechTOS). Quick Start services require a qualifying device, qualifying AT&T Mobility wireless data plan, and a working/functional computer and broadband Internet connection. Wireless data usage charges may apply. For Protection Plans, refer to full terms and conditions for coverage, which include EXCLUSIONS, LIMITATIONS, AND A BINDING ARBITRATION PROVISION THAT REQUIRES THE SUBMISSION OF ALL DISPUTES (EXCEPT WHERE EXPRESS EXEMPTIONS ARE PROVIDED) TO FINAL AND BINDING ARBITRATION IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE DISPUTE RESOLUTION PROVISION.
AT&T Wi-Fi Service. A Wi-Fi enabled device required. Other restrictions apply. See http://www.attwifi.com for details and locations.”
Mobile broadband coverage not available in all areas.
Source: AT&T Inc.
ATT’s just setting up alternative revenue streams for when they get the divorce…
Still want an iPhone (at cost) with a data only plan. How about that ATT?
Nope; I want iPhone with NO data plan! Of course, option to buy a data plan when I want it, like iPad has, but not locked into a $30 per month data plan. I use my iPod touch and cheap phone now, and I am finding WiFi spots so often that the data plan is no longer necessary.
Why are AT&T’s data plans so much more expensive for these notebooks than they are for iPad? Are they gouging their customers, or is Apple getting a very special deal? Or both?
$15 for a Day Pass. People would have to be desperate to go for this.
I stopped in the Verizon store Saturday. Killing time waiting for my wife. They had 3 netbooks there. What a bad experience. One HP had crashed on the previous user and getting it started was not easy. The other two were another HP and another brand I have forgotten. Doing anything on them was difficult and sloooow. I finally was able to load an Ebay page on one. Actually only part of the page. I don’t know if the netbook had a problem or Verizon cellular was really slow but I never did get the rest of the page loaded. Then I went to the Apple store had had some fun. At $100 plus cell service the netbooks were too expensive for the experience. I was amazed how bad they were and how bad apparently Verizon data service was.
Don’t get suckered into AT&T’s high prices and 2-year contracts. Virgin Mobile USA offers the same thing with NO CONTRACTS, UNLIMITED DATA, LOWER PRICES, and BETTER COVERAGE. Screw AT&T. Long live Virgin Mobile USA.
For Data Plan read Profit Stream, Golden Egg, Cash Cow etc etc.
Maybe I’m crazy, but I think I’ll keep my MyFi mobile hotspot that will drive 5 devices with secure WiFi from 3G. Runs my iPad and MacBook great on the road.
BTW- I’m thinking of selling my MacBook Unibody Al 4GB RAM 2gHz Core 2 Duo 160GB HD. What would be a fair asking price on eBay for a buy it now?
Rubbish tied up with a bow ribbon is still rubbish.
@Scott Rose: Huh? Virgin Mobile is dead in the USA, it was just bought by Sprint.
@breeze
Not so much like a divorce, more like an open marriage…
Support Bennigans! Death by Chocolate ftw!
Turds
Tommy Boy,
Well, technically, it is not dead. Virgin Mobile USA continues to operate under its own brand, just like those other VMNO brands now owned by Sprint (Boost, Assurance Wireless, Common Cents Mobile…).
It is clear that Apple has a really sweet plans for the iPad, starting at $15 per month.
As for voice-only iPhones (or other smartphones), that simply cannot happen with a current subsidy. Data plan is a big component in the $450 subsidy on the iPhone (as it is with most other smartphones, especially the ones with a ‘full’ web browser).
The only option to get an iPhone with no mandatory data plan would be to buy an unlocked one outside the US (they aren’t available unlocked in the US) and stick an ordinary dumbphone SIM card into it (assuming it is that micro SIM that fits). To offset that high unsubsidised price, you could sign up for a two-year voice-only contract with some cheap Sony-Ericsson or Samsung ($0 with voice plan), then have AT&T send you instructions how to unlock it, then sell it on eBay/Craigslist. These usually fetch upwards of $150 if new and unlocked. That way, you’d have a mandatory voice plan ($40 minimum) and you could pay for data à la carte.
The problem with that is, unless you never use 3G, the à la carte data usage rates at AT&T are exorbitant.
I love not having 2 year contracts. The BS thing I notice is how I can get DSL unlimited access at home for less than $30 a month (using AT&T), and how that unlimited access capability is no longer available on AT&T’s cellular service. Utility price gouging is affecting the capabilities of our tech gadgets (at least in the states). Hopefully next year there will be competition in the US iOS cellular market (and we won’t see artificially inflated utilities via yet to be seen collusion agreements.)
The correct name for this service is…
pay-ASS-you
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A Flashback:
September 2009 – iPhone tethering from AT&T coming later this fall.
September 2010 – Still waiting…..
Cubert: What are you talking about? We’ve had tethering plans since June.
Jimithy,
AT&T? U.S?
Yes, $45 a month for normal contracts and $60 a month for enterprise. Includes 2GB per month.
What I want is a prepaid plan rather than daily, weekly, or monthly plans. If you can do it for voice, why not for data?
Until then, if I do anything it will be a myfi setup…
“a ConnecTech expert will remotely access your device to install software, update firmware, troubleshoot software conflicts, connect to your home Wi-Fi network, and more.”
Um, what’s the “more”? I don’t want anyone remotely accessing my device, do I? Does AT&T steal info by remote access? Erm, I mean “learn user preferences”….
Why can’t I get JUST a data plan for an iPhone?
That is all I want.
I don’t want to use AT&T voice service just data?
Can anyone help?
P L E A S E?
I bought a used (out-of-contract) iPhone. I use it with ATT’s pre-paid service (GoPhone). I already used the GoPhone service, so I put the sim card from that cheap $20 phone into my iPhone.
I use my iPhone, as a computing device, under WiFi so I did not want to pay for 3G data access. But I wanted to make phone calls as needed with the iPhone. So my iPhone is basically an iPod touch with a camera, that can make phone calls.
It costs me $25 every 90 days, as a minimum, for the voice service. It’s pre-paid so I might run out of minutes before 90 days (just buy some more), but I don’t make that many mobile phone calls currently. Unused minutes roll over to the next 90 days, as long as you renew (pay the next $25) before the current 90 days are up.
You can get pre-paid 3G data with GoPhone, but it is relatively expensive. It’s also supposedly more complicated to get it to work with an iPhone.
Note: There are many online references (including YouTube videos) that say it “just works” by inserting the GoPhone sim card, but with the iPhone model I have and/or my location, I had to “unlock the baseband” to get it to work. It may be because the iPhone I have is the “original” with EDGE (2G) instead of 3G.