
India unveils world’s cheapest tablet computer for $35 - snampall
http://www.ft.com/cms/s/2/9e714b34-ef53-11e0-918b-00144feab49a.html#axzz1ZutezTLV
======
tmcw
> The Indian government put out a tender for the tablet to be developed, and
> plans to sell 100,000 units of Aakash

My comment a year ago: <http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=1600780>

Same thing. 'unveiling' a tablet for a price is nothing until a tablet is
actually sold for that price on the market. This times two in a place like
India, which is plans-heavy and implementation-light. This really doesn't mean
much.

------
padmanabhan01
It is not a Government's job to make tablets.

If they can only fix their corruption, bureaucracy and the totally broken
governmental system, thousands of entrepreneurs can emerge and create millions
of gadgets...

~~~
drzaiusapelord
In a country where the GDP per capita is around $1300? You can play up the
"market will solve all ills" all you like, but if everyone is too busy
scrambling to get enough calories to get by then they probably don't have
enough to buy the latest iPad.

Subsidized government programs exist because this is where the market fails
and governments have a larger and more important mission than just maximizing
profits and putting on fancy keynotes for drooling fans.

~~~
padmanabhan01
//In a country where the GDP per capita is around $1300? You can play up the
"market will solve all ills" all you like..........governments have a larger
and more important mission than ....

GDP per capita is around $1300 precisely because the governmnet always felt it
had a LARGER and MORE important mission than (simply doing their job with no
corruption). And these larger and more important missions almost always end up
channeling tax payer's money into politicians via some crazy project like this

~~~
dimmuborgir
You're mixing up two different issues, corruption and socialist tendencies.

While corruption in socialism is bad, corruption in capitalism is just as bad.
Even the most developed capitalist countries have failed to remove corruption.
(hence the 2008 subprime crisis)

To India's credit, its socialist tendencies kept the country unaffected from
2008 subprime crisis.

~~~
anamax
> To India's credit, its socialist tendencies kept the country unaffected from
> 2008 subprime crisis.

No boom, no bust....

> While corruption in socialism is bad, corruption in capitalism is just as
> bad. Even the most developed capitalist countries have failed to remove
> corruption. (hence the 2008 subprime crisis)

The 2008 "subprime crisis" wasn't capitalist corruption, it was govt
corruption. The US govt decided to subsidize home ownership via various means,
which created a property bubble. Bubbles eventually pop, and the govt then
decided to "socialize" the losses and try to restore the bubble.

The Irish govt went one step further - it decided to guarantee all bank
losses.

That's not capitalism.

~~~
ramchip
That looks a lot like an instance of the "no true Scotsman" fallacy.

~~~
doyoulikeworms
At first glance, you're right. The problem is, though, that the word
"capitalism" has different meanings for different people, and has also
undergone a general shifting of the meaning of the word. This is not unlike
the word "liberal" (as in politically liberal), which has changed in a similar
fashion.

This snippet from the Wikipedia entry for capitalism synthesizes it pretty
well: "Classical liberals such as Mises, Rand, and Rothbard define capitalism
as a market system with no interference by States (laissez faire). Some define
capitalism as a system governed by capital accumulation regardless of the
legal ownership titles."

anamax is referring to what could be referred to "classical capitalism," while
you, ramchip, seem to be referring to "state capitalism".

------
sethish
Again? The 'Indian Government' makes an announcement like this every three to
six months. There is really really weird politics surrounding this vs the OLPC
project in India. Start believing in these releases when you have consumers
purchasing them, and/or deployments greater than 100.

~~~
dimmuborgir
Isn't this how most elected politicians behave around the world?

First announcement: _"we'll do it"_.

Status update: _"as announced it is on course and will be completed 'soon'"_.

Launch: _"as promised here it is for the public"._

Media just publishes each statement as major news item and people feel it's
already overrated.

~~~
eru
Yes. But you forgot about the delays and cancellations often happening between
these steps.

~~~
dimmuborgir
Of course. I was just more critical of the relation between media and people's
perceptions than government's efficiency in my last comment.

------
sandGorgon
As posted in my other thread - the subsidized cost to customer is $50 (cost of
manufacture is $35). The blurb: [http://tech2.in.com/news/tablets/indias-very-
own-35-tablet-t...](http://tech2.in.com/news/tablets/indias-very-
own-35-tablet-to-launch-tomorrow/245822)

Will be available for purchase in November.

The specs are:

Android 2.2

Wifi, 2 USB Ports

7'' resistive display, 350g

366 mhz processor

256 mb RAM

2GB flash

microsd support

2100 mah battery

can play 1080p video

~~~
misterbwong
_can play 1080p video_

This is a big surprise to me given the low specs. Can it do this well?

~~~
srdev
I doubt it. I've used one of the $80 Chinese tablets with ostensibly better
specs and the thing was barely usable. It really depends on the details
though. 366 MHz doesn't tell us what type of processor, nor whether it has
hardware decoder chips in there too.

------
deweller
Consumers will be able to buy a retail version for about $60.

~~~
snampall
Correct. It is $35 for only to the students after government's subsidy.

------
RobertKohr
The lack of keyboard means that it is a terrible tool for students.

Without a keyboard you cannot create. (Ok you can draw imprecise pictures and
type really slowly)

Without creating/doing you are not learning. You are just absorbing data.

Tablet/touch screen users never add new content to the world, they are just an
audience.

~~~
aw3c2
I have written a lot of text (and enjoyed doing so) on my tiny smartphone
touchscreen so you are wrong.

~~~
JWGM
I can agree. On screen keyboards will probably become an equal standard at
some point. Besides it will be a lot better than no device at all.

------
droithomme
The article switches tense from "on sale" to "will have", which is a similar
uncertain time detail to other articles about vaporous sub-$50 computers that
have been published in the past.

Is this device shipping at the claimed price right now or not?

------
ankimal
But what do you do with a $35 tablet with WiFi when there is no electricity,
let alone internet.

<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rural_electrification#India>

~~~
ww520
They run on battery, no?

My bad. Downvote me to oblivion.

~~~
qohen
In a video about this tablet, the researcher behind it (or so I believe) said
the goal is to have power-consumption be low enough to ultimately allow it to
be solar-charged.

------
hsmyers
Regards the Nano, why would people rather walk than be seen in the 'world's
cheapest car?' Given the funds and the availability I'd grab one in a moment
---a mountain bike in a snow storm makes a very convincing argument that there
must be a better way! Is this a cultural thing---if so move the market to
where such hangups don't exist would be my suggestion...

~~~
thewisedude
I see that the context is missing. The alternative is two wheeled vehicles
(scooters and motorbikes). In India a big percentage of people use two
wheelers for commuting. Nano seems to be a slight upgrade from two wheelers.
However with rising gas costs, moving from a two wheeled vehicle to the
cheapest car does not make much economic sense. Also with Nano being branded
as the cheapest car, it does not make much social sense either.

~~~
daytripper23
I think the cheapest car model really stigmatises it. Not a smart move. I
would still like a Nano, I don't think it looks half bad.

~~~
sankara
Anyone who remembers the initial events would remember very well that the Nano
was overbooked initially. So it is not the price point that led to lowered
sales.

Cheap in price is in general associated with cheap in quality as well - market
psychology. People buy it only when they feel it is good enough. Nano having
been already branded and popularized as cheap in price got severely damaged by
a few glitches and got rebranded as cheap in quality.

Essentially, production delays and a few unpopular news items made people
reconsider their choices and before Nano could recover the market is filled
with cars in the small segment made by Honda (who thought of a Honda car in
small segment), Maruti/Suzuki, Ford, Hyundai...etc. Also remember that it was
Nano which spawned a new generation of small segment cars by various
manufacturers who would otherwise have not considered the option at all.

------
thewisedude
I really want to know what the plan is? How will poor people who cant afford a
decent computer have access to WiFi? Its not like India has free Wifi spots in
many of these locations. Is there a plan to provide Wifi in the schools where
these kids go? I wish this article had more information regarding the whole
plan

------
ashwinm
How worlds cheapest 35$ android tablet aakash is made possible [video] -
<http://bit.ly/pN4hi6>

------
Achshar
But the question is, is it google approved? i.e. will there be android market,
gmail, updates, etc.. (highly doubt on updates though)

------
drieddust
Yeah in 10 years time when inflation will make $35 look like pennies and
moore's law will make this device feasible to sell at $35.

------
vimalg2
Now every Indian adolescent boy can watch 1080p porn in private.

Seriously, I hope this gets put to good use by schools for textbooks too.

Boys will be boys.

------
tariq
yet another world's cheapest [insert gadget] announcement. time to step it up,
waiting for the day i hear world's best...

~~~
teja1990
It will really help if they provide affordable or better free WiFi countrywide

------
joshu
Anyone ever laid hands on one of these ultra-cheap tablets?

------
nextparadigms
How long until Microsoft comes to screw it up for them and make the price $75?

~~~
meow
Assuming you are implying they will sue over patents, they can't - because
software patents are not legal in India.

------
trollLikeABoss
But... will it blend?

