Americans often believe that our country is at the forefront of information technology. And perhaps 20 years ago, that was true. But today, America has become a digital backwater in many areas, and the latest example is the Motorola Xoom’s 3G Pricing plan via Verizon.
Buckle up, kids, cause this one’s a doozy.
- $20 for 1GB per month
- $35 for 3GB per month
- $50 for 5GB per month
- $80 for 10GB per month
No, I’m not joking. In fact, this pricing announcement is in fact completely standard for Verizon, which places the same rates on 3G data plans for any other tablet. So the Motorola Xoom 3G pricing is outrageous, but only because the 3G pricing for all tablet and computer devices served by Verizon is outrageous.
To help you fully grasp the absurdity, consider this. A decent . Shipping is around three bucks if you skip the free super-saver shipping, which brings the total to 11 bucks. A Micro SD card easily fits into a letter envelope, and the postage for that would be 44 cents. That brings our total to $11.44.
For just over half the price of Verizon’s entry-level data plan, I could deliver four times the information to you simply by using the mail. In fact, if you elected for Verizon’s 10GB per month plan, I could deliver 28 GBs via the pony express for a slightly higher price. Sure, the mail will take longer, but perhaps not that much longer – 3G isn’t exactly blazing fast.
Now, you might think that the Xoom’s 3G pricing will give you a great discount on the product. But buying a Xoom will still cost you $600 out of pocket, while going without a contract is $800. Which begs the question; if Motorola is bending consumers over on the pricing of the tablet, and Verizon is bending consumers over on the pricing of the contract, who is going to buy this thing?
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