India’s $35 Tablet Computer

Shri Kapil Sibal, India’s Union Minister for Human Resource Development, recently announced plans to release a $35 touch-screen tablet computer, called the Sakshat, that could potentially disrupt the global market for touch-screen computing. The Linux-based tablet is rumored to have WiFi capability, a 7-inch capacitive touchscreen, video-conferencing features, a web-browser with Flash, USB ports and more.  India plans to market the tablet as an educational device by networking colleges and offering students over 1,100 web-based courses.

Techlahore found the logistics to be unrealistic and reports their skepticism:

Never mind that India doesn’t build processors and will have to import them at costs set, not by the HR Ministry, but by international suppliers. Never mind that India doesn’t build these touchscreens and that they would consume almost the entire $35 budget at current international prices. Never mind that RAM has a globally-set commodity price which is as closely tracked as precious metals or other commodities, and 2GB of RAM will not be available to the Indian HR Ministry for a cost that would be consistent with the $35 price target of the device.

The Hindu: “Low Cost access-Cum-Computing Device Unveiled by Shri Kapil Sibal (PIB press release)”

[via blogote]