Editor’s note: This article was first published in July 2010. It is news about a device announced for the following year (2011); the prices, launch plans and the claim that it rivals the iPad reflect that moment.
Next year, India will market computers aimed at students, in keeping with its approach of producing technology at low prices.
First came latest-technology mobile phones for under 20 euros, followed by the Tata Nano, a 1,200-euro car, and now India will start manufacturing a laptop that bears a striking resemblance to Apple’s iPad, although the price is nothing alike.
The revolutionary computer, unveiled in New Delhi, will cost about 28 euros, and some say it has more features than the iPad. That price is before taking into account the cost savings of mass production, which would supply more than 18,000 schools and 400 universities, so the final price is expected to be around 7.80 euros.
The low-cost computer runs a Linux-based operating system and lets students do all their usual work with OpenOffice.
It includes a video and audio player and can also handle PDF documents. It is designed to be fitted with solar panels, saving on electricity and consumption.
Wi-Fi and video conferencing are other features of this almost utopian low-cost computer. With products like this, and with demand for India’s textile sector booming, India is shaping up as an emerging producer of tomorrow’s solutions.
Source: Diario Ideal (adapted).
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Featured image: Institute of Learning Innovation, CC BY 2.0, via Flickr.
