The Indian government has successfully created a prototype for a new multimedia tablet computer that could sell for $35 and may ultimately drive the price down to $10.
India has been working on an extremely low-cost computer for more than three years but it is not until today that it appears to have become successful.
The device reportedly has a word processor, Web browser, and video conferencing capabilities. It has no internal hard drive and instead comes with a memory card, and it can also run on solar power.
This could put the One Laptop Per Child project on its head. The flagship non-profit group that aims to get computers in the hands of underprivileged children has been around for a few years but it has continuously made high-flying statements that never came to fruition. The group’s “$100 laptop” actually costs $188.
According to a BBC report, the India solution appears to be more far-reaching than just an idea for charity. It is expected to be a more commercial device for students and families with low incomes.
India’s Human Resource Development Minister Kapil Sibal told Agence France-Presse, “The solutions for tomorrow will emerge from India.” Indeed, the country has apparently been able to produce something that other people around the world have talked about but never been able to produce.
If all goes well, India eventually expects to bring the manufacturing costs down even further and to be able to sell the tablet for just $10. Take that, $500 iPad!
