ATT subsidized MacBook?

Glenn Lurie, AT&T's Emerging Devices president, has hinted that the company might be talking with Apple about subsidized notebooks tied in with wireless data contracts, according to an executive interview with Fortune. The wireless carrier has become increasingly interested in working with device manufacturers beyond the realm of handsets. Initially, the company has dabbled with lower-priced mobile computers such as netbooks.

A holiday promotion at Radio Shack dropped the price of an Acer netbook down to $99 with a two-year AT&T data plan. The marketing was fairly unique for the American market, but it actually worked "extremely well," according to Lurie. "That Acer one's a great example of how partnerships are going to work," he added. Upcoming promotions will include a Sony camera that automatically uploads photos, and a Dell Inspiron Mini 9 netbook for $100.

Although Lurie declined to provide any details about talks with Apple, he did mention that he had sat down with COO Tim Cook a few minutes before the Fortune interview. "We're having conversations with lots of folks," he noted. "I would very much like to do more business with Apple, and hope that we do."

by MacNN Staff