Technology So Cheap A Caveman Could Afford It
We are surrounded by Miracles. We are surrounded by ingenuity. Take a few minutes today to reflect on the world that could be if we could share, learn and grow together.
Of course, to do all of this would require some common sense….but that’s for another post, another day……..
India develops world’s cheapest “laptop” at $35
NEW DELHI — India has come up with the world’s cheapest “laptop,” a touch-screen computing device that costs $35.
India’s Human Resource Development Minister Kapil Sibal this week unveiled the low-cost computing device that is designed for students, saying his department had started talks with global manufacturers to start mass production.
“We have reached a (developmental) stage that today, the motherboard, its chip, the processing, connectivity, all of them cumulatively cost around $35, including memory, display, everything,” he told a news conference.
He said the touchscreen gadget was packed with Internet browsers, PDF reader and video conferencing facilities but its hardware was created with sufficient flexibility to incorporate new components according to user requirement.
Sibal said the Linux based computing device was expected to be introduced to higher education institutions from 2011 but the aim was to drop the price further to $20 and ultimately to $10.
The device was developed by research teams at India’s premier technological institutes, the Indian Institute of Technology and the Indian Institute of Science.
India spends about three percent of its annual budget on school education and has improved its literacy rates to over 64 percent of its 1.2 billion population but studies have shown many students can barely read or write and most state-run schools have inadequate facilities.
Copyright 2010 Reuters.
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August 23, 2010 at 7:32 pm, Ryan Ward said:
You know, I saw all sorts of news about this in July and nothing since. I just did a quick Google search to no avail. Have you heard anything more about it?
August 23, 2010 at 7:52 pm, Don said:
Ryan,
I know this is happening. I have watched this unfold for some time, and even think four or five years ago saw a “60 Minutes” episode on this. We are used to lots of bells and whistles here, but technology is unbelievably cheap, particularly if manufactured and marketed in a frugal environment by people who have good intentions.
If I find anything more interesting I’ll send along to you.
August 23, 2010 at 7:55 pm, Ryan Ward said:
“particularly if manufactured and marketed in a frugal environment by people who have good intentions”
Very good point. That and a free market and we will keep seeing prices drop…