[Leaplist] Two-Year 3G Wireless w/Notebook for Free (or almost free) -- WAS: RadioShack Offers $99 Acer Netbook

[Jim Hartley]

Craig Conner wrote:
>> When you buy a cell phone you KNOW you're paying for the service.
> 
> And when  you buy that particular computer, you KNOW you're paying for
> that same service.
> What did you expect, free bandwidth forever?
> 
>> **BUT** they seem to be pushing this as a really cheap computer,
>> and it isn't.
> 
> It's a computer that is as cheap as many cell phones (cheaper than a
> few even), and in _exactly_ the same way.
> What did you expect, free hardware?
> 
>> it would just be a portable device that I could synch
>> with an ethernet or USB connection when I got back
>> to my desktop PC ...
> 
> I think you've completely missed the point.  The point is that you
> shouldn't have to *go* anywhere to do any kind of syncing.

No, I haven't missed the point. The point is that I don't want to pay 
$60 per month for the privilege of synching two computers from anywhere. 
For that kind of money I will happily restrict synching to when I get 
home. I will happily deal with the Internet only from home. I don't have 
any need to be super-connected if I'm out and about, but I would like 
something into which I can type ideas or stories (I do some writing of 
SF and fantasy) wherever I am. I have a cell phone which is an old cheap 
model - no camera, no Internet, no keyboard - it makes phone call, and 
that's damn all it does. I am just not a connected person.

I guess when I saw the original posting I was thinking it was something 
like an OLPC. No such luck.


>> what I'd really like is a sort of a thumbdrive with a screen and
>> keyboard and enough guts to run OpenOffice :-) THAT'S what
>> I was hoping the $99 thing would turn out to be.
> 
> Your description sounds a lot like ...a cell phone or blackberry, but
> in a few years (as none of them can run OpenOffice just yet).
> 
Jim Hartley
-- 
Teen Angel - a ghost story - http://teenangel.netfirms.com

-- 
This message has been scanned for viruses and
dangerous content by MailScanner, and is
believed to be clean.