India has unveiled a $35 computer aimed at students. While the computer looks like an iPad, its price is 1/14th of iPad’s price. The basic tablet computer with a touch screen would be in production by 2011. The $35 tablet computer can be used for browsing websites, word processing, and video conferencing. It comes with an optional solar power but for extra cost.
While unveiling the $35 tablet computer, the HR Development minister of India, Mr. Kapil Sibal, said that the newest device is India’s answer to MIT’s $100 laptops. MIT’s $100 laptop computers were made by the institutes’ media lab in 2005 and were aimed at students of developing countries. However, the $100 laptop computers of MIT could never become popular. As a matter of fact, the MIT $100 laptops ended up costing around $200 to the buyers. Sibal says that MIT’s solution for cheap technology was after all not so cheap.
Sibal contacted private sector to develop a cheap tablet device for students but after receiving a not-so-enthusiastic response, he turned to the students of India’s elite engineering schools and came up with a protocol $35 tablet computer. He says that the cost will be brought down to $10 in next few years. The developers have used intelligent design to reduce the cost. The recent downfall in the hardware prices has also made a role in decreasing the price.
Reportedly, international computer manufacturers have shown interest in making the $35 computers but no deal is yet finalized. Indian government has also planned to subsidize the manufacturing of these low-cost tablet computers to further decrease the price.
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