India took quick action to address quality gripes with the original Aakash tablet by releasing an upgraded version. The new Android 2.2 model is still made by Datawind but is roughly twice as fast, carrying a 700MHz ARM Cortex-A8 chip. Its much-maligned resistive, seven-inch touchscreen has been replaced with a much more responsive capacitive screen.
Dehli-based company Classteacher Learning Systems has launched the Android 2.2 touting Classpad, a range of lower-cost tablet set to take on DataWind's Aakash, a $35 7-inch Android 2.2 tablet. While it will be priced above the Aakash, the new tablets are up to 1GHz faster at 1.3GHz than the cheaper tablet and will have options for 4GB and 8GB of storage. The Classpad tablets will also come in a range of sizes including 7-, 8- and 10-inch variations.
DataWind has announced details of three upcoming new portable devices capable of accessing the Internet, with its PocketSurfer3 and PocketSurfer3 Lite, which are follow-ups to the company's PocketSurfer2 device, and the UbiSurfer. All three include one year of Internet access, although it's limited to 30 hours per month. The new PocketSurfers sport a 5-inch, 640x240 resolution screen and are powered by Linux. Apart from Wi-Fi and GPRS network access, there is a GPS sensor built-in.
