3G Netbooks that you Can Buy Today
We feature new netbooks every week, but most of them aren’t available now. Originally this was going to be a post on the Top 5 Netbooks with built in 3G modems. But guess what, there aren’t that many available. I was genuinely surprised.
Technically, you can manually add a 3G modem to any netbook, or for the less techie folk reading this, you can plug in a 3G USB and surf the net at mind blowing speeds. The main benefit of buying a netbook with a built in 3G model is battery conservation. They use up less additional power. A 3G USB takes up approximately 30 minutes more of battery life.
Another huge benefit with buying netbooks with built in 3G is the subsidized rates at which you can buy them from AT&T and Verizon. You can buy the Acer Aspire One for as little as $50 (!!!) from AT&T (via Radio Shack) or the HP Mini 1151NR for a mere $200! Too good to be true? The catch of course is the 2 year contract you have to sign.
If you’re on the fence about signing the contract, you can find a list of reasons against it in this post I wrote earlier. If you travel a lot for business purposes, or don’t have a home internet line, the 2 year contract may be ideal for you. Here’s an overview of what they include:
- With AT&T, you’re looking at $60/month for 24 months and an additional $36 activation fee and taxes and fees per month. That’s about $1,500 over the course of 2 years. The $60 plan allows you to download up to 5GB a month versus the $40 plan which allows only up to 200MB a month. Take the $60 plan. Trust me, you don’t want to get charged the extra fees for going over your monthly limit! (AT&T data plan)
- With Verizon, you’re looking at a similar contract. $60/month gets you 5GB and $40/month gets you 250MB. With Verizon too you’re looking at a $35 activation fee. (Verizon data plan).
Here are the 3G netbooks available:
- Acer Aspire One 8.9” with AT&T – $50 – At $50, the Aspire One is the cheapest netbook available in the US. You need to buy it from Radio Shack’s online store, and this rate is only available is you open up a new AT&T account. The netbook retails t $400, and you’re saving yourself a whopping $350!The netbook comes in pink and sapphire blue, runs on XP Home, weighs only 2.2 pounds and has a battery life of up to 2.5 hours. More on specs here.
- HP Mini 1151NR with Verizon – $200 - You’ll be saving about $200 with this 10” deal. The HP Mini line comprises of very sleek netbooks. The 1151NR is no different. The netbook runs on Windows XP, weighs 2.4lb and runs for about 3-4 hours on a 3 cell battery. It also has a built in Gobi modem which connects it to 3G networks and promises faster wireless speeds.Read our full review.
- Dell Mini 12” – $449 (Atlanta Only) – AT&T is currently selling 3G netbooks only in trial markets in Atlanta. The Mini 12” is perfect if you’re looking for a 12” netbook with 3G capabilities even though it’s a bit steeply priced (and not subsidized)The Mini 12” comes with Windows XP Home, weighs 2.7 pounds (not bad for a 12” netbook) and comes with a 4 cell battery. Make sure to confirm the specs before you buy it.
**AT&T is also selling the LG X110 10” netbook in trial markets for $350 – but you’re better off buying the HP Mini from Verizon for less.
Bottomline
There you have it: a 9” a 10” and a 12” with 3G capabilities. If none of these netbooks tickle your fancy — which they should, since they’re all solid netbooks – go ahead and get yourself a 3G USB stick and get access to faster internet speeds with your current or future netbook.
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Filed under: Netbooks
great post; it is exactly what i was looking for.
it answered all of my question.
bob
[...] netbook which runs on XP Home. The only downfall is the lackluster 2.5hour battery life. Read our post on 3G netbooks to learn [...]
[...] netbook which runs on XP Home. The only downfall is the lackluster 2.5hour battery life. Read our post on 3G netbooks to learn [...]