Asia Express - Computing
India Expected to Mass Produce Low-price Tablet PCs by 2011
July 30, 2010

Following the initiative of OLPC (One Laptop Per Child), the Indian government recently unveiled an tablet PC prototype targeting at students, the Hindustan Times reported. The device, dubbed the Sakshat, will initially price between US$35 and US$30, one fourth of the price of Apple iPad, and will eventually retail between US$15 and US$20 once it achieves full scale production. With a 10" touchscreen, Sakshat is powered by Linux-based operating system, featuring word processing, web browsing, video conferencing, and built-in Wi-Fi (Wireless-Fidelity). Without a HDD (Hard Disk Drive), the device will store data on a memory card and solar power is also included as an option with extra cost. The government currently is still working on finding a manufacturer to mass produce this low-price Indian tablet PC, with an aim to begin mass production by 2011, according to the same source. In addition, the government stated that it may launch the subsidize plan for the first batch of shipment by up to 50%, bring the price of this tablet PC down to just US$15.