India to sell $35 dollar Linux Tablet, competes with Ipad

[artisan]

This if anything is what linux needs to get somewhere.


India has come up with the world's cheapest "laptop", a touchscreen computing device that costs $35 (£23).

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2010/jul/23/india-unveils-cheapest-laptop

"Sibal said the Linux-based device was expected to be introduced to higher education institutions from 2011 and the aim was to drop the price further to $20, and ultimately to $10."

[kamaboko]

I wonder if the guy speaking at the press conference works for a few dollars a day.

[PC_load_letter]

Oh an IPad ("I" stands for India :D). Looks cool and it's dirt cheap, if it works as advertised, this is awesome.

[Sporkman]

Linux is already "somewhere" - it runs a huge number of servers and embedded devices.

Plus it runs quite a few desktops too. :)

[LowSky]

$35! I want one!

[conundrumx]

The barrier to Linux adoption has never been cost...

[clanky]

2011 will be the year of the Linux desktop.

[nema.arpit]

I hope they have at least some way of using a (digitizer) pen on the device - touch is mostly useless when education is concerned.

It's still dirt cheap and hence
MERA BHARAT MAHAN. (=My India is Great)
YAY!!!!

[ubunterooster]

Can I raid some of them together!!

[chiliman]

Interesting, maybe they will drop the price on the I-pad to compete with it.:roll:

[jroa]

Interesting, maybe they will drop the price on the I-pad to compete with it.:roll:

I doubt we will see these in the US or anywhere besides India. I don't have audio on the computer that I am working at. so all I have to go on is the text at the bottom of the screen, but I get the impression that the Indian government is developing this device not for financial gain, but to help the Indian people become book literate and stay technically up to date.

On the other hand, if they put this on the market and it is an English version, I would definitely pick one up. Although, the price would likely be much higher than $35 due to shipping, as well as someone needing to make enough money on them so they could care about importing them. I would guess the retail price would be somewhere between $150 and $250 USD. Just because it cost $35 to make does not mean that that is the retail price. The computer that I am working on probably cost $100 to make, but I paid around $400 for it 6 years ago.

[ceref]

Hope the guy has the ethics and determination to withstand billion dollar buy out offers to crush the thing.

[betrunkenaffe]

hope the guy has the ethics and determination to withstand billion dollar buy out offers to crush the thing.

sold!

[Excedio]

Linux did get somewhere.... My house. :-D

[BuffaloX]

Go India!

But why are there no Linux Arm tablets out yet?
There were several announced more than a year ago, and some of them were expected to be available around spring this year, where are they?

[ubunterooster]

Linux did get somewhere.... My house. :-D
:D nice one

[earthpigg]

$35, has a USB port, has a solar panel?

crap, I'd buy it just because a solar panel USB charger would be cool to have.

keep it in the glove box.

when batteries start dying on road trips, toss the solar panel in the dash and plug in whatever needs to be charged.

[Ric_NYC]

I'll believe it when I see one in front of me.

[CJ Master]

$35, has a USB port, has a solar panel?

crap, I'd buy it just because a solar panel USB charger would be cool to have.

keep it in the glove box.

when batteries start dying on road trips, toss the solar panel in the dash and plug in whatever needs to be charged.

I was thinking the same thing. This thing looks insanely cool for the cost.

[inobe]

Now maybe Linux will get somewhere

i don't understand, linux has even found it's way in windows, where else should it go :lol:

[3rdalbum]

After all these ARM-based netbooks and tablets that were meant to come out and didn't, I now question the existence of ARM CPUs. They don't exist, otherwise there would be shipping products.

[Nick_Jinn]

This even blows those $100 android tablets out of the water....it might cost more by the time it gets to us......I think I may be giving these as gifts next year.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100723/ap_on_hi_te/as_india_supercheap_computer

By ERIKA KINETZ, AP Business Writer Erika Kinetz, Ap Business Writer – Fri Jul 23, 12:55 pm ET
MUMBAI, India – It looks like an iPad, only it's 1/14th the cost: India has unveiled the prototype of a $35 basic touchscreen tablet aimed at students, which it hopes to bring into production by 2011.
If the government can find a manufacturer, the Linux operating system-based computer would be the latest in a string of "world's cheapest" innovations to hit the market out of India, which is home to the 100,000 rupee ($2,127) compact Nano car, the 749 rupees ($16) water purifier and the $2,000 open-heart surgery.

Click image to see the Nano car and other ultra-cheap products (http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/ap/ap_on_hi_te/storytext/as_india_supercheap_computer/36995319/SIG=10n2fb7rk/*http://yhoo.it/9kt1Bt)

http://d.yimg.com/a/p/afp/20100716/capt.photo_1279293235911-1-0.jpg (http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/ap/ap_on_hi_te/storytext/as_india_supercheap_computer/36995319/SIG=10n2fb7rk/*http://yhoo.it/9kt1Bt)
AFP

The tablet can be used for functions like word processing, web browsing and video-conferencing. It has a solar power option too — important for India's energy-starved hinterlands — though that add-on costs extra.
[See photos from India's recent Fashion Week (http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/ap/ap_on_hi_te/storytext/as_india_supercheap_computer/36995319/SIG=10nsl36ga/*http://yhoo.it/9whMIE)]
"This is our answer to MIT's $100 computer," human resource development minister Kapil Sibal told the Economic Times when he unveiled the device Thursday.
In 2005, Nicholas Negroponte — co-founder of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology's Media Lab — unveiled a prototype of a $100 laptop for children in the developing world. India rejected that as too expensive and embarked on a multiyear effort to develop a cheaper option of its own.
Negroponte's laptop ended up costing about $200, but in May his nonprofit association, One Laptop Per Child, said it plans to launch a basic tablet computer for $99.
Sibal turned to students and professors at India's elite technical universities to develop the $35 tablet after receiving a "lukewarm" response from private sector players. He hopes to get the cost down to $10 eventually.
Mamta Varma, a ministry spokeswoman, said falling hardware costs and intelligent design make the price tag plausible. The tablet doesn't have a hard disk, but instead uses a memory card, much like a mobile phone. The tablet design cuts hardware costs, and the use of open-source software also adds to savings, she said.
Varma said several global manufacturers, including at least one from Taiwan, have shown interest in making the low-cost device, but no manufacturing or distribution deals have been finalized. She declined to name any of the companies.
India plans to subsidize the cost of the tablet for its students, bringing the purchase price down to around $20.
"Depending on the quality of material they are using, certainly it's plausible," said Sarah Rotman Epps, an analyst at Forrester Research. "The question is, is it good enough for students?"
Profitability is also a question for the $35 machine.
Epps said government subsidies or dual marketing — where higher-priced sales in the developed world are used to subside low-cost sales in markets like India — could convince a manufacturer to come on board.
This and similar efforts — like the Kakai Kno and the Entourage Edge tablets — show that there is global demand for an affordable device to trim high textbook costs, she said.
If it works, Epps predicts the device could send a shiver of cost-consciousness through the industry.
"It puts pressure on all device manufacturers to keep costs down and innovate," she said.
The project is part of an ambitious education technology initiative by the Indian government, which also aims to bring broadband connectivity to India's 25,000 colleges and 504 universities and make study materials available online.
So far nearly 8,500 colleges have been connected and nearly 500 web and video-based courses have been uploaded on YouTube and other portals, the Ministry said.

[PaulReaver]

I would love this tablet to be released and reach the uk. (even if just for novelty value)

there has been no announcements on hardware. they just announced a cheap tablet :( we need specs...please


I think we can guess it wont be shipping with a multitouch screen and ddr3.

[Rasa1111]

very cool. :)

http://www.gottabemobile.com/wp-content/uploads/iPad-v.-A-Rock.jpg

[Nick_Jinn]

Probably not, but this would be a device that you could give your child in elementary school and not feel to bad if they break it. It should work for helping them write papers and do research. The screen looks like its a nice size.

If you are not too terribly spoiled you could probably get by with one of these.....or let this be your 'beater' device for taking out and about with you when you are on the run.

[Nick_Jinn]

http://d.yimg.com/a/p/ap/20100723/capt.13580a61e87344d1b16699d991469e89-13580a61e87344d1b16699d991469e89-0.jpg?x=301&y=345&q=85&sig=fedgOpF7IZjIj03jSg_6Pw--


This is what it looks like....bigger than the android tablets currently on the market.

[PaulReaver]

Yeah it looks good, I'll be watching for news on the specs. but just like the tata nano, we probably wont see it in the uk :(


canada-jerseys?
Are we allowed to advertise on here?

[gnomeuser]

It would be cool if they started a program similar to OLPC's some what failed give one get one program. 99$+S&H could get you one and give two to Indian school children in need.

It looks like a very useful little device, I imagine it will grow a very nice hacker community.

[neoargon]

Ah , since it's a government thing, Iam pretty sure it won't be realized . Such claims happened earlier

[kerry_s]

sounds like vapor-ware to me. will just have to see when 2011 comes around. ;)

[Nick_Jinn]

They already sell Android Tablets or "A-Pads" for $60 (+40 in shipping).

http://cgi.ebay.com/Apad-iRobot-Google-Android-7-Mini-MID-M001-PDA-Tablet-/260584759704?cmd=ViewItem&pt=US_Tablets&hash=item3cac0fe198

[Nick_Jinn]

The specs on this one are better.

http://cgi.ebay.com/NEW-7-ANDROID-TABLET-PC-NETBOOK-LAPTOP-UMPC-MID-CAMERA-/220639459989?cmd=ViewItem&pt=US_Tablets&hash=item335f22fa95

[neoargon]

Will it have a usb port ?. If no, how can we enter data from external source ? Or install Ubuntu

[Nick_Jinn]

That is one thing that sucks about the Ipad.


I really have no idea in regard to the OP. I think some of these android tablets have USB slots though.

[neoargon]

So how can you add data to an ipad ? Can one add only the files supported by the device like multimedia files and pdf ? I wonder how useful would a computer would be , without a usb port or atleast a cd drive .

[Nick_Jinn]

I have never had one, but it probably takes SD cards or something. I bet it has bluetooth for the keyboard or else some kind of Mac only connections.....maybe firewire? I honestly have no idea.

[murderslastcrow]

iPads only connect to ANYTHING through WiFi and the iPod-USB port. There are NO card slots. If there were, they wouldn't make so much money from selling 'upgraded' versions. It may have bluetooth, I don't know. So yeah, pretty much no way to get Linux on unless you're jailbreaking it and putting Android on like they've done with the iPod Touch/iPhone.

iPads, like most Apple products in the past few years, are outrageously overpriced for their functionality. The most relevant 'feature' to most users is the Apple logo on the back.

And I'm not being a crazed Linux fan here- most common people I talk to totally agree. They hate having to convert all their formats, use iTunes instead of Winamp or opening a simple folder, etc. etc. And not to mention the inability to move music and stuff back and forth unless you use something like Rhythmbox. It's just expensive, you can't expand memory without choosing a different model, you can't run as many formats as any other equivalent device.... you don't get anything extra from using an iPod unless it's an iPod Touch and you really love the iPod App Store instead of the App Marketplace on Android.

And if you're that in love with Apple, then you deserve all the shackles that come with it. I have no problem with you being exploited if it's your personal choice.

If there is a good technical reason to use an iPod over a Samsung media player or Android-based device, I'd love to hear it.

[Nick_Jinn]

While we are on this subject, does anyone know how to install Android on a PC or run it as a virtual machine? I have an Android tablet/reader that comes as part of my 'Entourage edge' which has 2 USB slots, Wifi and bluetooth, 2 touch screens 1 of them being e-ink (easier on the eyes), speakers and a microphone, and takes high capacity SDHC cards as well as SIM cards.....I wonder how I can use the sim card......Its not quite a laptop replacement, but paired with a foldable keyboard or mini keyboard I think its a better value.



There is ONE cool thing about the Ipods though.....they sell those compatible alarm clocks that let you choose the music that wakes you up.....but I have one that plays CDs to wake me up, so I really dont need it. I cant think of any other advantage.

[coolbrook]

How much is the warranty?

[pwnst*r]

This if anything is what linux needs to get somewhere.


India has come up with the world's cheapest "laptop", a touchscreen computing device that costs $35 (£23).

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2010/jul/23/india-unveils-cheapest-laptop

"Sibal said the Linux-based device was expected to be introduced to higher education institutions from 2011 and the aim was to drop the price further to $20, and ultimately to $10."

Sorry, but a $35 device will not compete with an iPad.

[Nick_Jinn]

Obviously it wont be of the same quality at that price range. It will definitely promote cost consciousness though......and seriously, if it can browse the web at reasonable speeds, check email and play some songs....I think a lot of parents will be giving these as gifts instead of Ipads.


And this is $35 India prices.....I dont think people realize the huge markup that goes on. Companies are not making a 20% profit on imports. They are making a 12,000% profit or better sometimes. Selling a 20 cent item for $10 is standard practice in some industries.

[earthpigg]

While we are on this subject, does anyone know how to install Android on a PC or run it as a virtual machine?

i think the name of that project is 'android x86' or similar.

[cprofitt]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e5aej_n43SM

"no word what kind of software will be used in the device; this often significantly drives up the cost"

Interesting little story.

Update:
http://www.dailyfinance.com/story/india-laptop/19565693/
http://www.toptechreviews.net/tech-news/indias-government-offers-35-cloud-based-laptop/
http://www.indianexpress.com/news/the-35-laptop-is-finally-here/650540/

It looks to be a cloud based device... and it does use Linux.

Very nice.

Sorry -- there is already a thread on this -- http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=1537755

Can a forum mod merge this please.

[overdrank]

Threads merged. :)

[earthpigg]

skimming all the articles and whatnot here, but in case i'm missing it:

any word on actual specs?

[kamaboko]

Press release today from the same minister for development said it was a prototype and they still need to find a company that can...and this is the very important part...make it for that price point. DOH!!!!!

[MooPi]

http://d.yimg.com/a/p/ap/20100723/capt.13580a61e87344d1b16699d991469e89-13580a61e87344d1b16699d991469e89-0.jpg?x=301&y=345&q=85&sig=fedgOpF7IZjIj03jSg_6Pw--


This is what it looks like....bigger than the android tablets currently on the market.
This guy looks like India's version of Yogi Bera

[Ric_NYC]

I hope they start selling it before 2012...
:p

[ElSlunko]

Press release today from the same minister for development said it was a prototype and they still need to find a company that can...and this is the very important part...make it for that price point. DOH!!!!!

Yeah sounded too good to be true. At 50 though, I might still snag one :).

[Bapun007]

Original price is Rs-1500 but for government discount now price is just Rs-1000 .

[Nick_Jinn]

I would buy one for $100....Yeah, if its for cloud computing then you should be able to run a lot of software just fine on a 333 or 600 mhrz processor....You could probably even play Kyrsis on it if its cloud based.


I wouldnt mind spending $100 if it helps subsidize the cost for Indian students.



When are we going to have something like this for our schools? Textbooks for students often cost more than $100 a piece. Wouldnt having these tablets, even with some lost or stolen, still be cheaper than buying hard cover books every few years?

[murderslastcrow]

If they put an extra 128 MB of RAM in those Android tablets on eBay, it would offer a similar experience to an iPad.

You know, except for the Apple Logo and iTunes Store. I hope you all realize that the hardware in the iPad itself is all worth hardly anything. They're just selling it for that much because they can, not because they have to.

That slim OLPC's gonna' kick the iPad's ****, either way.

I have the odd feeling that different kinds of people are likely to buy an iPad than a flat screened tablet, though. iOS 4 is pretty useful, but when you can get something like Android for free, it's kind of a no brainer if you're new to the mobile OS market.

[pwnst*r]

If they put an extra 128 MB of RAM in those Android tablets on eBay, it would offer a similar experience to an iPad.



Keep dreaming.

[Nick_Jinn]

Yeah. The experience would be different. You actually get a USB slot and SDHC card slot with the Android tablets. Very different from the Ipad.

But if you want better specs than those cheapo tablets, check out the Entourage Edge....It got mixed reviews, but only because they were comparing it to items outside of its own class.....for example, comparing a dual book to an ereader only, of course it will be heavier with less battery life....comparing it to an Ipad...well, it compares favorably actually, but again its a book instead of a pad.

http://gizmoave.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/02/entourage-edge-1.jpg

Manufacturer (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:Electronics_companies) enTourage Systems, Inc. Type Hybrid E-book reader (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/E-book) and Tablet Computer (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tablet_Computer) Release date March 12, 2010 Operating system (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operating_system) Android (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Android_%28operating_system%29) based;
Version 1.6 Power lithium polymer (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lithium_polymer_battery) CPU (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Central_processing_unit) 1.2 GHz Marvel ARMADA™ PXA168 Storage capacity (total/user available) 4 GB (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gigabyte)/3 GB internal flash memory (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flash_memory) Display E-paper Display:
9.7 in (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Inch) diagonal
5.5 in × 8 in
825 x 1200 pixels
8-level grayscale (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grayscale)
LCD Touchscreen Display:
10.1 in (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Inch) diagonal
5.1 in × 8.7 in
600 x 1024 pixels Input 2 full-size USB (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Universal_Serial_Bus) 2.0 ports,
SD card (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Secure_Digital_card)
built-in microphone
3.5 mm (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Millimeter) stereo headphone jack
built-in speaker,
AC power adapter jack Connectivity WiFi 802.11 b/g, Bluetooth Dimensions 10.75 x 8.25 x 1.0 in when closed Weight 3 lb (1,400 g)






This device plus a 64gb DHCS card and an external keyboard is a better deal than the Ipad.

[murderslastcrow]

Last time I read the specs, the iPad has around 256 MB of RAM and a GPU similar to Snapdragon. It has a 1 Ghz processor as these tablets have a 700 Mhz processor. What's so dreamy about my comment? Are you implying that iOS4 is dreamily better than Android 2.1?

I just don't get what you're trying to say. I'm assuming that you mean the iPad is better, while you could be saying that I can keep dreaming since, even with 128 MB of RAM, the Android tablets provide a better experience than an iPad.

But that's less likely. I'm just comparing the specs, and I've seen plenty of comparisons between Android and iOS. From a purely technological standpoint, the feature set is nearly the same, just with a less beefy tablet.

So if you added 128 MB of RAM and 300 Mhz of processing power, these products would be equal, and then you're just comparing the OS. I can only assume you're saying iOS4 is better than Android.

[murderslastcrow]

Yeah, then again, you could mean what Nick is saying- you get a lot more choice of memory expansion (any at all) with Android than with an iPad. And maybe comparing Android to iOS is apples and oranges? Maybe that's what you were getting at? I'm sorry, I just can't read your mind.

[Nick_Jinn]

I would love to find a way to dual boot Ubuntu or MoonOS on my Edge.


Somebody offered me their used Macbook pro for my used Entourage Edge last week....it was tempting because I knew it was a more valuable item. Ultimately I turned him down because trying to resell the thing would be a pain in the ***, and I much prefer having the combo e-reader and Android tablet....I also have Mint on my laptop with a rarely if ever used Win7, and it does everything I need it to for less.

[Ony]

Wow I'd like to get my hands on one ;-) Oh yeah how would I go about downloading software, for it would we be using USA sites ? How do you update it.

[Nick_Jinn]

I downloaded all my apps through torrents, put them on an SD card and installed the ones I wanted from there....I have like 2000 apps on my SD card and they dont take up much space....only about 100 are installed.

[Bublex]

Too expensive, I think

[cmcanulty]

This sounds pretty cool, hope it materializes
http://www.pcworld.com/businesscenter/article/201821/what_could_you_do_with_a_35_tablet.html?tk=nl_wbx_ h_crawl1

[Goolie]

I want one. . . but even if they made them, I ain't got $35.

[Bublex]

http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=1537755

[bigseb]

If Apple's iPad is on one end of the mobile computing cost spectrum at US$500-700 a pop, then India's ministry for Human Resource Development on Friday unveiled the other end: a touchscreen computing device that costs US$35, making it the world's cheapest laptop.

Read on: http://www.cnngo.com/mumbai/life/behold-worlds-cheapest-laptop-35-and-dropping-558158?hpt=C2

[aysiu]

A bunch of duplicate threads merged.

[irv]

Got this out of Linux Journal. And it is running Linux.
http://www.linuxjournal.com/content/indias-35-tablet-everything-killer (http://www.linuxjournal.com/content/indias-35-tablet-everything-killer)

[Tristam Green]

Poor thing looks hideous. And, I agree with the first comment - at $35, either the components are horrific pieces of junk, or the workforce was paid in peanuts.

[irv]

Talk about sweat shops and cheap materials.

[K.Mandla]

Gee, a week ago everybody loved it.

http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=1537755

P.S.: Similar threads merged.

[Tristam Green]

Gee, a week ago everybody loved it.

http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=1537755

P.S.: Similar threads merged.

A week ago I hadn't heard of it! D: I would have said the same thing then.

[Nick_Jinn]

Maybe apple is overcharging?

Also, has anybody been to a third world country? There are a lot of things people pay only 10% of what we pay to get them.

[irv]

A bunch of duplicate threads merged.

Sorry about that, I should of checked for other threads. It seems like I am a day late and a dollar short lot of times on my threads.

[23dornot23d]

This seems too good to be true ....

I remember the development of the one hundred dollar laptop

Here is what you could consider to be a closer step to every child having a computer.

Tablet Development (http://www.wimp.com/indiacomputer/)

What are your views on this ...... is it for real ? :D

[_h_]

It's a tablet, not a laptop.

And this has/is already being discussed elsewhere on the forums.

[23dornot23d]

Ok cheers ..... just saw it today sorry .... was new to me .....

Cheers will change it to tablet ...... still seems amazing the price of these ..... will look for the other thread unless you have

a link handy ..... I would be interested in peoples views on this.

[_h_]

Here;

http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=1537755

[23dornot23d]

Cheers .....

[Lucradia]

2GG? lol

I bet it'll run Windows and the price will go up to 120 USD because of it.

[alphaniner]

This seems too good to be true ....

I remember the development of the one hundred dollar laptop

Here is what you could consider to be a closer step to every child having a computer.

Tablet Development (http://www.wimp.com/indiacomputer/)

What are your views on this ...... is it for real ? :D

That link is blocked by my company's proxy as "Adult/Sexually Explicit" :shock:

[23dornot23d]

Its wimp.com that is hosting that video ..... they have allsorts of videos ......
but this was just a link to the device and its specifications ....

Here is a better link .... the BBC news link (http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-south-asia-10740817)

[Lucradia]

A tablet is a device that hooks up to an existing computer so you can physically draw into computer programs.

What is shown in the OP is a Tablet PC.

Don't confuse them, please.

[23dornot23d]

You maybe should be telling the BBC this ....... as under there photo it reads

The Indian government has unveiled the prototype of an iPad-like touch-screen laptop, with a price tag of $35 (£23), which it hopes to roll out next year.

[Lucradia]

You maybe should be telling the BBC this ....... as under there photo it reads

The Indian government has unveiled the prototype of an iPad-like touch-screen laptop, with a price tag of $35 (£23), which it hopes to roll out next year.

Good thing Tablet PCs were originally laptops with touch screens that could turn and fold to hide the keyboard; then they redesigned them to have detachable screens, then--now--they decided to go one step further and not ship the keyboard portion and just have a screen instead and just have on-screen keyboards.

[WarrenSH]

This seems too good to be true ....

I remember the development of the one hundred dollar laptop

Here is what you could consider to be a closer step to every child having a computer.

Tablet Development (http://www.wimp.com/indiacomputer/)

What are your views on this ...... is it for real ? :D

Great post I want one of these tablets it would be fun to see what type of apps or distros you can put on it. If anyone knows where to bye one at please MSG me ;)

[WarrenSH]

If anyone knows where I can buy one at please MSG me I would love to see what type of Apps it has on it or what Distros can be installed!

[Lucradia]

Great post I want one of these tablet PCs. It would be fun to see what type of apps or distros you can put on it. If anyone knows where to bye one at please MSG me ;)

Fixed.

[hyperAura]

looks promising! I would to hear reviews from people that have tested it..

[overdrank]

threads merged

[amitabhishek]

I wonder if the guy speaking at the press conference works for a few dollars a day.

No. The guy is also one of country's top lawyer and a t0ol (in that order). He makes enough money to buy few islands in Carribean.

BTW this is not the first Linux tablet to come out of the country. Simputer (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Simputer) was probably the first one but fell flat because lack of support and marketing. But this one looks better.

[Nick_Jinn]

Finally some specs. 2gb of ram isnt bad, unless they confused ram with hard drive like they often do.

[gordintoronto]

This is total vapourware. Even in large volumes, the components cost a lot more than $35. Anybody priced 2 GB of memory lately?

[CJ Master]

This is total vapourware. Even in large volumes, the components cost a lot more than $35. Anybody priced 2 GB of memory lately?

According to the article comments, apparently it's <$5.

[Nick_Jinn]

Have you ever done business overseas? Stuff is CHEAP by our standards. It wouldn't surprise me if you could get a 2gb ram stick for $5 and an ARM based CPU for $10 or less, wholesale as cost on the production level overseas.

The specs sound pretty decent. If they are desinged for running cloud software it should be more than enough. A university could have a server and the students could be running apps virtually.....but with 2gb of ram, that's better than a PDA. That's more than some desktops were shipping with pre-vista. 5 years ago laptops were shipping with 512ram, and they were decent. My girlfriend still has that laptop though I upgraded it to 1.5gb, which is less than this 35 dollar device.

I bet the US price will be closer to $100 for consumers, but it should be a good alternative to the Ipad.....unless you would rather pay 1G for smartphone technology from Apple over a REAL laptop/desktop operating system that we run on our PCs......I'm betting it will be using n ARM processor, so its not going to have equal performance in that area, but it should be great for students as a portable device.

[irv]

Full Circle has a write up on it at:
http://dl.fullcirclemagazine.org/issue39_en.pdf

[WarrenSH]

Full Circle has a write up on it at:
http://dl.fullcirclemagazine.org/issue39_en.pdf

Thanks for posting the .pdf file for all of us to download & read. It was a fun .pdf to look at. I went ahead & copied & pasted the write up on the 35$ Tablet PC :D

LINUX NEWS

Indian Govt. Unveils $35 Tablet

Costing only $35, and with R&D saying that price will drop, is this the future of tablet PC's? India's Human Resources Development Minister Kapil Sibal has unveiled what has been claimed as the world's cheapest tablet. Costing a mere $35, the prototype touchscreen device runs on the Linux operating system, has 2GB of RAM and uses a memory card slot to act as its hard-drive. Boasting a USB port and built in WiFi as well, these are impressive specs for a device that costs so little. The tablet, which utilises solar power, is the work of the Indian Institute of Technology and has been created with the purpose of being a cheap computer that can be widely distributed and is easy to use.

It's just one part in the country's program to educate the huge number of young people in India via technology and the internet. While this is simply a prototype, with no commercial distributor or manufacturer confirmed, it's definitely a punch in the nose for those companies who have been leading the tablet market with devices that cost significantly more.

SOURCE: T3.com

[Nick_Jinn]

The specs are not bad.

I dont know why people look at RETAIL costs of components made inside the UNITED STATES, and somehow think that is a ceiling or rather a 'floor' for wholesale not for profit pricing in India. In India you can pay pennies on the dollar.

[HappinessNow]

2011 will be the year of the Linux desktop.Ironically that is the same year declared as death of the desktop. ;)

[Nick_Jinn]

The desktop isnt going anywhere. Maybe in Googles dreams. That is just positive thinking a propaganda from the cloud computing giants. People are not going to turn in their desktops for ipads and android tablets...not yet.

The day we have unlimited free wifi as a public utility is the day people will slowly start to consider just having a mobile device instead of a desktop.....and laptops are still 'desktops' for most practice purposes, and when we finally do get into the tablet market linux is going to do great.

[neoargon]

What's the price of a dvd in India and in USA ? just to compare

In India, a Sony disk costs about $.3

[jfreak_]

Let me get this straight, as a student living in India , I am 99% sure that this tablet is NOT going to be sold in the open market. It will be in all probability be distributed to students directly from schools or colleges in a tightly controlled environment where there will subsidies even on the 35$ price tag. In case some of you may not be aware, 35$ is still a decent amount of money for an average student especially in the rural areas which are much more backward than the cities.
Ah yes one more thing, almost everything in India is behind schedule, and with the government set to slash the funding for education because of the current financial mess in the next five year plan its hard to see from where the funding will come from (definitely not from the private sector as the thingy is to be sold under subsidy).

[jfreak_]

Let me get this straight, as a student living in India , I am 99% sure that this tablet is NOT going to be sold in the open market. It will be in all probability be distributed to students directly from schools or colleges in a tightly controlled environment where there will subsidies even on the 35$ price tag. In case some of you may not be aware, 35$ is still a decent amount of money for an average student especially in the rural areas which are much more backward than the cities.
Ah yes one more thing, almost everything in India is behind schedule, and with the government set to slash the funding for education because of the current financial mess in the next five year plan its hard to see from where the funding will come from (definitely not from the private sector as the thingy is to be sold under subsidy).


Hmm, however I won't rule out black-marketing either, which is also rather common here.

[Nick_Jinn]

Let me get this straight, as a student living in India , I am 99% sure that this tablet is NOT going to be sold in the open market. It will be in all probability be distributed to students directly from schools or colleges in a tightly controlled environment where there will subsidies even on the 35$ price tag. In case some of you may not be aware, 35$ is still a decent amount of money for an average student especially in the rural areas which are much more backward than the cities.
Ah yes one more thing, almost everything in India is behind schedule, and with the government set to slash the funding for education because of the current financial mess in the next five year plan its hard to see from where the funding will come from (definitely not from the private sector as the thingy is to be sold under subsidy).



Consider however that the tablet could be a complete replacement for physical textbooks. It might actually be a cheaper replacement compared to textbooks.

[irv]

Consider however that the tablet could be a complete replacement for physical textbooks. It might actually be a cheaper replacement compared to textbooks.

I agree with you on the cost of textbooks. The difference in price of just one of my commentary's in ebook verse printed edition was $20. It wouldn't take many savings like this to make up the difference in cost.

[papangul]

Latest News:

India's HRD minister appeared in a tv show "Gadget Guru" along with a protype tablet yesterday:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=stNSPWixhUQ

I request the mods to change the title of this thread, because it's misleading("to sell @ $35" part). The retail price will be more than that.

[earthpigg]

i enjoyed that interview papangul, thanks for posting it.

[BuffaloX]

I read somewhere it has 3G, is that true? Because the Ipad is $130 extra with 3G, makes you think doesn't it? :P

[papangul]

I read somewhere it has 3G, is that true? Because the Ipad is $130 extra with 3G, makes you think doesn't it? :P
Yes, it has 3g and more. It has android 2.1 which the ipad obviously doesn't have.

The 6 min video I linked to in my above post contains all the information about it.

[BuffaloX]

My point was that this device has 3G and cost about 35$ to make for the entire device.
While Apple charge 130$ extra just for the 3G option.

[murderslastcrow]

Android 2.1?? HOLY CRAP, dude. This is amazing, and most likely not true. If they keep it under 35 dollars I'll probably explode. Something tells me Android's gonna' be the next Windows in its growth and pervasiveness. You know, if getting 200,000 new users every day hasn't already shown that.

Heck, what's keeping these things from replacing desktops for the majority of non-developing, non-creating, non-gaming computer users? Especially with the spot-on voice recognition? Seriously, this stuff's crazy.

[Nick_Jinn]

Arm Processors are probably going to be the near future of mobile computing, not Atoms. Intel and Windows are going to be left out in the cold on that one.....maybe Intel will come out with something, but Windows is going to take a hit.

Desktops will still be sporting Intel/AMD and Windows, but I think more people are going to want compatibility with their mobile devices, and as they learn these Linux and Unix based operating systems then it wont seem so foreign to them any more.

I hear Google has a desktop OS under its belt besides Android and and Chrome, but similar to Android.....If anyone has a copy of the Google version of Linux that they use at work, I would love to get a copy of it. They dont distribute it to the public.