Well it isn't like you have to pay the monthly fee every month to continue using wifi. You just need the one month 3g to get the device activated and then you can cancel and use as much wifi as you want at no cost. It is more of an activation fee than it is being charged for wifi.
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Pay to use Wi-Fi on Xoom
- Thread starter bluemonkeyguy
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Well it isn't like you have to pay the monthly fee every month to continue using wifi. You just need the one month 3g to get the device activated and then you can cancel and use as much wifi as you want at no cost. It is more of an activation fee than it is being charged for wifi.
Here is the problem. Unless that is very publically disclosed this will upset a lot of customers. It is already at a high price but they decide it is worth it and they only plan to use WiFi. Then they get home and find out there is ANOTHER fee before they can actually use it. Adding an activation fee after the device has been bough could really upset people if they do not know this at the time of purchase.
They're not disabling anything. They're simply not allowing you to use it without first getting a data plan. Sound familiar?
A lot of us smartphone users had the same complaint about the iPhone when it came out. You could not use it as an iPod without first activating it via AT&T and Apple... and worse, they required the user to get a data plan instead of being able to use WiFi. This was totally contrary to previous smartphone experience.
That's true for the iPad and definitely something to factor in when buying.
However, how does AT&T let you activate a new AT&T iPhone without a voice + data plan?
For a non-subsidized device I totally agree. That's exactly why I bought a Samsung Tab off eBay from someone who'd already done the first Verizon activation phase.
(Later he told me that he had called Customer Service and was polite, and they actually dropped the whole activation fee since he didn't want 3G access. I've heard of others doing the same.)
Irrespective of everything else, I simply have no need for a 3G Tablet.
My WiFi iPad serves me very well and I have no plans to stand in the middle of a field with it to browse the internet.
Ok, if it comes with 3G for no extra cost then I'm not going to moan, but I don't want to pay any extra for something I will never use.
Don't they get it that Phones are used when you are out and about, walking around, but 10" Tablets are going to be generally used in Homes, Stores, Work places where you often have WiFi.
I agree with others here, they need a 16GB WiFi Xoom at a low price point to give people the hook to buy, once you have people in store, looking at the model options, they then may decide to get a higher model, but you need to low model to get the people in and playing with and interested in the device in the 1st place.
My WiFi iPad serves me very well and I have no plans to stand in the middle of a field with it to browse the internet.
Ok, if it comes with 3G for no extra cost then I'm not going to moan, but I don't want to pay any extra for something I will never use.
Don't they get it that Phones are used when you are out and about, walking around, but 10" Tablets are going to be generally used in Homes, Stores, Work places where you often have WiFi.
I agree with others here, they need a 16GB WiFi Xoom at a low price point to give people the hook to buy, once you have people in store, looking at the model options, they then may decide to get a higher model, but you need to low model to get the people in and playing with and interested in the device in the 1st place.
Dude take it easy. My point is that many of us dont want a contract in the first place.
Guess we won't see schools buying a bunch of these to use for their classrooms, like a few have with the iPad. Imagine having to activate 3G on 20-30+ of these things just to get the WiFi working?
Wow,I hadn't even thought about that one. I've been trough that game before, having to jump through hoops and talk to half a dozen people to get the service cancelled. What a pain. You can bet that they will make it as difficult as possible to cancel.
Oh please! When I bought my 3G iPad, I had the choice from Day #1 about if/when I want to activate it--not the carrier (AT&T) or the manufacturer (Apple). I shouldn't have to pay an addl. $20 or so dollars to buy something just because Verizon needs to show me how to use 3G. If it is included free of charge as a "complimentary" 30 days, that's a lot different but should still be optional.
This whole thing is anti-consumer on behalf of Verizon, and it sounds an awful like the rebate tactic: enough people will forget to deactivate it thus creating some revenue. It also makes it a lot harder to return the thing if you've already activated it.
This whole thing is anti-consumer on behalf of Verizon, and it sounds an awful like the rebate tactic: enough people will forget to deactivate it thus creating some revenue. It also makes it a lot harder to return the thing if you've already activated it.
Please stop comparing the Xoon to a phone. IT IS NOT A PHONE. Requiring 3G connection on a PHONE is one thing, but on a tablet, that most of us aren't wandering around the country side using, it should not be required even for just one month.
I have a wifi only iPad but I considered getting a 3g model for trips and also for resale value. I would not even have considered it if Apple/AT&T required me to buy a 3G data plan for even one month. In the end I decided just to use the mobile hot spot on my cell anytime I want to use my iPad anywhere without wifi.
I have a wifi only iPad but I considered getting a 3g model for trips and also for resale value. I would not even have considered it if Apple/AT&T required me to buy a 3G data plan for even one month. In the end I decided just to use the mobile hot spot on my cell anytime I want to use my iPad anywhere without wifi.
Wish they didn't do this. Its simply stupid. How do they expect to compete like this. I wanted to buy a xoom too... now I'll have to wait for galaxy s2 tab and hope they make it 10 inches 
Wish they didn't do this. Its simply stupid. How do they expect to compete like this. I wanted to buy a xoom too... now I'll have to wait for galaxy s2 tab and hope they make it 10 inches
Is Samsung planning to release a Galaxy Tab 2 after the embarrassment of the Tab 1?
Dude, you are talking about $20. One time fee. It's like buying a marriage license. If you love the Xoom half as much as I love my wife, just pay it. And then enjoy it. (it's still dumb that they are trying to pull this crap).
Wish they didn't do this. Its simply stupid. How do they expect to compete like this. I wanted to buy a xoom too... now I'll have to wait for galaxy s2 tab and hope they make it 10 inches
The Galaxy Tab had the same sort of deal, Verizon required at least one month of service at the time of purchase. What makes you believe that the Tab 2 will be different?
Please explain. Make it simple.
You drunkenly stagger into Best Buy , Fry's , or whatever. Speed $799 on a Tab. Walk next door to the Starbucks, open it up, and you can't use it without getting a data plan from Verizon ?
In total agreement! I got one from a coworker to 'borrow'. It's horribly slow, glitchy, has major delays, and half the time, it won't connect to wifi! My children (5 & 4) won't even play with it, and they LOVED the iPad when we borrowed it from my office.
Not exactly as the top of the line iPad is $829.00. You need to remember that some people just march to the beat of a different drum. Reminiscent of the Mac Vs. PC users. It is now nice to see that Apple has taken the place of the establishment rather than being the rebel.
No, it is exactly. There is a crap load of people with $500 iPads that are as happy as a pig wallowing in ****. There is absolutely no performance difference in any of the iPads, just 3G and storage. All have the same ram, CPU, GPU, ect.
It's not Apple's fault that Motorola and Samsung are not intelligent to put out a tablet at multiple price points, but that have the same performance.
You walk into Best Buy and grab a Galaxy Tab. When you purchase it at the counter, you must choose a data plan for it. Either 1, 3, or 5 GBs. After that first month runs out then cancel your data. You can't leave the store without buying at least one month of service unless you can convince your cashier to just let it slide, which some people were able to do. At least that's how it worked when Tabs were on sale for $399.
I'm not sure we can compare the Xoom and iPad price points since hardware wise, the Xoom is superior to the iPad. Let's see what the iPad 2 has and then compare price tags. If they get cameras and more memory and such, maybe their price point will be 800 clams for a 32g device. We just don't know.
The rumor is and I'm hoping we get the iPad 2 specs before the Xoom is released.
The rumor is and I'm hoping we get the iPad 2 specs before the Xoom is released.
Besides having to pay for the first month of data do you also have to pay an activation fee? If so, that sucks because that brings the total to $55ish extra, no?
@Mitchrapp, I don't think better hardware specs is all that monetizable in mobile. Features? Usability? Sure. Better hardware specs? No one wants to pay more money just for that.
Well, almost no one, I guess..
So you wouldn't pay extra for cameras? Granted I wouldn't, that doesn't interest me but there seem to be a whole lot on here that do. That has to add into the cost, right?
More memory, maybe a way to plugin an external HD etc. I have no idea who wants those things but they add up. How about that new slick display the iPhone 4 has, would you pay for that?
Someone said you could, right after getting the first month of data, cancel it and not have to pay the 20 bucks. Not sure where I heard it or if it's true but that's what I read. It does blow though.