March 6th Release - Feb 13th pre-sale.

[MarcMaiden]

yea bro the actual press release from AT&T says tethering required for laptop dock

I dont think it is saying that it requires tethering,


but I believe it is saying "If you want the dock at the $300 price, you need to send in a $100 mail in rebate and sign up for a tethering plan.

AT&T can't force you to have a tethering plan for the laptop dock because there is nothing about the laptop dock that would force you do so. as in, it isnt a computer, the phone is. Oh, that would also mean the HD dock would require you to have tethering as well because it runs the same webtop mode.

now if the moto rep was wrong and there will be a tethering plan required, im staying far away from this already expensive device.

 

[AvengerBB]

Not really worried about the data plan, as long as you're only required a minimum data service for $15/mth there's always going to be some sort of work around. Getting this device rooted will be very essential.

Exactly - rooting changes everything assuming you still have an unlimited data plan. If you don't and root without the tethering plan you'll be limited to 2GB.

 

[penguinz]

Of the new AT&T Android phones, the Atrix was what I was most excited about. Also, I had never planned on getting the laptop dock. That being said, should I stick with the Atrix or should I also consider the HTC Inspire? It does leave a bad taste in my mouth how much they are charging for the dock even though I wasn't planning to get one.

I am wondering this too. Lol.

 

[shawn1224]

In all honesty I really don't plan on getting the laptop dock anyway so I'm only concerned with the data plan pricing for the Atrix. The HD multimedia dock connected to my already existing laptop is more efficient than some fancy plastic shell that they're pimping.

 

[wraithevolution]

So on the other thread, I saw this link;
AT&T Announces the World?s Most Powerful Smartphone, the Motorola ATRIX 4G, Will Be... -- DALLAS, Feb. 3, 2011 /PRNewswire/ --

Halfway down, it says this;

The first combines ATRIX 4G and the Motorola Laptop Dock for a promotional price of $499.99 after a two-year service contract and $100 mail-in-rebate after subscription to Data Pro smartphone data plan and tethering add on.

Doesn't this confirm that they are indeed going to require the tethering plan? What complete garbage, I really hate AT&T. $500 bucks for a screen, battery and keyboard all so we can pay even more to use what we're already paying for? The devil himself thinks AT&T is evil.

 

[thabends]

I called this tethering thing a few weeks ago in the "Anything Higher Than 2GB Data Plan" thread and everyone thought I'd lost it. AT&T really are Sith Lords.

 

[MarcMaiden]

Of the new AT&T Android phones, the Atrix was what I was most excited about. Also, I had never planned on getting the laptop dock. That being said, should I stick with the Atrix or should I also consider the HTC Inspire? It does leave a bad taste in my mouth how much they are charging for the dock even though I wasn't planning to get one.

don't get me wrong, the Atrix is a great phone, and I think you will be happy with it laptop dock or not ( and i think the $189 price for the hd pack is pretty good) but for me and a lot of people, the laptop dock is what made the phone.

Either way, you cant go wrong!

 

[atlbuc]

yea bro the actual press release from AT&T says tethering required for laptop dock

Now that is crazy and can't be justified, so will we need a tethering plan for the dock since it can enter webtop mode also. I think this is a misprint.

 

[thabends]

Now that is crazy and can't be justified, so will we need a tehering plan for the since it can enter webtop mode also.

Yes. AT&T said you will need it to use the Firefox browser. The webtop mode is useless without tethering.

 

[nemesiz]

So on the other thread, I saw this link;
AT&T Announces the World?s Most Powerful Smartphone, the Motorola ATRIX 4G, Will Be... -- DALLAS, Feb. 3, 2011 /PRNewswire/ --

Halfway down, it says this;


Doesn't this confirm that they are indeed going to require the tethering plan? What complete garbage, I really hate AT&T. $500 bucks for a screen, battery and keyboard all so we can pay even more to use what we're already paying for? The devil himself thinks AT&T is evil.

Yup.. I think they are able to give the ridiculously overpriced Laptop dock at a so called subsidized price of $500 by forcing customers to get the tethering option when most users will be connected to wi-fi anyways when they use this dock. Insane.. Moto/ATT - Epic Fail

 

[AndreaCristiano]

Exactly - rooting changes everything assuming you still have an unlimited data plan. If you don't and root without the tethering plan you'll be limited to 2GB.

rooting means nothing when purchasing the laptop dock requires the tethering plan. So if you plan on purchasing the dock you will have to add on the tethering plan. As long as you use the firefox browser on the laptop dock you will need the tethering add on

 

[WarningSLO]

Quick questions, if I am switching from an existing AT&T family plan, and my wife is switching from a Verizon family plan, how do we pre-order? Or is the pre-order just a placeholder in line and we'll figure that stuff out on the release date?

 

[wraithevolution]

I posted this elsewhere, but I wanted to share here for fun.

"Yo dawg, we heard you like the internets. So we added a data plan to your data plan. So you can surf while you're surfin!"

 

[atlbuc]

I have to admitt that the Entertainment Access Kit for ATRIX which includes the Motorola HD Multimedia Dock, a Bluetooth

 

[thabends]

I have to admitt that the Entertainment Access Kit for ATRIX which includes the Motorola HD Multimedia Dock, a Bluetooth

 

[atlbuc]

your willing to pay the tethering???

I look at it like this, if I bought the Inspire I would have used the Mobile Hotspot feature which requires a tethering plan anyway so I think I will stick with the Atrix.

 

[Rastor]

I dont think it is saying that it requires tethering,

but I believe it is saying "If you want the dock at the $300 price, you need to send in a $100 mail in rebate and sign up for a tethering plan.

AT&T can't force you to have a tethering plan for the laptop dock because there is nothing about the laptop dock that would force you do so.

I found it hard to believe too but it's right there in the footnotes of the press release, footnote 3:

"3. Laptop Dock - Firefox browser use with AT&T Mobile Broadband requires Tethering Plan."

 

[atlbuc]

What's the point of the keyboard and mouse though? You can't use webtop without paying for tethering

I will pay for tethering.

 

[atlbuc]

I mean I think if the price for the Dock was a little lower people wouldn't mind so much about the tethering plan. You have to admit that if you had the laptop dock you would be using a lot more data than if you just used your phone to browse so I see where AT&T might find this justifiable.

 

[Devinclfalcons]

So if I am ONLY getting the phone and no docks can I still use my grandfathered unlimited data plan? I do NOT want to have to pay for tethering...



And does anyone have more information on this phone being released on the 14th at Best Buy??

 

[atlbuc]

So if I am ONLY getting the phone and no docks can I still use my grandfathered unlimited data plan? I do NOT want to have to pay for tethering...



And does anyone have more information on this phone being released on the 14th at Best Buy??

Yes I think you would be able to keep it

 

[AndreaCristiano]

So if I am ONLY getting the phone and no docks can I still use my grandfathered unlimited data plan? I do NOT want to have to pay for tethering...



And does anyone have more information on this phone being released on the 14th at Best Buy??

im guessing so but they might try and push you out

 

[kyeo138]

AT&T can't force you to have a tethering plan for the laptop dock because there is nothing about the laptop dock that would force you do so. as in, it isnt a computer, the phone is. Oh, that would also mean the HD dock would require you to have tethering as well because it runs the same webtop mode.

So now my question about if a dock is needed for the webtop becomes more interesting. Say you hook up a bluetooth KB/mouse and connect phone via HDMI out and start up the webtop OS. Would you require tethering even though all you're using is your phone? If so, that's just wrong!

 

[AndreaCristiano]

So now my question about if a dock is needed for the webtop becomes more interesting. Say you hook up a bluetooth KB/mouse and connect phone via HDMI out and start up the webtop OS. Would you require tethering even though all you're using is your phone? If so, that's just wrong!

i believe if you buy the dock you will need to add tethering

 

[s.m.knipe]

Or use the Phones browser or any of the other browser apps for the internet. Because the data is flowing through the phone (no seperate device fingerprint or IP) from their end the only way they could tell if you are "tethering" is by the fingerprint of the full firefox browser, so don't use it and they can't prove a thing...