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It seems that anybody with even a vague reason to get into the netbook market has been doing so. Toy stores started carrying them last year billing them as good computers for kids. Cell phone carriers are subsidizing them with two-year data contracts, which makes a lot of sense. Verizon is even giving away a Compaq Mini to every new FiOS subscriber. Now Blockbuster looks to be getting into the action.
Blockbuster today announced that it would soon be carrying the Archos 10 netbook in stores. The netbook will be billed as a way to access Blockbuster OnDemand from anywhere you could possibly want to access it. The desktop of the netbook will have a shortcut on the desktop linking straight to the service, in addition to Archos’ special photo, online radio, and online TV apps. The price of the unit will be down to $300, presumably Blockbuster will be eating some of the cost on the units for the assumed increase in usage of OnDemand.
For some reason the move isn’t all that surprising. Netbooks are probably the easiest way for a company to promote its online services, like Blockbuster is doing. Add that to the fact that Blockbuster has also been selling video game consoles for several months now, so it’s no stranger to selling a small amount of electronics. What would be surprising, however, is if the employees actually push the netbook to anyone. The nature of a store like Blockbuster is to not try and hard sell anything, but how else would they get someone to buy a netbook they could just as easily get in Best Buy with more (albeit mostly aesthetic) options?
Read [Electronista]
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