India unveils prototype of $35 tablet computer

[Zerousen]

MUMBAI, India – It looks like an iPad, only it's 1/14th the cost: India has unveiled the prototype of a $35 basic touchscreen tablet aimed at students, which it hopes to bring into production by 2011.

If the government can find a manufacturer, the Linux operating system-based computer would be the latest in a string of "world's cheapest" innovations to hit the market out of India, which is home to the 100,000 rupee ($2,127) compact Nano car, the 749 rupees ($16) water purifier and the $2,000 open-heart surgery.

Read the whole story at the source below.


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[Deleted_171835]

May be cheap but if it has horrible specs it's useless.

 

[RupeeClock]

It's aimed at students, remember?
It if can do the basic tasks of web browsing, basic graphic design and text editing it will be incredibly valuable to students at that price.

 

[antonkan]

^^^This is the computer what Kapil Sibal, India's human resource development minister, is holding^^^

It looks like an iPad, only it's 1/14th the cost: India has unveiled the prototype of a $35 US basic touchscreen tablet computer aimed at students, which it hopes to bring into production in early 2011.

If the government can find a manufacturer, the Linux operating system-based computer would be the latest in a string of "world's cheapest" innovations out of India, home to the $2,100 Nano car, a $16 water purifier and $2,000 open-heart surgery.

The tablet can be used for functions like word processing, web browsing and video conferencing. It has a solar power option — important for India's energy-starved hinterlands — though that costs extra.

"This is our answer to MIT's $100 computer," Human Resource Development Minister Kapil Sibal told the Economic Times as he unveiled the device Thursday.

In 2005, Nicholas Negroponte, co-founder of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology's Media Lab, unveiled a prototype of a $100 laptop for children in the developing world. India rejected that as too expensive and embarked on an effort to develop a cheaper option.

Source: CBC News (Canada)

So what do you thinks guys? Do you like the world's cheapest computer? I think it looks nice and it could be aimed a person who doesn't have money and also aimed at students.

 

[patevo]

wow, way to go India

 

[The Pi]

Things like that could be sold all over the world they could make millions.

 

[Cobalt-]

Hell, if it's got an English mode and decent specs I might just import it.

 

[Guild McCommunist]

The Chinese knockoffs have gotten decent enough reviews and they go from $100-$200.

Personally though if I was a student I'd rather have a netbook or other type of laptop. Tablets are cool and nice devices but a netbook is better suited for the needs of a student, in my opinion.

 

[Aeladya]

For $35 I would buy it...provided it doesn't explode or something...

 

[FlameTakuya]

If it could handle photoshop, I would definitely buy it...

 

[tsol]

I would love to dig around and see what kind of Linux fun is going on in that thing. At $35 i can't imagine it not becoming huge.

 

[ZAFDeltaForce]

Who needs an iPad when you have a 100 of these?

 

[Cermage]

as long as its got a decent touch screen, can wordprocess well and can surf the web well enough. i'd buy it.

 

[67birdman]

Yeeee, thats some dope shit right there..
India represent

 

[zeromac]

Holy shit that thing is small

Spoiler

Insert joke

 

[juggernaut911]

Haha at iPad being considered a personal computer.

Cool for them. Can it play Crysis?! :trollface:

 

[Krestent]

I'll probably get one; 95% of my family lives in India (obviously I'm Indian).

 

[Joe88]

For $35 I would buy it...provided it doesn't explode or something...

it will probably do that, catch fire, or leak battery acid

 

[Goli]

The Chinese knockoffs have gotten decent enough reviews and they go from $100-$200.

Personally though if I was a student I'd rather have a netbook or other type of laptop. Tablets are cool and nice devices but a netbook is better suited for the needs of a student, in my opinion.

It depends on what you're studying, really.

 

[stinkoman]

If it could handle photoshop, I would definitely buy it...

Photoshop and gimp prolly not, paint tool sai maybe.