Maybe.  Its $199 if you take on a 2 year plan and send in a $100 rebate.  I HATE rebates.  Enough that it could turn me off from thinking about the Palm Pre, but we’ll see what the user experience is like for sending them in and getting the money back.  Its like giving Palm a $100 loan interest free.

Still, the operational costs are cheaper.

..’an individual Sprint Everything Data Plan starts at $69.99 for 450 minutes and unlimited text messages and unlimited data, including the carrier’s various services, such as Sprint Navigation and Sprint TV’  … ‘requires a $30-per-month data plan and then it’s $39.99 for 450 minutes (with rollover minutes) and $20 a month for unlimited text messaging, so you’re looking at a total of $89.99 and you don’t even get the extra services’. From Bonnie Cha of Cnet

If the Pre can provide all it says it can, I will be looking to drop the iphone and give the Pre a try.. IF it lives up to the hype.  As much as I complain about the iphone, it is still the best smart phone I’ve used in a long time. The Treo 600-650 was the last big improvement in smartphones, and I do not expect such a jump going from the iphone to the Pre.  But, lower price and more services?? Perhaps.  I’m near the end of my contract and I’ve been hearing that ATT wants to change their plans at bit.  If it get more expensive, then done deal.  I’m switching.