The iPad Is Cheaper Than A Netbook? Running The Numbers

by Paul Colligan on January 27, 2010

Update: I’ll be keeping things up to date re the latest iPad Price over at Paul’s iPad.

Gizmodo has the deets on the iPhone 3G data pricing. We need to get real on the numbers here.

There are people who (feel, at least, that they) need to access data wherever they are. I’m one of them, and many of my readers are.

$300 for a netbook with 12 months of unlimited wireless access on any network is $1020.

$629 for a 3G iPad with 12 months of unlimited wireless access on the iPad is $989.

Of course, that’s not really the comparison because with a “traditional” data plan, you sign a 2 year commitment – i.e., $1740 for your 2 years.

iPad for 2 years … $1349.

But, of course, it’s AT&T.

Thoughts?

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Tagged as: ipad price, paul's ipad

  • calbanyan
    If the iPad doesn't have Flash then it is not really a very good Internet device. For the Web a netbook would be a better choice.
  • Is there a discount for those of us with an iPhone plan already? If not, why bother with the 3G version.
  • paulcolligan
    Nope, and I agree there should be (but there won't be). If it's a question of only paying for 3G once, cancel your iphone - you'll make up for it before the year is over - even with termination fees.
  • mstephens11
    iPad unlimited data plan will be $30 a month. So that makes it $360 a year for
    internet, if your an occassional browser its 250 MB for $15 a month, meaning $180. AT&T works great in my area, therefore, im sold. Its cheaper and i will use it for web browsing, gaming, and viewing documents for college. I have a big bulky expensive laptop to do anything else i need to do. So if you have a traditonal laptop or a home computer, i say iPad all the way.
  • paulcolligan
    Exactly. It ain't often we get better tech for cheaper ;-)
  • AT&T mobile sucks.

    Not to mention I am tied to Mac proprietary software on an iPad.

    I would prefer to use free WiFi like I am right now in Vegas, run my machine with Linux and use Google's Web OS and not be dependent on any machine, provider, OS or worse yet a so called broadband card. What BS that is.....

    I went the Verizon broadband card route and it sucked. You can barely get email. Verizon throttled the card back on any site they felt used a lot of bandwidth. That would mean YouTube, Facebook or any site that uses AJAX heavily.

    They even throttled repetitive use of a site. You know that bandwidth sucking repetitive use like writing my blog? They did not like that much. Or using an FTP connection, that was not one of their approved uses of the $60 a month card I was paying for.

    I am on the road 6 months out of the year and I would rather use Denny's free WiFi than anything else I have tried paying for. Flame me if you will guys but this is what I have learned after a year straight on the road.
  • paulcolligan
    Don't think anyone will flame you here Chris.
  • No Contracts Paul - your not locked in at all
  • paulcolligan
    Exactly. That's the point.
  • If you don't like AT&T, don't get that version. Buy the WiFi version, add a Verizon/Sprint Mifi (it will cost you $20 more per month, but you can also connect to any other computer as well.
  • paulcolligan
    Well, obvious, there are always choices. This piece was about the "price" of AT&Ts service and how it changes things. Once you're paying $60 for the "others" - this point it no longer relevant.
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