India is launching a cheap tablet computer it says will deliver modern technology to help lift villagers out of poverty. The computer, called Aakash, or "sky" in Hindi, is the latest in a series of cheap Indian innovations that include a 100,000 rupee ($2,040) Nano car, a 750 rupee ($15) water purifier and $2,000 open-heart surgery. Government subsidies promise a $35 price tag for students and teachers, with a regular retail price of about $45 from manufacturer Datawind. http://news.yahoo.com/photos/india-...launching-ceremony-delhi-photo-111414622.html The tablet is manufactured by DataWind has a 7"Android 2.2 touch screen, HD and video co-processor. The govt will be providing free wifi and cloud computing services. Seems the Indian Government is looking to leap frog over the US in terms of a national digital infrastructure and citizen access. I think we pay $35 for an iphone case here.
My point is India and for that matter virtually any third world country can implement a sophisticated wireless digital infrastructure for less then we get charged for telecommunications taxes. Their govt invests in a NOC to operate their national computing cloud and back haul network traffic coupled with inexpensive wireless devices (smart phones, tablets etc.) Educational services like Khan Academy deliver world class education and content for free. Our country will continue to have long lines, endless forms and our monkeys in congress will still be playing games with their electoral college and roberts rules of procedural order. These lean and mean upcoming economies will have digital currencies, electronic voting, electronic government and a new generation of kids more sophisticated and better educated then our pampered youth. In the grand scheme of things they are only investing $100M to subsidize and impact 10 million students. We are spending a $500M to build a single high school campus in California impacting 5000. Put all the economic pressures aside for spurring job creation in the US. In the future US workers will not be employable in the global market because they will be considered too slow, antiquated and dumb to get the job done not to mention demand a pay rate and benefits 10x the world average.
I was looking into buying one, but the for-public version is $70 and is called Ubislate. I am not crazy about tablets, but at the $50 price point I'd buy one. $70 is slightly pushing it, but I'd buy it just to try it. I'd also buy a Nano car if I could, but none of this stuff is available to us here.
It must be like the original, on which Moses chiselled the 10 commandments....I am sick of the cheap shit India makes and we compare here. Nobody is buying their shit car and shit laptop only the slums in Bangolore and nobody is going to buy this cheap tablet if people are not buying the already existing cheap, Android based copies. Amazon loses $10 bucks on the tablet Kindle (fire) but it will sell and they will make up in content sales. What kind of a content do you think this indian "tablet" will have to be a world class tablet? Google so far lost on the copy cat(Android) tablets because it maybe a good working model but there is no viable content comparing to Apple's.
Put the american made superiority complex to the side... No electronics are made here except under multi-million dollar defense contracts. For $35 their kids get a functional tablet and access to comprehensive educational resources and programs. For $35 ours get coloring pencils, rubber erasers, 200 sheets of paper, pocket folders and a ruler... basic school supplies. Take a look at KhanAcademy.org , they were founded in the US, backed by the Gates Foundation and provide an excellent system for delivering educational content for free. Outside of a few pilot programs going on here most of their traction is outside of the US. The world is getting smaller through technology... Are we even going to be able to compete in 10 years?
When you put people before profits after decades of screwing the people over you can leap frog the competition. We are not in an economic recession its a mental recession. There is capital on the sidelines and a lack of innovation. Try to get a loan to start a trading firm and see how far you get. Our kids could get 45.00 tablet but we are afraid to hurt Apple's feelings. Now they want to tax trades- What next charge you for breathing. Buy the vix its about to get shakey in a week or two.
You are missing the point. Content is king when you think in terms of tablets. I doubt that Indian Gov. sponsored content is palatable to anyone but Indian kids - and even that is questionable.. The OP put this up like tomorrow this tablet is going to be the next iPhone. I am saying it won't. I am concerned what will sell (or not sell in the USA) - does this make me american superiority complex? That is laughable. You want educational content for kids - go to the library it is free. Get a cheap laptop - it is very affordable, go to any hotspot and it is there for anyone. Our kids' problem is not the lack of technology but the lack of interest/drive and motivation. Why should they learn if their parents are imbeciles? Should they get in debt for $100,000 and learn IT and find that they would also have to move to India to find a job!