India announces $35 tablet computer for rural poor

[Bad_Daddy 2,209]

http://news.yahoo.com/india-announces-35-tablet-computer-rural-poor-162004958.html

By KATY DAIGLE - Associated Press | AP – 12 hrs ago

NEW DELHI (AP) — India introduced a cheap tablet computer Wednesday, saying it would deliver modern technology to the countryside to help lift villagers out of poverty.

The computer, called Aakash, or "sky" in Hindi, is the latest in a series of "world's cheapest" innovations in India that include a 100,000 rupee ($2,040) compact Nano car, a 750 rupee ($15) water purifier and $2,000 open-heart surgery.

Developer Datawind is selling the tablets to the government for about $45 each, and subsidies will reduce that to $35 for students and teachers. In comparison, the cheapest Apple iPad tablet costs $499, while the recently announced Kindle Fire will sell for $199.

Datawind says it can make about 100,000 units a month at the moment, not nearly enough to meet India's hope of getting its 220 million children online.

Human Resources Development Minister Kapil Sibal called the announcement a message to all children of the world.

"This is not just for us. This is for all of you who are disempowered," he said. "This is for all those who live on the fringes of society."

Despite a burgeoning tech industry and decades of robust economic growth, there are still hundreds of thousands of Indians with no electricity, let alone access to computers and information that could help farmers improve yields, business startups reach clients, or students qualify for university.

The launch — attended by hundreds of students, some selected to help train others across the country in the tablet's use — followed five years of efforts to design a $10 computer that could bridge the country's vast digital divide.

"People laughed, people called us lunatics," ministry official N.K. Sinha said. "They said we are taking the nation for a ride."

Although the $10 goal wasn't achieved, the Aakash has a color screen and provides word processing, Web browsing and video conferencing. The Android 2.2-based device has two USB ports and 256 megabytes of RAM. Despite hopes for a solar-powered version — important for India's energy-starved hinterlands — no such option is currently available.

Both Sibal and Datawind CEO Suneet Singh Tuli called for competition to improve the product and drive prices down further.

"The intent is to start a price war. Let it start," Tuli said, inviting others to do the job better and break technological ground — while still making a commercially viable product.

As for the $10 goal, "let's dream and go in that direction. Let's start with that target and see what happens," he said.

The students Wednesday were well-briefed on the goal of providing tablets for the poor, although most in attendance already had access to computers at home or in their schools.

"A person learns quite fast when they have a computer at home," said Shashank Kumar, 21, a computer engineering student from Jodhpur, Bihar, who was one of five people selected in his northern state to travel to villages and demonstrate the device. "In just a few years people can even become hackers."

India, after raising literacy to about 78 percent from 12 percent when British rule ended, is now focusing on higher education with a 2020 goal of 30 percent enrollment. Today, only 7 percent of Indians graduate from high school.

"To every child in India I carry this message. Aim for the sky and beyond. There is nothing holding you back," Sibal said before distributing about 650 of the tablets to the students.

[Bad_Daddy 2,209]

Why doesn't the US do something like this? We have school districts blowing millions on Crapple's and going broke at the same time. India is way ahead of the game in this regard.

[Gary and Alla 3,694]

They are cruel to the poor in India. OUR poor get FREE laptops, 46" LCD TVs, Wii games, cool bicycles, blu-ray players and I-phones. PLUS...the earned income credit!

[Bad_Daddy 2,209]

They are cruel to the poor in India. OUR poor get FREE laptops, 46" LCD TVs, Wii games, cool bicycles, blu-ray players and I-phones. PLUS...the earned income credit!

I know what your getting at, but seriously the school districts could do something like this instead of spending thousands per kid for them Crapple computers. This would save a load of money.

[Gary and Alla 3,694]

I know what your getting at, but seriously the school districts could do something like this instead of spending thousands per kid for them Crapple computers. This would save a load of money.

Are you kidding me? First if all, $35 in India is probably something like $2500 here, income comparison. How much does the average poor Indian make? Do they make $35 per MONTH? I doubt it. So what if computer companies here offered $2500 computers "for poor people"? Obama would have the labor department raid their factory and sue them for not using union workers or something.

Second, there is no school district interested in "saving money". Jeezum, Kip! If they save money they get their budgets slashed next year! One of the interesting things about my job is that I consult and manage a lot of state projects, including school construction. They get grants from the state and a little from the Feds for schools and HOLY MOTHER OF GOD they find ways to pile it on when they can find a way to get the state or feds to pay for it.

In 2008 the state offered to pay 90% of the construction cost for the building of "woodchip boiler plants" (burning wood chips which are plentiful here for heat) Works great, makes lots of acid-y smoke which drifts over to Canada and pollutes them with acid rain so who really cares, right? It's "green". Anyway, OMG! the schools put in locker rooms, offices, new sidewalks, parking lot paving. Believe me there is NEVER any incentive or thought in "saving maney"

These woodchip boilers were supposed to "save" money on oil costs or gas costs and I suppose they do, but I assure you in the meetings I was in, they had plans to spend every bit of THAT savings also. As with most government entities the "cuts" and "savings" end up being "reductions in increases" rather than real "savings"

[sara..... 371]

what India did sounds great but what I want to know is how does this really help the village people? when we were there the village had electric about two days out of the week, internet you had to travel 56 kl to get a decent speed.....there was a town closer but the net speed was so bad (dial up) so how will they get wireless connection for it....... you could hardly even chat with family back home the speed was so slow......so while this sounds fantastic I fail to see how this is going to impact the poor people in a positive way

just my opinion

sara

[Gary and Alla 3,694]

what India did sounds great but what I want to know is how does this really help the village people? when we were there the village had electric about two days out of the week, internet you had to travel 56 kl to get a decent speed.....there was a town closer but the net speed was so bad (dial up) so how will they get wireless connection for it....... you could hardly even chat with family back home the speed was so slow......so while this sounds fantastic I fail to see how this is going to impact the poor people in a positive way

just my opinion

sara

I haven't been to India so I am curious. How much money does a poor person in an Indian village make per month? Average.

[_Simpson_ 250]

$35? Ah I get it -

Edited October 6, 2011 by _Simpson_

[mawilson 2,133]

Is it edible?

[Fandango 1,439]

What are the rural poor gonna use them for?

[mawilson 2,133]

What are the rural poor gonna use them for?

To browse the Internet for food.

[I AM NOT THAT GUY 5,715]

$35? Ah I get it -

I was thinking more like this:

[^_^ 5,021]

What are the rural poor gonna use them for?

The rural poor in India already have smartphones. I can't imagine there will be much need for this. What do they use their smartphones for? To connect with customers and producers. Last time I was there I went to the streetside fish market on Tuesday (the day they all come from the villages to sell their fish) and my cousin asked for a certain type of fish the guy didn't have so he picked up his smartphone, hit a few buttons and told us his friend had it and he could get it to us this evening or we could go get it and he'll ask him to hold it for us.

btw: this guy didn't speak a word of english and his proficiency in the native language was poor as well. but he could read and that separated him from most rural poor and i suppose that's why he had his own business.

Edited October 6, 2011 by \

[sara..... 371]

I haven't been to India so I am curious. How much money does a poor person in an Indian village make per month? Average.

i have no idea but the man i was engaged to was a doctor he made a total of $250.00 usa dollars a month so i hate to think of what the people with out that kind of education makes

sara

[_Simpson_ 250]

I was thinking more like this: