What you should know about India's $35 tablet

Overview

In this IPad and tablet generation, way to the ocean of information is just a click away from your hands. Apple, Amazon, Nokia, Motorola, and even Google are some of the prominent players in the market for manufacturing such high-end mobile smart tablets. With a cool touch screen and advanced programming into it, these tablets give you every reason to enjoy smart computing.

There has been some recent news about the launch of an innovative Indian tablet, which has created enough buzz in the global market. In terms of technology, features, user guide, and looks it does not seem any different from a standard tablet. The smashing point to take this on top of attention is its low cost. Following the footsteps of Tata Nano as the cheapest car and Tata Nano EV as the cheapest green car, the Indian government has come forward to announce their tablet computer ‘Sakshat’ targeted to the student community of the nation.

Pricing and availability

This will be the cheapest costing tablet on earth with the prize of only $35 (Rs.1700) thus making technology affordable for all the citizens. Sakshat is expected to hit the market by 5th of October 2011 as per a formal announcement by Kapil Sibel, the HRD Minister of India.

Features	Full internet browser PDF reader Video conferencing support Word, excel, Office document support etc using Open Office USB, WiFi Media Player Sci-lab Remote device management (like remote installations/ wipe) Cloud-based infrastructure Front-facing camera
Operating System	Linux
RAM	2 GB
Connectivity	3.5mm jack
Other highlights	USB, mini USB, video-out ports Runs Google Android OS Cost expected to become even cheaper Available in 5/7/9 inch touch screen

What's great

• The cost of just $35 is the foremost good reason to welcome this Tablet. For Indian community, it’s a gala opportunity to get connected to advanced technologies at a reasonable and affordable prize. For rest of the world, it is a peanut amount for an advanced mobile computing system.
• The cost aims to slide even down by $ 20- $10 in future, taking it to reach all classes of people.
• Apart from the cost, this Indian tablet is solar enabled and also can be virtually disposable at the end of its lifetime, that’s the way to take an eco friendly credit.
• The use of cloud based infrastructure enables the device used to connect to and access information without much hassle like in desktops and laptops. It is a commodity with less consumption of power and low cost investment.
• This tablet is made by the active, collaborative involvement of several IIT students from across the nation.
• This is mainly developed for the student community of the nation, with an aim of imparting quality education in the country. It certainly deserves great applause for its cause.
• It provides students with tools to connect to the Internet for research, communication, and other activities at an affordable prize.
• With the advent of this smart computer in the hands of students and teachers, we can expect a positive revolution in the education system of the nation with a more informative and interesting way of imparting and learning lessons.
• With the low cost and quality features, every kid across the globe can now get a tablet of his or her own.

What's not so great

• Whenever the costs are kept low, a doubt about its quality does cross one’s mind.
• It is expected to have a slow processor, simplistic touch screen, and other features not so interesting to operate as compared to high-end tablets.
• It needs an external memory card to preserve all the information and data.
• In the midst of many sophisticated and branded models across globe, this simple tablet is seemingly very basic to survive the ever-changing technological demands. For instance, the Amazon Kindle Fire brings in advanced features including free cloud storage, innovative web browser and access to all of Amazon’s multimedia services for an extra cost of $200. Similarly, a 7 inch Android-powered tablet from Maylong, the M-250 with Wi-Fi, featuring Android 2.2 Operating System and costing $97 in Wal-Mart is a low cost smart tablet in the market. There are high end tablets from Apple, Motorola, and many more offering great features with high quality touch screen.

Ross Rubin, an industry analyst for the NPD group states that: "It’s quite possible to get a basic tablet that gets you to the Web and plays media,” he says. “But there are compromises – they have resistive touch screens [requiring pressure or a stylus] instead of capacitive screens [which only require a touch], and not the fastest processors.”

Things to watch out for

• This tablet is Linux based, but it can also support Android OS, making it futuristic.
• It goes beyond the Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s $100 laptop aimed for a non-profit cause “One laptop One Child;” with a larger cause of quality education for all by its low cost margin.
• It is environmentally friendly to have a low cost tablet that too which is virtually disposable. It is certainly a threat to normal ipads with an average range of $ 500.
• With its cloud infrastructure, it gets on to the changing technological environment as many companies use the same infrastructure to store the migrated server applications and data. The days to say good-bye to desktops and laptops seem nearer with the advent of such smart computing systems.

Verdict

‘Sakshat’, the Indian tablet is a welcome bonanza for all those who want to have a feel of a tablet and that too at the lowest cost in the world. With basic features as in any IPad, it can make a decent company to provide everything expected out of a mobile computing system. It can add value to the education system of the country by enabling every student to access information and knowledge with an easy medium. Also the educational institutes can plan to provide their students with these tablets replacing conventional notebooks. Even the textbooks if stored in these tablets can go a long way in reducing the bag burden of Indian school students.

Apart from the student community, it can be well used by anyone who cannot afford a high-end tablet. However, for professionals and high end users, this tablet may not sound so effective.

This tablet, once released in market can be expected to hit the mass with great interest.

Further readings or Word around the web

http://blogs.wsj.com/indiarealtime/2010/07/23/going-for-cheap-indias-35-laptop/