India launches Aakash tablet computer priced at $35

[GAP]

India launches Aakash tablet computer priced at $35
5 October 2011 Last updated at 09:06 ET
Article Link

India has launched what it says is the world's cheapest touch-screen tablet computer, priced at just $35 (£23).

Costing a fraction of Apple's iPad, the subsidised Aakash is aimed at students.

It supports web browsing and video conferencing, has a three-hour battery life and two USB ports, but questions remain over how it will perform.

Officials hope the computer will give digital access to students in small towns and villages across India, which lags behind its rivals in connectivity.

At the launch in the Indian capital, Delhi, Human Resource Development Minister Kapil Sibal handed out 500 Aakash (meaning sky) tablets to students who will trial them.

He said the government planned to buy 100,000 of the tablets. It hopes to distribute 10 million of the devices to students over the next few years.

"The rich have access to the digital world, the poor and ordinary have been excluded. Aakash will end that digital divide," Mr Sibal said.

The Aakash has been developed by UK-based company DataWind and Indian Institute of Technology (Rajasthan).

It is due to be assembled in India, at DataWind's new production centre in the southern city of Hyderabad.

 

[rmc_wannabe]

India launches Aakash tablet computer priced at $35
5 October 2011 Last updated at 09:06 ET
Article Link

India has launched what it says is the world's cheapest touch-screen tablet computer, priced at just $35 (£23).

Costing a fraction of Apple's iPad, the subsidised Aakash is aimed at students.

It supports web browsing and video conferencing, has a three-hour battery life and two USB ports, but questions remain over how it will perform.

Officials hope the computer will give digital access to students in small towns and villages across India, which lags behind its rivals in connectivity.

At the launch in the Indian capital, Delhi, Human Resource Development Minister Kapil Sibal handed out 500 Aakash (meaning sky) tablets to students who will trial them.

He said the government planned to buy 100,000 of the tablets. It hopes to distribute 10 million of the devices to students over the next few years.

"The rich have access to the digital world, the poor and ordinary have been excluded. Aakash will end that digital divide," Mr Sibal said.

The Aakash has been developed by UK-based company DataWind and Indian Institute of Technology (Rajasthan).

It is due to be assembled in India, at DataWind's new production centre in the southern city of Hyderabad.

I wonder what the warranty is like on a Tablet PC that costs 35 dollars  ???

 

[chrisf]

You'd be surprised....

http://one.laptop.org/ (Unrelated to the indian project, but worth looking at. Produced at a cost of approx $35)

Consider that you can buy a "low end" tablet in north america $300....

 

[Brasidas]

You'd be surprised....

http://one.laptop.org/ (Unrelated to the indian project, but worth looking at. Produced at a cost of approx $35)

Consider that you can buy a "low end" tablet in north america $300....

I've got one of those. It's the only computer I take to the field; rugged, useful for reading PAMs or other e-books. It switches between a conventional emittive display and a reflective display that does great in sunlight and saves power to boot.

Having it is worth the heckling; bringing an expensive notebook isn't worth the risk.

 

[FlyingDutchman]

That depends on where you get it and if you get a refurb unit.  Xs cargo has three, all less than $200.

 

[Fishbone Jones]

I wonder what the warranty is like on a Tablet PC that costs 35 dollars  ???

Who cares? For 35 bucks it can go in the trash if it acts up.

 

[chrisf]

I've got one of those.

How'd you manage that?

 

[Brasidas]

How'd you manage that?

Domestic 9r acquired it before we met, and I claimed it for the field.  She's out of town, but I'll ask.

 

[chrisf]

They had a brief promotion a while back (2007 according to the website) where if you donated so much money, you also got one for yourself...

 

[ballz]

That depends on where you get it and if you get a refurb unit.  Xs cargo has three, all less than $200.

You got me looking:

http://www.shopxscargo.com/product_catalogue/cat_product_details.asp?category_id=13&product_code=30226&sub_category_1_id=58&category=Computer%20Accessories#productDetailMore

$80 bucks... I am a far cry from a techie, I have only just recently begun to even consider getting a tablet... but this thing has 1 GB of RAM (that is what it means by "internal memory" right? Surely it isn't talking about the hard drive?), which is what the RIM Playbook has...

 

[FlyingDutchman]

In my experience internal memory does refer to hard drive.

 

[medicineman]

I wonder what the warranty is like on a Tablet PC that costs 35 dollars  ???

I wonder if the tech support call centre is in North America...

MM

 

[Fishbone Jones]

I wonder if the tech support call centre is in North America...

MM

Really though, how many others are?

 

[rmc_wannabe]

$80 bucks... I am a far cry from a techie, I have only just recently begun to even consider getting a tablet... but this thing has 1 GB of RAM (that is what it means by "internal memory" right? Surely it isn't talking about the hard drive?), which is what the RIM Playbook has...

RAM stands for Random Access Memory. It is what the compuer uses for Processes so that the computer can run without requiring a room full of hard drives. Most RAM is volitile , meaning that it dumps most of the process memory everytime the computer is shut down which is why it is so small compared to Hard Drive Data. 

Hard Drive space is different. A 1 GB HDD was top of the line back in 1995 .

1 GB of RAM is pretty standard now for mobile, tablet PCs.

 

[medicineman]

Really though, how many others are?

That's what I mean...all the North American ones are in India, maybe they'll reciprocate  ;D.

 

[Maxadia]

I wonder if the tech support call centre is in North America...

MM

That made my day.  lol

 

[Brasidas]

How'd you manage that?

Her father picked it up for her. He's kicked the bucket since then, but the timing sounds about right for him to have bought it as part of their promos.

 

[GnyHwy]

I've heard of this before.  Where do I get one? 

Throw away technology is the way of the future.

 

[a_majoor]

This seems to be a related technology, a computer embedded in a USB "stick" that can plug into an enebled TV or other device and convert it into a computer. Althogh it is more expensive than the laptop described above, at @ $100 it is still far cheaper than most other computing devices:

http://www.cnx-software.com/2012/03/08/valueplus-tizzbird-stick-n1-android-ics-hdmiusb-dongle-media-player/

Valueplus Tizzbird Stick N1: Android 4.0 HDMI/USB Media Player Dongle
March 8th, 2012

Valueplus, a Korean company specialized in “media application products”, is currently showcasing the Valueplus Tizzbird N1 at CeBit 2012, in Hanover, Germany on March 6-10 2012. This device is a media player in a small form factor HDMI / USB stick similar to what we have previously seen with the Roku Streaming Stick, Always Innovating HDMI Dongle Media Player and FXI Tech Cotton Candy.
HDMI Stick Media Player with Android 4.0

Valueplus Tizzbird N1

The Tizzbird N1 is powered by Telechips 8925 ARM Cortex A5 processor (TCC8925C) clocked at 800 Mhz with 4 GB NAND Flash and runs Android 4.0 (ICS). The device features an HDMI port, a mini USB port for power, a USB port to connect external mass-storage devices such as a USB hard drive, a microSD card slot and an IR sensor. The device also has built-in Wifi 802.11n for network connectivity.

The way it works is you plug the stick into the HDMI port of your TV and use a short USB cable to connect the mini USB port to the USB port of the TV transforming your “dumb” TV into a smart TV.

The Valueplus Tizzbird N1 runs Android 4.0 with a custom 3D user interface and allows to run Android apps, use Android web browser and play High Definition videos among other things.

If you are not happy with using a standard IR remote, you can always install TizzRemote app  in your Android smartphone to take control of the device.

You can watch Charbax’s video below to see the device in action.

Valueplus said the device will be available mid April 2012 and sell for less than 100 USD retail.

This makes it an interesting alternative to more expensive HDMI/USB dongles by Always Innovative and FXI Tech. The price may be similar to the Roku Streaming Stick, but Roku’s device requires one of very expensive MHL-enabled televisions.

You may get more information on ValuePlus website once they setup a page for the new device.

Read more: http://www.cnx-software.com/2012/03/08/valueplus-tizzbird-stick-n1-android-ics-hdmiusb-dongle-media-player/#ixzz1vemLkidx