India's Answer to the iPad
The Indian government has unveiled the prototype of an iPad-like touch screen laptop, with a price tag of just $35 (£23), which it hopes to release next year. The device is going to be aimed at students, and according to its developers it supports web browsing, video conferencing and word processing. Human Resource Development Minister Kapil Sibal said a manufacturer was being sought for the gadget, which was developed by India's top IT colleges. The device has no hard disk, using a memory card instead, like a mobile phone, and according to reports can even run on solar power. It is astonishing that such an item has been developed, especially one that could be considered a much cheaper rival of Apple’s hugely popular iPad, which retails from $499. Mr Sibal said the Indian tablet, said to run the Linux operating system, was expected to be introduced to higher education institutions next year. The project is part of a government initiative which also aims to extend broadband to all of India's 25,000 colleges and 500 universities. It is also planned to drop the price eventually to $20 and ultimately to $10, but how are such cheap costs achieved? A ministry spokeswoman said it was feasible due to falling hardware costs, and that several global manufacturers had expressed an interest in making the device, although none were named.
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