3G mobile operator Meteor has become the latest mobile operator to start selling netbook devices through its stores, beginning with the Aspire One D140, followed by the Aspire 5738Z laptop, which will debut in June.
The new netbooks will be available in 18 Meteor stores across Ireland.
When Metoer bill-pay customers purchase either the Aspire One D150 netbook or Aspire 5738Z laptop, they will receive the Meteor Broadband to Go device free, while pre-pay customers will receive €20 off the modem device, when purchased with one of the Aspire products.
The netbook Aspire One D150, with an Intel Atom N280 1.66GHZ Processor and 1GB memory, is covered by a one-year warranty will cost €399.99.
The Aspire 5738Z, with an Intel Pentium Dual Core T4200 Processor and 3GB memory, also covered by a one-year warranty, will cost €549.99.
“Our aim is to bring real competition to the mobile broadband market, while providing a simple and quality user experience,” explained Sean McGrath, sales director at Meteor.
“Now customers can choose Meteor as their one-stop shop for all their mobile broadband and technology requirements,” he added.
Since the launch of Meteor’s new high-speed data network in March, the operator now has over 6,000 Broadband to Go customers, and has extended its coverage from Dublin and Cork to Drogheda, Naas, Newbridge and Dundalk.
Across Europe, the strongest proponents of netbook sales are telecoms operators.
Explosive demand for mini-notebooks, or netbooks, fuelled by the back-to-school season and aggressive channel sales by telecoms operators, resulted in 3.6 million units being shipped in the run-up to Christmas across the EMEA region.
Netbooks accounted for 20pc of total portable PC sales and 30pc of consumer portables in EMEA in the fourth quarter of 2008, according to industry analyst IDC.
By John Kennedy
Pictured: Acer Aspire 5738Z netbook
