Demand outstrips supply for T-Mobile's 'free' laptop offer

While most European operators are now offering laptop/mobile broadband packages, T-Mobile's would appear to have been especially attractive given the company has run out of stock. T-Mobile is now reported to be looking for an alternative manufacturer of suitably priced and configured laptops.

The Acer laptops, which were brought in as a trial by T-Mobile last month, were being sold as part of a bundle that included the laptop, 200 minutes, unlimited texts and a USB modem dongle. The tariff was around €30 per month for a two-year contract.

T-Mobile is now hurriedly attempting to find an alternative supplier given that Acer says it is unable to provide additional Travel 5320 laptops at the price that the operator wants.

To make matters worse, T Mobile says it has sold all the Android-powered G1 handsets it has ordered from manufacturer HTC in advance of the October 22nd launch. Indications are that T-Mobile is on target to sell between 400,000 and 500,000 G1s in the US and Europe by Christmas. The company is said to be preparing a fresh contract with HTC for an additional 1.5 to 2 million G1 handsets.

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