Apple and AT&T could be working on a MacBook 3G by By David Chartier

Comments from AT&T's President of Emerging Devices Division have reinvigorated rumors that Apple could be working on a "MacBook 3G." AT&T is looking to partner with more manufacturers on subsidized hardware in return for data subscriptions, and Apple is right in its crosshairs.

We are rapidly approaching an age where portable computers may not be much to write home about if they don't have some kind of fast, wide area Internet access. The iPhone sports 3G capabilities, one of Acer's netbooks comes with a data contract, and now, if generic comments from an AT&T department president are to be believed, Apple may be working with AT&T to produce a 3G-enabled MacBook.

In a conversation with Fortune, Glenn Lurie, AT&T's President of Emerging Devices Division, discussed netbooks and the emerging business model of subsidizing devices in exchange for everyone's favorite two-year data subscription contract. Lurie says that AT&T's holiday experiment with a $99 Acer Aspire One netbook that requires a contract for data service went "extremely well," and the carrier is looking to expand on its prospects of supplying data services to more gadgets.

At the end of the interview, Lurie teases the fact that he recently sat down with Apple COO Tim Cook—who, once again, is stepping in during Steve Jobs' leave of absence. While Lurie did not namedrop any specific product opportunities, he did say, "I would very much like to do more business with Apple, and hope that we do" in response to questions about a discounted MacBook.

Combine these comments with Apple's statement from its Q1 2009 earnings call that it is "watching [the netbook] space," and it isn't hard to imagine a MacBook 3G in the company's future. While the $1,299 MacBook probably wouldn't drop to quite the price range of the Aspire One with AT&T's subsidizing, the possibility is there for either a cheaper MacBook/Pro, or the much-rumored arrival of an actual Apple netbook.

One minor detail that the two companies will have to contend with is how to handle iPhone owners who already pay $20-30 for data on their (non-tetherable) phones. Asking aspiring MacBook 3G owners who are already iPhone subscribers to drop what is typically $60 for data connections on a subsidized notebook might not go over well. Hopefully, some appreciation for doubling up on 3G devices will soften the financial blow.