06 Oct 2011
Posted by Miss Kissy 
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NEW DELHI—India on Wednesday unveiled a much-anticipated low-cost tablet computer it aims to be sold to students for about 1,750 rupees, or roughly $35, as the government seeks to harness the Internet as a tool to spread education in the country.
The 7-inch, touch-screen tablet, named Aakash, is designed and manufactured by Canada’s DataWind Ltd. in partnership with the Indian government, and has been touted as the cheapest in the world. The Wi-Fi-enabled tablet, powered by Google Inc.’s Android operating system, has up to 32 gigabytes of storage and two USB ports.
The device will be made available off the shelf at 2,999 rupees ($61) with additional features, DataWind said in a statement.
“The poor and ordinary have been excluded. Aakash will end that digital divide,” said Kapil Sibal, India’s minister for communications and information technology.
Mr. Sibal called on technology companies to come together to work on creating a tablet computer priced below $10.
He said the government will explore the possibility of state-run telecommunications-equipment maker ITI Ltd. manufacturing the Aakash tablet locally.
India’s tablet market is already crowded with a host of local players bringing in low-cost versions of the device to take on products such as Apple Inc.’s iPad and Samsung Electronics Co.’s Galaxy Tab. According to market-research firm IDC, Apple already holds more than a 60% share of the country’s tablet market, while Samsung controls nearly 25%.
Wednesday’s launch follows the government’s efforts to connect educational institutions across the country through high-speed Wi-Fi networks and to offer online course content free. About 1,000 institutions in India already are connected with high-speed Wi-Fi networks, Mr. Sibal said.
Would be nice if the US government cared enough about the poor to give it’s poor citizens the same thing. India also has a $2000 compact car.
Source: WSJ
No comment
Too busy ripping people off.
Because money is all you can think about. Half of your topic last month was about money. So, nuff said.
What people don’t know they already know when there going to release the next iphone or tablet computer. Example: Iphones; they take that same iphone and keep adding more features and people keep buying. All about making money. I work on eletronic equipment I see it all day. Most of the time they are only changing a couple of things.
You do realize that $35 or 1750 rupees may be a lot of money there. Why do you think the U.S outsources jobs there? People don’t make too much money 1750 rupees may be a lot
Because the USA is a capitalist nation…exploit for profit.
I just read that 86% of India population lives on under $2 a day. How are they going to afford a $35 tablet?
Because they give out link (cash and stamps), subsidized housing baby formula ceareal milk eggs cheese. Etc etc etc. They give us enough Kissy. That’s why so many of us refuse to work.
Loll montreal colleges offers free ipad to all new college students that studies for Business and administration to help them throughout their semester
LMAO.. I guess Connie answered that question..
well some colleges…not all
Because they are greedy as hell
Lol!
we are all about the money thats why we suffer
cuhz this is america. they dont give a f*** bout us unless it puts money in they pocket. #period
Cause the American Government consist of a bunch of greedy bastards.
Because America has copy rightss and infringement laws that prevent uh
prevent us from counterfitting products like they do.
That’s Up To The Discretion of Corporations To Give Complimentary Products….
India has 266242552 poverty-line poor people-over a quarter of a billion. That market would be more than enough to pay for research, development, and (local) manufacture. The U.S. has extremely few desperately poor people for such a scheme to work. Since any government scheme would demand local production and raw materials, the much higher production costs would also negate any profitability. The U.S. government has a clear preference for Big Pharma and the military-industrial complex, not consumer-oriented industries.
“Iphones; they take that same iphone and keep adding more features and people keep buying.”
Lakeisha, that’s the “upgrade treadmill”. It works.