AT&T's arrogance: You can do more than a netbook

[corneliusm]

“With all the integration between the phone and the dock, you can do more on an Atrix than you can on a netbook,” Woodward explained. “Other devices that try to do this just give you ‘mirror mode.’”

From here:
AT&T: Atrix 4G Laptop Dock Priced High Because You Can Do More Than a Netbook | Android Phone Fans


Now I can understand the convenience of having integration. Heck, if it were $150, I'd definitely be all over that. However, $500 will get you a pretty mean netbook (the new AMD Brazos ones) that will do alot more than any cell phone can, even with the beefiest of mobile CPUs currently available.

Here's what the laptop dock can do that a netbook can't:

• Rely on your cellphone's internals for processing
• Charge your phone without an extra USB cable
• Display Android apps on larger screen
• Save state of desktop mode when you detach your phone

Here's what a $500 netbook can do that this dock can't:

• Run faster (even Atom cores have more IPC than ARM CortexA9), with more RAM and much more storage
• Run any web browser other than Firefox 3.6
• Run any major productivity suite (MS Office, OpenOffice, etc)
• Play PC games
• Run any other arbitrary PC program
• Support many more USB devices besides simple input devices and storage
• Use front-facing camera on the laptop
• Last more than 6 hours on a single charge
• More connectivity options (eSATA, ethernet, Firewire on some models, etc)
• Multitouch trackpad
• Integrate with other mobile devices, not just Android
• Ability to use it when I need the phone for something else
• Continue to be useful even after I upgrade to another phone in the future

Am I forgetting anything?

AT&T needs to figure out that the laptop adds nothing over a netbook except for convenience, and loses A LOT in return. To say that the dock "can do more" is an outright lie, and an insult to our intelligence.

[/rant]

 

[corneliusm]

Oh and according to the front page, I will now be required to give up my grandfathered unlimited plan to buy this "4G" phone. Ugh...

 

[textiaac]

I agree with you rant, but i will still get the atrix out of my own arrogance, even if i loose my unlimited plan.

 

[uberspeed]

Oh and according to the front page, I will now be required to give up my grandfathered unlimited plan to buy this "4G" phone. Ugh...

It appears not. Thankfully, as this would have been the last straw that pushed me to another carrier.
http://www.androidcentral.com/att-clarifies-their-4g-policy

 

[corneliusm]

It appears not. Thankfully, as this would have been the last straw that pushed me to another carrier.
http://www.androidcentral.com/att-clarifies-their-4g-policy

Noted. I almost lost it when I read that.

Still, back on topic- AT&T execs need to come up with better reasons to justify the ridiculous pricing on the docks. We're not stupid...

 

[Jerry Hildenbrand]

It took ages, and required a huge swap file, but I've built Android on my netbook.

Let's see the Atrix dock compile the Linux toolchain, kernel, and X server

 

[foxpacific]

I'm picking up the Atrix but will defer to my CR48 or future Google ChromeOS laptop for laptop work. Besides I use all the Google services, so it's almost like having the same device. Even more so, the ChromeOS devices are rumored to be super cheap and, while I'll hold out judgment till I see it, they are sending free laptops to a bunch of people so it can't be THAT expensive.

 

[corneliusm]

It took ages, and required a huge swap file, but I've built Android on my netbook.

Let's see the Atrix dock compile the Linux toolchain, kernel, and X server

It would be difficult at the moment. AFAIK here's no glibc for Android. So your GNU tools, especially gcc, can't run on the nettop dock.

If you *really* want to compile the kernel on an Android device (ultimate bootstrapping ftw), replace Android with a real Linux distro. Sadly, with a locked bootloader, this ain't happening.

Oh well... guess I'll have to deal with limited functionality then

 

[FSEMobius]

Children...you do realize pricing is the manufacturers not the carriers right?! Same price if you buy straight from Motorola.com...get with it...

 

[corneliusm]

Children...you do realize pricing is the manufacturers not the carriers right?! Same price if you buy straight from Motorola.com...get with it...

Where's the link to Motorola's page to buy this dock? The accessory is there, but I don't see a price listed. For the time being, AT&T will be the only channel, and they have set the price.

However, my initial complaint was in response to a statement made by AT&T, not Motorola. Once Motorola starts lying to me like ATT did in the original link, then they deserve my scorn. So far, they've been complicit, yet quiet.

 

[EJL1980]

Where's the link to Motorola's page to buy this dock? The accessory is there, but I don't see a price listed. For the time being, AT&T will be the only channel, and they have set the price.

However, my initial complaint was in response to a statement made by AT&T, not Motorola. Once Motorola starts lying to me like ATT did in the original link, then they deserve my scorn. So far, they've been complicit, yet quiet.

I have read a lot of your posts. Enough to know you are smart enough to realize it is the manufacturer who sets prices. AT&T is not going to sell these things at a loss unless they have to. I'd venture a guess the bundle price is probably close to what Moto is charging AT&T.