In For a developing economy, India the low-cost computing device is no more a dream. A tablet PC for Rs. 1,700 ($35) is now a reality. To be called Aakash (meaning sky), the ultra low-cost tablet PC will be indigenously manufactured in India.
Kapil Sibal, minister for communications, IT and HRD will unveil it in New Delhi on October 5. With initial focus on inclusive education, the Indian government is literally accomplishing its endeavor for e-empowerment.
Created for use by students, the tablet with Web-enabled platform, that eliminates the typical software and hardware architectures, will be given free in schools and colleges.
Though it doesn't have a hard drive, a memory card can be used to store data.
A Canadian company, Datawind that develops wireless access devices, will manufacture it in its Noida facility on a contractual basis with the government. STMicroelectronics, a semiconductor producer will facilitate core processor in these ultra low-cost tablet PC devices. According to sources, the manufacture cost of the device is Rs.3,000.
The tablet will be run on Google's Android platform with Wi-Fi connectivity and cloud storage. It will also have 256MB of RAM and a 32GB expandable memory and two USB ports, sources added.
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