Affordable technology - India did it but we believe Nigeria can do better.


India has launched what it says is the world's cheapest touch-screen tablet computer, priced at just $35 (£23).

Costing a fraction of Apple's iPad, the subsidised Aakash is aimed at students.

It supports web browsing and video conferencing, has a three-hour battery life and two USB ports, but questions remain over how it will perform.

Officials hope the computer will give digital access to students in small towns and villages across India, which lags behind its rivals in connectivity.

At the launch in the Indian capital, Delhi, Human Resource Development Minister Kapil Sibal handed out 500 Aakash (meaning sky) tablets to students who will test them.

He said the government planned to buy 100,000 of the tablets. It hopes to distribute 10 million of the devices to students over the next few years.

The Aakash has been developed by UK-based company DataWind and Indian Institute of Technology (Rajasthan).

It is due to be assembled in India, at DataWind's new production centre in the southern city of Hyderabad.

"Our goal was to break the price barrier for computing and internet access," DataWind CEO Suneet Singh Tuli said.

"We've created a product that will finally bring affordable computing and internet access to the masses."

The company says it will also offer a commercial version of the tablet, called UbiSlate. It is expected to hit the shelves later this year, retailing for about $60.
Usability questions

Mr Sibal says the device will enhance learning in India.

Experts say it does have the potential to make a huge difference to the country's education, particularly in rural areas where schools and students do not have access to libraries and up-to-date information.
Indian Human Resource Development (HRD) Minister Kapil Sibal (R) and Junior HRD Minister D. Purandeswari (L) pose with Aakash tablet after its launch in Delhi on October 5, 2011. Mr Sibal (right) hopes the tablet will end the 'digital divide'

But critics say it is too early to say how the Aakash will be received as most cheap tablets in the past have turned out to be painfully slow.

"The thing with cheap tablets is most of them turn out to be unusable," Rajat Agrawal of technology reviewers BGR India told Reuters news agency.

"They don't have a very good touch screen, and they are usually very slow."

Critics also point out that an earlier cheap laptop plan by the same ministry came to nothing.

In 2009, it announced plans for a laptop priced as low as $10, raising eyebrows and triggering worldwide media interest.

But there was disappointment after the "Sakshat" turned out to be a prototype of a hand-held device, with an unspecified price tag, that never materialised.

Read it here http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-south-asia-15180831.

Yes we can, maybe After Jesus returns

. Hopefully it runs an Android o/s so it can be easily customizable. and beat down a lot of tablet price, tablet in the run, are cheap stuff, but a lot of money goes to the media, and advertising stuff
Ipad 2, was a big rip off, cant even afford that, just waiting for the kindle fire to be launched so i can finally get a tablet, mschew, no be only ipad, na apple,
i knw my limit, and i cant afford those things, just too expensive for a poor man like me

Yes, Nigeria can but we must educate EVERYONE so we have a higher literacy rate. We need more people in engineering, medicine, and science. Everybody wants to be a bankers or an entertainer. The politicians must do their jobs corectly and put money into education.

igbo2011:

Yes, Nigeria can but we must educate EVERYONE so we have a higher literacy rate. We need more people in engineering, medicine, and science. Everybody wants to be a bankers or an entertainer. The politicians must do their jobs corectly and put money into education.

and u think this will ever happen? wa pen be

This is gangster mehnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn, Bt i would still go for the expensive Ipad!!!

PurestBoy:

Yes we can, maybe After Jesus returns

and when He goes back again then 2000 yrs after that we can make a calculator

Cmmon India has invested year in year out in its educational sectoor, and i has established itself as one of the thriving countires in software development. When Nigeria does dat (Invest in Education) then we can make our own

sorry it seems some of u here are lil pour am gonnna get 1 for my self very soon.

can u read? it is only for student!! YET!

Let me suggest two ways in which nigeria can catch up with South Africa(not even India). 1) let there be a group that would mount rocket launchers on the outskirts of Abj and level that aso rock from there.then we change our political system to regional govt. 2)Nigeria divides into at least four countries.Then each of them pursues her own dream.This would bring competition and seriousness among the different countries. IT IS FINISHED

are these sleeping tablets or what? what kind of ailment is this tablet used for?

yes we can and even better

yes we can; We have young innovative minds that can cross boundaries so there is no way that someone can say that we cannot do better. With proper equipment's and conducive learning environments i believe that we can.

hi nairalanders
with my observation Nigerians are not into chip stuff they rather buy the expensive one that is classy than buy cheap one that will not attract attentions .not gust Nigerians but all fellow black men

Even thou we can do better i dont think we will make effort becos corruption is in our system. We can not even feed ourselves despite the plenty Profs. of AGRICULTURE.

At that price. I'd expect a quite low end tablet.

iv4fb:

yes we can and even better

Till when? For how long?

Donlittle:

. Hopefully it runs an Android o/s so it can be easily customizable. and beat down a lot of tablet price, tablet in the run, are cheap stuff, but a lot of money goes to the media, and advertising stuff
Ipad 2, was a big rip off, cant even afford that, just waiting for the kindle fire to be launched so i can finally get a tablet, mschew, no be only ipad, na apple,
i knw my limit, and i cant afford those things, just too expensive for a poor man like me

there is power in d tongue. There is death in d tongue.

Good one india, that is the only thing i liek about Indian they are tech savvy and are advancing, eah time not us here that are zombies and failures

No we cant because u have leaders that believe good things will happen like mana from heaven

Will Nigerian ever achieve this feat in 50yrs time? we should take a cue from this.

basadenet:

Will Nigerian ever achieve this feat in 50yrs time? we should take a cue from this.

million dollar question?

It might also inerest you that some swindlers are also trying to profit from this new innovation. I had wanted to buy the much touted Inye Encipher just to be able to access my ebooks more easily; but I found out that those who claim to be distributing it are faceless. After I got to Lagos, I wandered about for hours without being able to locate them or get to them on phone; they have all switched off. I was so happy I did not agree to a pre-order.