Darxus -

9/18/09 12:06 pm

I want a $300 netbook computer with phone hardware that I can use with a bluetooth headset and get rid of my phone. Machine washable. Running Ubuntu.

This is so obvious, why doesn't it exist?
Wait, are people making google laptops including phone hardware?

marmota
9/18/09 05:26 pm (UTC)

Unfortunately, what the consumer wants and what the industry want are at serious odds here. Telco providers are dead set against combining fully programmable devices and telephones, due to fears of hacking in general and products like Skype making dedicated telco infrastructure irrelevant.

Recent examples that come to mind are Nokia not finding any takers for their N900, for reasons obviously beyond the lame ones they're giving: http://www.mobilenewscwp.co.uk/News/314511/nokia_networks_may_reject_n900.html
and Apple killing iphone tethering and stifling any apps that provide alternatives to their existing services, and so forth.
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volta
9/18/09 05:44 pm (UTC)

Is a netbook with a wireless data card and a VOIP headset close enough? I know at least one person doing that now, but I think the price point is closer to $500 once you add the data card & headset.
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- darxus
  9/18/09 05:47 pm (UTC)
  
  Probably.
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perspicuity
9/18/09 06:28 pm (UTC)

i coulda swore i've seen netbook come with wireless phone data card built in, possibly with 1-2 years "free" service, after that, a fee.

unless i was vividly not reading the label correctly.

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also, there's at least one company selling a cell-brick that provides service to 4-5 devices via wifi. said brick is basically a cell-modem, lives in your backpack/otterbox/wherever, and then you connect your netbook, wifi phone, itouch, whatever to it as the local network.

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Edited at 2009-09-18 06:29 pm (UTC)
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- darxus
  9/18/09 06:58 pm (UTC)
  
  Data only.
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  - perspicuity
    9/18/09 08:04 pm (UTC)
    
    mmm, can they tell?
    
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    - darxus
      9/18/09 08:08 pm (UTC)
      
      I don't know of any reason you couldn't do VOIP, I'm just saying it's not phone hardware.
      
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      - perspicuity
        9/18/09 08:28 pm (UTC)
        
        so, color me confused, but what is phone hardware in a netbook? actual phone service i'm guessing? gotcha.
        
        wait for the apple netbook?
        
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- greylady
  9/18/09 08:22 pm (UTC)
  
  It's data-only, and the advertised data plans are semi-low for expected usage, especially if you want to be able to VOIP with it. They're intended as a stop-gap for when you're between standard networks. (i.e. commuting)
  
  But don't think I haven't considered MiFi, the netbook, a bluetooth headset and Skype.
  
  Note: Active connection battery life on these is only about 4-5 hours usage... so, not up to phone usage yet.
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