

Why Android smartbooks will eventually be free - erlik
http://www.tech-no-media.com/2009/06/why-android-smartbooks-will-eventually.html

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DrJokepu
Something that's sold in a long-term contract but without an initial fee is
not really 'free', is it? I mean, if the author really thinks that it's free,
I've got a number of excellent business proposals for him (all free!).

~~~
mattmaroon
Well, TANSTAAFL of course, but customers view it as free. That's a large part
of why the iPhone 3g sold so much better than the original. It's cheaper
upfront, though more expensive in the long run.

~~~
ryanwaggoner
_That's a large part of why the iPhone 3g sold so much better than the
original._

Citation needed. The 3G introduced a slew of new features and improvements,
including more memory, 3G, GPS, and of course the app store, not to mention
much wider availability internationally. I personally doubt that the modest
price drop had much to do with its success.

~~~
nuclear_eclipse
Anecdotally, people I worked with all jumped on the iPhone 3G simply because
it "cost less" than the original. $200 up front is a lot easier for most
consumers to swallow than $400 up front, regardless of any price difference
over the life of the contract.

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fbailey
Well those guys are obviously right at the edge and are predicting the far
future .... you could buy netbooks for 1 Euro with a 3G plan in every european
country in the last year...

<http://www.t-mobile.de/mini-notebook/0,18488,21678-_,00.html>
[http://www.eplus.de/Beratung_und_Kauf/Tarife/Mini-
Notebook_A...](http://www.eplus.de/Beratung_und_Kauf/Tarife/Mini-
Notebook_Aktion/Mini-Notebook_Aktion.asp)

~~~
jimbokun
I now know that Festplatte is German for hard drive!

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proee
I'm surprised they don't have a version available that has a built in
permanent "ad-bar" on the side of the screen that allows them to distribute
them for free without contracts. Granted the HN community could quickly find a
way to remove it or format the OS altogether. But most average people would
not be able to do this and they would just put up with the ad.

~~~
okmnjiuhb
It's been one 10years ago in the last boom. Removing the OS wasn't an issue -
if it didn't contact the site every few days to get a new set of ads you were
in violation of your contract and they charged your CC. the HN community
equivalent went to huge lengths to have fake proxies that downloaded and
discarded the ads - far more effort than it was worth to get a $99 computer
for free.

~~~
proee
Well I'm just surprised things are not going down this road. I figured when
android was getting close to release they would have a bunch of "free" Google
phones with service and shake up the industry by payment for them via adwords.

There must not be enough money in ads to support a Google phone or they
probably would have gone down that road.

Thoughts?

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martey
If 'smartbooks' continue to have the same form factor as laptops (and
netbooks), I think consumers will continue to buy them as low-cost, low-
powered replacements for their computers. Hopefully, manufacturers will
introduce new form factors (e.g. like the Kindle, or the OLPC XO-2) that break
this paradigm.

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erlik
Well, it's as free as it will ever get. Of course they need to make money
somewhere, that somewhere being the contract. The point is that you will not
have to pay for the machine, it will be considered a client acquisition cost.
It is an old trick: give people something for free to sell them something of
greater value.

------
newacc
dont know about the OS but netbook is free in some parts of the world with the
service contract ...

visit: <http://www.p1.com.my/wimax/wiggy_packages_ref.aspx>

