get the laptop dock, give up unlimmited data = suck

[thecavemankevin]

guy at the att store informed me that if i get the laptop dock, i have to give up my grandfathered unlimited data. instead i'm capped at 4gb..... this blows

i'm not surprised, but very disappointed.
:'''(

 

[jess.hickey]

i went several rounds with AT&T via different outlets trying to find out why this is considered tethering since the dummy computer will not function without the phone.

The only valid answer I got was you have to pay for the additional strain you would be placing on their network by having a full size interface and using more bandwidth per session, etc, etc, etc.

I think it's just an attempt to push more folks off the unlimited data to be quite honest.

 

[chiratsu]

AT&T's stunt is unbelievable.

Too bad there are no alternatives to this. I will have to do without the dock.

I am pretty disappointed myself.

 

[dubge]

what a load of crap! charging tethering for that, I wonder if there will be a way around it in the future or a 3rd party dock

 

[jess.hickey]

Hopefully someone will come out with a 3rd party dock for much much less. Anyone know if there is a setting in the phone that has to be activated by at&t in order for it to work in the dock? or is it just a few/account change they make when you order the dock?

 

[Effington]

So why get the laptop dock?

1. It's not priced competitively or fairly, even at the $499 for phone + dock price point. Yes, it's a new product and they may even be selling it at a loss, but you're paying the early adopter tax on it. And then you're forced to pay tethering on top of all that?

2. If sales don't exceed expectations, they will be forced to lower the price. I don't expect more than 10-15% of people ordering the Atrix to buy it along with the laptop dock. Maybe not even that many?

3. There could potentially be third party options available at some point that may be cheaper and/or have better features.

4. Almost every review criticizes the dock as an overpriced gimmick. Personally, I think it's pretty cool and I'd like to have it - but certainly not at that price. For $499, I might as well just get a Xoom.

5. If none of that convinced you - why then also let them take away your unlimited data plan? You'll never get that back...

Remember how Apple drastically dropped the price on the iPhone shortly after it was first launched? Nice of them to give people some Apple credit... who knows if at&t would even do that after they inevitably drop the price on the laptop dock. My prediction, the dock will be $199 by the end of the year.

 

[El Jefe]

Simple solution...

1. Don't get the dock so you can keep unlimited data.
2. Buy a basic netbook/laptop for A LOT less than their useless one (or even better, use one you already have!)
3. Once root is achieved...root your Atrix.
4. Download "Wireless Tether for Root Users" from the market for the price of...FREE!
5. Tether it to the netbook/laptop when necessary.
6. Enjoy all the $ I just saved you!

 

[El Jefe]

I don't mean for my above comment to come off ******-y, so please no one take it that way, but it isn't a required part of the purchase, Motorola/AT&T didn't exactly price it to move & have to know that so they must not CARE about selling a lot of them, and if it really doesn't even work without the phone docked to it, what practical purpose does it REALLY serve?

 

[Effington]

I don't mean for my above comment to come off ******-y, so please no one take it that way, but it isn't a required part of the purchase, Motorola/AT&T didn't exactly price it to move & have to know that so they must not CARE about selling a lot of them, and if it really doesn't even work without the phone docked to it, what practical purpose does it REALLY serve?

I agree, and I also didn't want to sound "douch-ey." I made a point in another thread about the intention of this phone/dock combo was to market toward businesses and corporate environments - it's just that the phone is so powerful, it's actually appealing more to enthusiasts and the general consumer.

I think skipping the dock is a no-brainer, especially if you have no intention of taking advantage of its Citrix XenApp functionality.

 

[SirGeorgeKillian]

I could see the real benefits of the laptop dock. Working on something on the dock, then being able to pull it up on your phone later with out having to sync or anything like that. That is actually a really nice idea. Too bad they lost their ever loving minds when they had the price gun in their hands...

 

[edoublediz]

I could see the real benefits of the laptop dock. Working on something on the dock, then being able to pull it up on your phone later with out having to sync or anything like that. That is actually a really nice idea. Too bad they lost their ever loving minds when they had the price gun in their hands...

kind of like the benefit of using google docs for free?

 

[thecavemankevin]

I was originally thinking this would be an excellent tool for my computer repair business. Go on site, have to do any documentation, just pull out the dock and type away. Have to research an infection/problem? But the best thing is if i have to download a utility/tool, pop in a flash drive into one of the USB's and download and go. But for the cost both money and 4gb tether crap I'm going to stick with just the phone and my trusty old dell laptop. I'll root it and then tether hack it when it comes available.

oh-well. Hopefully there will be third party docks. It would be friggin sweet if someone came out with a tablet dock!

 

[Tre Lawrence]

^^^ Agreed...

 

[El Jefe]

When the Atrix was first announced @ CES & I saw blogs talking about the laptop dock (without actually seeing the pictures of it), I pictured it as being a standalone dock/cradle attachment that you would plug into a laptop (through one of the USB ports) that would then use the phone's data connection on the laptop.

I thought that was a cool idea & definitely going to be a hit, but when I actually saw what it was...that it was a completely seperate laptop that was utterly useless without the phone attached to it....I'm sorry, I just don't see the point at all for ANY price.

The common consumer is definitely going to be turned off by the price & the technology enthusiast, business traveler, & student demographics likely already HAS a laptop or tablet that knows the phone can just be tethered to them. Who exactly is this marketed for?

 

[hagalah]

You can still use WIFI for the dock experience. For me, that's not a big issue. Most of places I worked for all have WIFI connection.

But I must say, the 4G plan is still SUCKSSSSSS. TOOOOOO expensive! compared to VZW's unlimited plan.

 

[blopez24]

I don't mean for my above comment to come off ******-y, so please no one take it that way, but it isn't a required part of the purchase, Motorola/AT&T didn't exactly price it to move & have to know that so they must not CARE about selling a lot of them, and if it really doesn't even work without the phone docked to it, what practical purpose does it REALLY serve?

Well it it did.





No im kidding thanks for the app name though. I was looking for somethign that would let me make my phone into a wifi hotspot with out having to pay att

 

[netposer]

This is from the business side of ATT (Premeire website)

You have to get the tethering plan to get the dock at -$200

And the Premiere CSR's are having a hard time pre-ordering this with the laptop dock. So I will probably forgo the dock.