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Clearwire targets Apple crowd with iSpot

By | August 4, 2010, 2:56am PDT

Summary: Clearwire is looking to tap into disdain for AT&T among Apple users to poach a few accounts.

Clearwire is rolling out a 4G hotspot dubbed the iSpot to appeal to Apple users.

The WiMax service provider on Wednesday launched the iSpot, a personal hotspot with dedicated support for the iPad, iPod touch and iPhone. In many respects, the Clearwire move makes a lot of sense. Most Apple plans are tethered somehow to AT&T. Clearwire is looking to tap into disdain for AT&T  among Apple users to poach a few accounts.

How does the iSpot support Apple gear? Clearwire said the iSpot is made exclusively for Apple devices with a casing that blends in with the iPad, iPod and iPhone. ISpot users can share access with up to eight Apple devices at once.

The iSpot will run you $99.99 with a monthly service fee starting at $25 without contract (statement).

Aside from the different color, the iSpot doesn’t look much different than its PC hotspot, which is black. The one rub for the iSpot is that it only offers 4G coverage. Bottom line: If Clearwire isn’t in your city the iSpot’s use will be limited.

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Topics

Clearwire Corp., Apple Inc., iSpot, WiMAX, Wireless And Mobility, Larry Dignan

Larry Dignan is Editor in Chief of ZDNet and SmartPlanet as well as Editorial Director of ZDNet's sister site TechRepublic.

Disclosure

Larry Dignan

Larry Dignan has nothing to disclose. He doesn’t hold investments in the technology companies he covers.

Biography

Larry Dignan

Larry Dignan is Editor in Chief of ZDNet and SmartPlanet as well as Editorial Director of ZDNet's sister site TechRepublic. He was most recently Executive Editor of News and Blogs at ZDNet. Prior to that he was executive news editor at eWeek and news editor at Baseline. He also served as the East Coast news editor and finance editor at CNET News.com. Larry has covered the technology and financial services industry since 1995, publishing articles in WallStreetWeek.com, Inter@ctive Week, The New York Times, and Financial Planning magazine. He's a graduate of the Columbia School of Journalism and the University of Delaware.

For daily updates, follow Larry on Twitter.

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RE: Clearwire targets Apple crowd with iSpot
tomlin21-24319035676893835085146735905770 11th Oct
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RE: Clearwire targets Apple crowd with iSpot
theCLEARblog 4th Aug 2010
Thanks for writing about the iSpot, Larry! For more info about the iSpot, visit Clear's official blog (http://theclearblog.com/introducing-the-ispot). Today CLEAR is having an introductory sale where you can buy the iSpot as well as the "PC" Clear Spot you mentioned (which will also work with the Apple devices, the difference is that the iSpot will not work with non-iPhone/iPod/iPads.) for $29. The dual-mode Clear Spot 3G/4G+ is on sale for $59. www.clear.com/spot
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RE: Clearwire targets Apple crowd with iSpot
CONSUMERADVOCATE 10th Aug 2010
Updating the firmware so that only Apple based products work, when you can easily provide wireless connection to up to 8 devices on any platform is ridiculous and a waste of a consumers money.
I purchased one of these ISpot and the device worked on both Windows Internet Explorer and my Mac Pro using Safari.
The next day after I agreed to the user agreement, it only worked on the Mac Pro. When using Windows your webpage reverts to clear.com you are not on a approved product page.

I can assure you that this is not in the best interest of new clients, setting limitations from day one.
Everyone now has multiple products and in the home they would range from both Apple products to Windows products.

All I can say is consumer beware, you will end up needing to purchase two ISpot's, one for Windows products to work, and another for Apple. Each costing 25/MRC to work.
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RE: Clearwire targets Apple crowd with iSpot
waicoco 12th Dec 2010
ConsumerAdvocate,

Did you even read the above article, or the response from the Clear blogger? The Clear Spot works on all platforms but is something like $20 more a month. The iSpot only works on apple devices. Buying two iSpots would not solve the problem, as you mentioned it would. Buying the ClearSpot would be the option for households using multiple operating systems.

I don't have either of these devices--I use their 3G/4G usb modem. But the iSpot is a steal for apple users and it's a great idea from the Clear guys. It seems like they took the ClearSpot model and simply changed the name, color and firmware (allowing only idevices) and dropped the price by $20/mo.

I'd imagine they'll have only a few existing customers downgrade from the ClearSpot to the iSpot, while adding a ton of new customers who have either dropped AT&T or refused to use them in the first place due to the high prices and monthly data limits.
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RE: Clearwire targets Apple crowd with iSpot
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RE: Clearwire targets Apple crowd with iSpot
tomlin21-24319035676893835085146735905770 11th Oct
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