Would YOU buy this for the cost of 3 cups of coffee?
UPDATE: Thanks to The Digital Reader and Armdevices.net for the specs for this device!
- ARM9 Processor: $5 (Freescale i.MX233)
- Memory: $3
- WiFi B/G: $4
- Other discret components: $3
- Battery: $5
- 7? 800×480 resistive touch screen: $15
- Total bill of material: $35
Imagine if you could go out and purchase a fully functional laptop today for just $35. Would you run out to get one now?
Well, according to this Reuters news, that may soon be a reality for higher education students living in India.
Research teams at India’s finest universities, the Indian Institute of Technlogy and the Indian Institute of Science, have developed the world’s “cheapest laptop.” The touch-screen device is Linux powered and comes at an amazing cost of merely $35. It will also include the basics such as internet browser, PDF reader, and video conferencing capabilities. What’s more, the design is indeed flexible enough to upgrade based on additional user requirements.
Human Resource Development Minister Kapil Sibal announced this new device earlier this week at a news conference, claiming that they’ve “reached a stage (developmentally) that today, the motherboard, its chip, the processing, connectivity, all of them cumulatively cost around $35, including memory, display, everything.”
In fact, Sibal further mentioned that they plan on shrinking the price down even more to $20 and eventually to $10! TEN MEASLY DOLLARS, WOW.
In a nation that spends just three percent of its budget annually for education, this is a much needed albeit questionable step in the right direction. With 1.2 billion people, India disturbingly still has many students who can barely read or write. Studies show that most state-run schools’ facilities are also severely lacking.
True, the country needs more and better technology and learning tools in the hands of its students, but that cannot be the entire answer. Will the electricity that powers these devices going to be widely available? Or even something we take for granted like the internet? There may not be a starbucks around every corner for indian students to step into when they need wifi connectivity.
Yes, this is still a good move. Students will benefit immensely. Literacy MAY improve, but I don’t think the internet is the ideal way to expose students to the joys of reading. Much can be said about how certain internet sites have HURT the reading ability of western students.
I may be more inclined to think that producing a $2 eReader like the Kindle or Nook, but geared more towards educational needs, would be a better educational choice. The internet browsing ability may need to be improved, but the benefits would be just as enormous.
Nonetheless, I’m stoked to hear about the possibility of a $10 laptop. Nice!
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