The Compaq Mini 110c-1040DX Netbook For $.99 - Really
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Of course there is a catch. You need to activate the computer through Sprint in order to get this super price. But it seems to be a deal since the same activation through Verizon or AT&T gets the same computer for $199.99. Without a service contract you can buy the netbook for $389.99. You can get this deal through your local Best buy store, with a link below.
So what are the specifications of this netbook:
The Compaq 1040DX is basically a rebadge of HP’s Mini and offers the same specs: 10.1″ display with 1024 x 576 resolution, 1.6GHz Intel Atom N270 CPU, three-cell battery, 1GB of RAM and a 160GB hard drive. Although I use too many devices to be locked into an embedded 3G solution, the deal might appeal to some.
What is the real cost of activating through Sprint?
Sprint is fully subsidizing the hardware price in order to gain a two-year service agreement. At $60 a month, the 3G service costs the consumer $1,440, for a rough net gain to Sprint of around $1,050 over two years for a single customer. Voice revenues are taking a back seat to the more lucrative data services, so I think this is a smart play for Sprint. All three carriers have invested billions of dollars in their networks, but you can’t recoup your costs and turn a profit if you can’t get customers on the network.
What do you think? Will you be running down to Best Buy to buy this netbook? I doubt I will.
Comments welcome.
3 Comments
Ryan Farmer
July 7th, 2009
at 6:40am
*Instant savings require in-store activation through Best Buy on new lines of service with 2-year agreement on each line. Requires monthly access charge. If usage limit of 5GB/month is exceeded, you will be charged a usage fee.*
Yay, 5 gigs a month! What I do with the other 29 days is entirely up to me?
Jeff
July 7th, 2009
at 10:03am
From what I see, they’re flying off the shelves at my local store. Non left on the first day when I went to go see if they are good.
Ryan Farmer
July 7th, 2009
at 8:52pm
Well you have to understand that the 99 cents is just an up front gimmick price.
They’ll figure out a pricing scheme to cover the other $200 over the course of your wireless agreement.
Any netbook with an internal 802.11 wifi antenna is good enough for most people.
I’d rather pay a few bucks a month to get online at McDonalds or Starbucks than owe some huge monthly fee.
There’s the theory that I could end up without coverage out in the styx, but that’s what my phone is for.
To paraphrase Captain Picard from Star Trek, the wonderful thing about life at sea was that nobody could contact you.