Netbooks could soon be available on the cheap if you commit to a two-year mobile contract, much in the same way you can get cheap broadband. ComputerWorld reckons that “subnotebooks like the Asus Eee PC, the Dell Mini 9 and the HP 2133 Mini-Note will soon cost as little as $99. The catch? You’ll need to commit to a two-year mobile broadband contract. The low cost will come courtesy of a subsidy identical to the one you already get with your cell phone.”

The article goes on to cite a Wall Street Journal story that indicates that Hewlett Packard is already talking to carriers about the arrangement, and that Dell and Asus are likely to follow. If netbook prices drop into double figures as part of packages like this, this could make netbooks more enticing for many in the United States, but it would still be a way behind some European countries. For example, here in the UK, you can get a netbook free if you sign up for contract mobile deals with some major retailers.