with or without a contract macbooks with built in 3G or some other mobile data network are just awesome.
Got a tip for us?
Let us know
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.
Orange to Offer Subsidized MacBooks With Mobile Broadband Contracts in UK?
- Thread starter MacRumors
- Start date
- Sort by reaction score
I agree with you here. People keep wanting Apple to release inexpensive products, however they haven't positioned themselves as a low-cost provider (quite the opposite: high quality, high price) and therefore unless they make a dramatic shift in strategy don't expect to see a $99 computer from Apple anytime soon.
Also it seems to me if Apple does release a netbook it won't be the same crap that the other companies are putting out...it'll probably be multi-touch and hopefully it'll be awesome which is another reason we shouldn't count on it being $99.
Wirelessly posted (Mozilla/5.0 (iPhone; U; CPU iPhone OS 2_2_1 like Mac OS X; en-us) AppleWebKit/525.18.1 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/3.1.1 Mobile/5H11 Safari/525.20)
Linux? No chance in hell. Either OS X Touch, or normal OS X.
Josh396 said:
Linux? No chance in hell. Either OS X Touch, or normal OS X.
I'm not saying you would be prohibited, but why would you want to pay if you already had free mobile access with your iPhone? Most people wouldn't.Why not possible?
There is no clause in my contract with O2 that prohibits me from also joining other networks.
If I have a contract with O2, nothing stops me from having contracts with Orange, Vodaphone etc etc
If I am willing to pay, then why not?
The two aren't related.. these are mobile broadband contracts - you get a USB dongle and a data allowance, not a phone.
The target market is people who want a macbook but can't afford one right now.. for the tie in (2 years is a long contract.. most contracts in the UK are 6,12 or at most 18 months) you get it now rather than having to save up. Such deals are popular with students and those on lower incomes.
On most deals I've seen like this the laptop is free - I don't know if they'll manage to do the macbook free though as it costs a bit more than the average laptop.
Thanks for clearing that up
Just your original quote
made it sound as if you knew for sure there would be some prohibition or technical impossiblility.
No chance!
I would say that hell would freeze over for real before Apple shipped a computer with Linux. Macs have always been and always will be powered by Apple's own proprietary OS. Using Linux would not make sense from a financial perspective (since they don't need to pay themselves a fee for the Mac OS X licence), plus it wouldn't be a Mac without Mac OS! The unity between hardware and software is at the core of Apple's philosophy.i posted that apple will offer the netbook for 99 for a monthly contact.
people did not believe me, now it seems i was right
people did not believe me, now it seems i was right
This isn't apple it's orange, and they're offering the macbook not a netbook. All Orange have to do is be a reseller and have the stock. Someone signs up, Apple get the full price of the macbook and they're happy.
Knowing Apple....Thanks for clearing that up
Just your original quote
made it sound as if you knew for sure there would be some prohibition or technical impossiblility.
Edited original post to make it clearer.
Not new
This is really nothing new - UK mobile phone networks have been offering subsidised laptops with mobile broadband for over a year. e.g. see the selection here http://www.top10-broadband.co.uk/compare/broadband_free_laptop/
O2 recently launched with Samsung laptops. Maybe that's why Apple opted to go with Orange.
This is really nothing new - UK mobile phone networks have been offering subsidised laptops with mobile broadband for over a year. e.g. see the selection here http://www.top10-broadband.co.uk/compare/broadband_free_laptop/
O2 recently launched with Samsung laptops. Maybe that's why Apple opted to go with Orange.
Of course it isn't a new concept
But it is new that Apple is getting into bed with someone else to offer subsidised laptops.
Correct me if I am wrong, but I think that has never happened before.
Seems odd that Apple wouldn't do this with O2. There seems to be a big push on mobile broadband in this country, I've never really understood why. I suppose I must be the exception in not needing to use broadband away from home or work much.
Interesting but my immediate thoughts are:
1) This would make more sense with O2 (esp with future iPhone tethering)
2) Carphone Warehouse have been doing this for years (although a poorer machine given free)
3) Orange broadband is painful - a bag of hurt in dustbin of dystopia
On another issue, Carphone Warehouse confirmed the _new_ iPhone is coming out in July and have promised to call me on launch date. But we all knew that.
1) This would make more sense with O2 (esp with future iPhone tethering)
2) Carphone Warehouse have been doing this for years (although a poorer machine given free)
3) Orange broadband is painful - a bag of hurt in dustbin of dystopia
On another issue, Carphone Warehouse confirmed the _new_ iPhone is coming out in July and have promised to call me on launch date. But we all knew that.
A bit of miscommunication there. I'm not saying Apple would ship a Linux powered Netbook ( I don't think anyone is that stupid, even meNo chance!
), I'm saying that if a $99 Netbook existed, I believe it would be made by a separate company (not Apple) and would be likely be Linux powered. If Apple did create and sell a netbook, at any price, it would of course be OS X powered, possibly OS X Touch.
Wirelessly posted (Mozilla/5.0 (iPhone; U; CPU iPhone OS 2_2_1 like Mac OS X; en-us) AppleWebKit/525.18.1 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/3.1.1 Mobile/5H11 Safari/525.20)
Cheapest MacBook is £950 right. How much could orange reduce that by and still make a profit?
Cheapest MacBook is £950 right. How much could orange reduce that by and still make a profit?
Depends on the contract really. I would assume the £5-10 isn't for top-of-the-line service.
In the UK we have various companies from Mobile Operators to PC World offering FREE Laptops (not just NetBooK) with Mobile Internet contracts.
AT PC World you can sign up for a 2 year Mobile Internet service and get a FREE - Dell, HP, Acer, etc, etc. Read more here :-
http://www.pcworld.co.uk/martprd/editorial/get_connected_free_laptops
For £40 a month on a 24 month contract you can get a FREE 17" Compaq or HP Laptop with unlimted data (fair use policy applies) and texts.
O2 are offering a FREE 15" Samsung Laptop for £29.38 a month on a 24 month contract (3GB limit a month)
You can read it here :-
http://shop.o2.co.uk/laptop/Samsung/R510-2GB
It is not about having the 3G chip built it, none of the Laptops offered have that. In the UK they ALL use an external USB 3G Modem that comes free as well.
The Laptops come with a 24 month warranty and at the end of the contract they are yours to keep.
So the deal is not that bad for say the HP 15" Laptop from PC World which costs £529.99 to buy in the store for cash. Or you can have it for FREE on a £40 a month unlimited data and text contract. That will cost you £960. So overall it is £430 more expensive to get the Laptop on the contract BUT for that £430 you get the USB Modem and Unlimited 3G Mobile Internet and unlimited texts (works out at £18 a month).
For some people that is a good way of getting a Latop and the 3G service.
The 'free' iphone 8gb contract is £45 a month, which is £1080 over the contract... I'm sure the macbooks would be sold to them at a fair discount, and even if they weren't, that's still a large profit.
They'll make a killing whatever, as there's still tonnes of people in this country that think it's acceptable to stick with the same provider, not shop around and pay >£15 a month for a 'free minutes/data/text' contract.
This isn't about Apple making a product and then seeking a partner to market it, as with the iPhone. This is simply a mobile broadband provider going to Apple to do a deal for volume MacBook purchases. No big deal. Apple will sell MacBooks (at maybe a bulk discounted rate to Orange) and Orange do the rest of the business. A simple sales transaction based on an existing product. I'm sure Apple would have done a similar deal with O2 if it was available and they may well still do that - there's no reason (other than if Orange are paying for the privilege) for it to be an exclusive deal.
The possible netbook is a whole different matter, and I would not be surprised if that was linked to a specific partner, at least to start with. As for it replacing an iPhone, no way. The phone goes in my pocket and everywhere with me. A 10" screen netbook is not going to replace that.
Netbook? I've said it before...look at the Simpad. Think how Apple might do a version of that and then start salivating.
The possible netbook is a whole different matter, and I would not be surprised if that was linked to a specific partner, at least to start with. As for it replacing an iPhone, no way. The phone goes in my pocket and everywhere with me. A 10" screen netbook is not going to replace that.
Netbook? I've said it before...look at the Simpad. Think how Apple might do a version of that and then start salivating.