India is all set to launch a super low cost $10 laptop tomorrow. A prototype will be displayed at the launch by Human Resources Development minister Mr. Arjun Singh. The laptop will be rolled out in the market in the next six months. The laptop was developed in collaboration with Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Bangalore, and Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Chennai. As per news reports the laptop will be manufactured by private firms. Although there is no official input on the hardware specifications of this laptop, sources claim that the $10 laptop could feature 2GB RAM, WiFi support, ultra portable form factor etc. We’ll have to wait and watch for another 24 hours on how true these details are.
So a Rs. 500 ($10) laptop is finally here! I have some serious doubts on whether it would be able to satisfy the requirements of it’s users. But then it’s meant for educational purposes of the economically challenged section of the society. A great initiative. Can the Indian government pull off a nano laptop?
I’ll keep you posted on the launch. Here are the launch details;
Seems like my sources were correct to a lot of extent. I attended the launch here in Delhi today where the proud Indian Government revealed the World’s cheapest laptop ever. Here are some snappy details;
- The laptop is priced between $10-$20 (Rs.500-1000) as of now. Once it goes into mass production the Government plans to take down the price tag to exactly $10.
- The laptop will hit markets in six months time and as per officials at the launch it still needs more fine tuning. What the heck does that mean?
- 2GB on board memory and WiFi is confirmed. It also consumes a lot less amount of power than a normal laptop. Not much details about battery life though. Duh!
- We’re still in dark about fine details on the hardware. OS shall be Linux, confirmed.
I’m very pleased to announce the Alpha release of 
