India previews $35 Linux tablet for education
updated 10:25 am EDT, Fri July 23, 2010
India says ultra-cheap tablet is real, due 2011
The Indian government today showed prototypes of what could be the least expensive tablet to date. The Sakshat hardware is targeted at education across the country and costs just $35 for a device with Wi-Fi, Ethernet and 2GB of internal storage. Costs are kept low by using Linux and a processor that, along with the screen, uses just 2W of power.
To match, the tablet will have a portal dedicated to text and video courses for students that would use the device.
India only expects the Sakshat devices to be ready next year and unusually showed two different designs, suggesting it hasn't finalized the look or features. However, it said the price could get less expensive still as it could be subsidized. Economies cf scale could also reduce the cost further, as the government hopes to drop the price to $20 and potentially $10 as more are made. [via The Earth Times]
