India Unveils Prototype Of $35 Tablet Computer

[Little Asterisk 1]

I'm opening two consecutive topics in a row, but this is definitely interesting HOT news!

 

India has unveiled a Tablet PC resembling the iPad, only thing different being from Apple's product is the Operating System (Linux, as it says) and the price - only $35!

 

They hope to start producing it by 2011.

 

The tablet can be used for functions like word processing, web browsing and video-conferencing, but the most interesting part for me is that it can also use solar power for its battery usage! They even hope to bring the price down to only $10.

 

Some sites report that it'll be packed with 2GBs of RAM memory (!), and also that it will come in 5, 7 and 9 inch displays. And I'm not really sure if "Linux" means perhaps "Android", like Androidos (on http://www.androidos.in/2010/07/35-android-tablet-is-here-in-india-price-can-go-down-to-10/) reports. It'd be great if it did, though.

 

I don't know about you, but if this ever happens to appear in Europe (for me) or in USA (for some of you - that's right, anwii, I'm talking to you ), I'd sure like to try it. Sure, I don't expect it to be a top-class product (what can you expect from a $35 tablet?), but for that amount of money I'd be willing to take a shot.

 

After all, it's cheaper both than Apple's iPad (and other similar devices), and Amazon's Kindle. I suppose reading texts (and PDF's, if possible) is a simple enough task.

 

According to Androidos, these are the early images of the device (up).

 

More on the topic:

http://www.chicagotribune.com/business/

https://www.slashgear.com/indian-governments-35-tablet-unveiled-2395068/

http://www.androidos.in/2010/07/35-android-tablet-is-here-in-india-price-can-go-down-to-10/

http://forums.xisto.com/no_longer_exists/

Edited July 23, 2010 by Little Asterisk (see edit history)

[rpgsearcherz 5]

Wow, this is some great information but I wonder if it'll succeed. This kind of reminds me of the $50 laptops that were claimed to be possible years ago -- the ones that never made it.It would be awesome to have these things come to life but so far every claim that's been made in the past has resulted in absolutely nothing usable. Hopefully this is different.

[The Simpleton 2]

I'm a bit confused about this device, (which is called Saakshaat btw). I read on a news portal that it is just a computing device and needs to be connected to a display device to be used. In a newspaper, however, it is said to have a touch screen of its own. I don't know which report is true, but the price point is definitely interesting. Rs.1500 ($35) is a good selling price and it will be definitely useful to the target market, which is schools and for people who can't afford computers. The rest of the people might not be too interested in it and there is not big reason for them to be interested as well. If they can afford to buy more powerful devices that's good. Saakshaat is meant only for a particular segment of the population and I think it will surely make them happy.

[magnafrost 0]

It might just be possible. I'm from India and here there were claims to make a car for 1Lakh Rupees. If i convert that to US dollars it comes to around 2000$. And guess what.. it did happen. 35$ sounds too good to be true, but 100$ seems to high to pay for it as I could go for a kindle in that case. So lets wait for it and see what happens.

[rpgsearcherz 5]

It might just be possible. I'm from India and here there were claims to make a car for 1Lakh Rupees. If i convert that to US dollars it comes to around 2000$. And guess what.. it did happen. 35$ sounds too good to be true, but 100$ seems to high to pay for it as I could go for a kindle in that case. So lets wait for it and see what happens.

$2000 USD for a car would be nice. You can barely buy a used 10 year old car here for less than 3000, lol.

The Kindle isn't a computer; it's just for reading. A tablet is a touch-screen computer, meaning you could go online with it, open documents, game, etc.

[mahesh2k 0]

$2000 USD for a car would be nice. You can barely buy a used 10 year old car here for less than 3000, lol.The Kindle isn't a computer; it's just for reading. A tablet is a touch-screen computer, meaning you could go online with it, open documents, game, etc.

Tata NANO is the car which is available for 2000$. You can search for it the google. I think cost approximately goes for 2300$ or so.

And about kindle & tablet misunderstanding, yes many people here compare it that way.I think kindle is no more needed if one has to pay anything higher than 100$- tablet or similar gadget is worth that money. I doubt there is worthy possibility of some good tablet at 35$. I mean ipad restricted multi-tasking at cost of 400$ with ipad so with 35$ it's hard to see any tablet can handle multiple-applications. That will require better processor & tweaks to android than what they're planning for. There was claim from india for 10k bucks computer by IIT. But i don't see any release of this computer. I expected this release atleast for schools, villages etc.

But then again if XO laptops which are priced at 100$ are possible then chances of lowering the price of tablet gadgets are possible as well. Still i can't see how tablets can be priced at something like 35$.

[Little Asterisk 1]

I'm going to answer mahesh2k's question(s) from the bottom upwards:

Tata NANO is the car which is available for 2000$. You can search for it the google. I think cost approximately goes for 2300$ or so.

But then again if XO laptops which are priced at 100$ are possible then chances of lowering the price of tablet gadgets are possible as well. Still i can't see how tablets can be priced at something like 35$.

Well, you know... We pay iPads for double their actual price (which can grow up to triple in some countries, source: http://www.ign.com/articles/2010/02/10/ipad-costs-only-229-to-produce) - some of it being the design (and the god-awful typography), some of it the iOS and a bunch of other small things that look nice, but really don't serve a USABLE purpose (they look nice, though, and that's why we buy them).

If they lower production costs (in, for instance, screen resolution/quality, the OS, RAM Memory, disk size, and the fact they're not Apple) and don't charge double the value, anything is possible.

And about kindle & tablet misunderstanding, yes many people here compare it that way.I think kindle is no more needed if one has to pay anything higher than 100$- tablet or similar gadget is worth that money.

Kindle is not a tablet. It's only meant to serve the purpose of reading books. Its only "advantage" to the iPad is its display (some "real ink" or something). I would, too, however, buy the iPad rather than Kindle if I was in a dilemma.

I doubt there is worthy possibility of some good tablet at 35$. I mean ipad restricted multi-tasking at cost of 400$ with ipad so with 35$ it's hard to see any tablet can handle multiple-applications. That will require better processor & tweaks to android than what they're planning for. There was claim from india for 10k bucks computer by IIT. But i don't see any release of this computer. I expected this release atleast for schools, villages etc.

iPad restricted multitasking because Jobs (or whoever decided that) is an *bottom*-hole (sorry all the Apple fans here). I mean, neither the iPhone 3GS didn't have multitasking, while my old (and I mean oooold like in "prehistoric"...) Windows 6.5 cell had this option. You can't tell me I had a phone better than the iPhone years before it was published?

The same thing is with Flash and the iPhone/iPad here (it alegedly "slows down stuff" on the iPhone, while all other smartphones don't have a problem with it), but I'm not going to argue about it now.

Multiple applications shouldn't be a too difficult job, if the guys who produce the tablet concentrate on handling threads well, which is to say not allow them too many memory usage. I don't think that should be a problem with only internet and PDF reading and such tasks.

As for the quality, I don't expect it to be iPad range (it's still Apple versus -Well, whoever makes these) but I do expect it to handle simpler tasks with ease (2 Gigs of RAM should suffice), which means I would gladly buy it if I had the chance. It's thirty bucks, it's not like they'll rip me off...

[sheepdog 10]

Now there's something we really need, a cheap car!!!! Not only cheap, but one that any mechanic can work on, not a computer geek. Uncomplicted, no fancy gadgets, one that you don't need a $25,000 analisis computer to figure out what is wrong with it. Throw in good gas milage, plenty of cargo space, and I'd buy one! I wonder if you all realize that a car costs today what I could of bought a house, barn, and 28 acres for 20 or so years ago? I groan every time I see car adds that are offering thousands of dollars in rebates, I remember when the actual cost of the car was less than the supposed rebate they are now offering. It's really funny when classic and antique cars are now bringing more money then they did when they were new!

[rpgsearcherz 5]

Now there's something we really need, a cheap car!!!! Not only cheap, but one that any mechanic can work on, not a computer geek. Uncomplicted, no fancy gadgets, one that you don't need a $25,000 analisis computer to figure out what is wrong with it. Throw in good gas milage, plenty of cargo space, and I'd buy one!
I wonder if you all realize that a car costs today what I could of bought a house, barn, and 28 acres for 20 or so years ago? I groan every time I see car adds that are offering thousands of dollars in rebates, I remember when the actual cost of the car was less than the supposed rebate they are now offering. It's really funny when classic and antique cars are now bringing more money then they did when they were new!

You can't compare the costs of things today to what they were in the past. You earn more today than you did before, by a huge margin. Inflation doesn't only bring up prices of items; it also brings up the pay you receive. Everything has been going up at a very steady rate for at least 50 years (except gas -- in the U.S. gas has not inflated with every other item -- if it had we'd be paying approx. $8.50-10.00 a gallon).