iPhone or Macbook Air: Which will save you the $$s?

Scott and I were chatting yesterday about recent iPhone sales. Rumors from yesterday's Apple Shareholder Meeting suggest that the iPhone is on-target to reach its 10 million unit goal. "Of course it's selling well," Scott said. "The iPhone costs a lot less than a new Mac. Doesn't it?"

Leaving aside such silliness as $40K Swarovski-encrusted laptops, the real cost of an iPhone over a two-year contract remains high. On top of the $399 for the base unit itself, the lowest-advertised AT&T 2-year contract costs $1440 plus about 10-12% in surcharges, for a total of about $2000. The 13-inch 1.6 GHz MacBook Air? $1800.

You can save yourself some money on the iPhone side by opting for the contract-free prepaid account for only $49.99/month or even (heaven forfend!) unlocking your iPhone and using it with an existing non-AT&T account. If you really want to shop on the cheap, AT&T is selling refurbished 4GB iPhones for just under $200, and 8GB for $249.

All things considered though, if you're looking at an AT&T contract, there's not too big a difference between putting the Internet into your pants and putting it into an office envelope.