Same thing. 'unveiling' a tablet for a price is nothing until a tablet is actually sold for that price on the market. This times two in a place like India, which is plans-heavy and implementation-light. This really doesn't mean much.
If they can only fix their corruption, bureaucracy and the totally broken governmental system, thousands of entrepreneurs can emerge and create millions of gadgets...
In a country where the GDP per capita is around $1300? You can play up the "market will solve all ills" all you like, but if everyone is too busy scrambling to get enough calories to get by then they probably don't have enough to buy the latest iPad.
Subsidized government programs exist because this is where the market fails and governments have a larger and more important mission than just maximizing profits and putting on fancy keynotes for drooling fans.
As a learning device, it's amazingly well priced. See it as a replacement for 1,000 textbooks and it suddenly makes beautiful sense and all for the cost of a single textbook.
If India now creates a national or city wide free wifi network, their economy would skyrocket in the next two decades.
The government isn't making tablets in the same way they make watches (HMT Watches) or artificial limbs ( Artificial Limbs Mfg. Corpn. Of India). The government floated a tender and a private company developed the tablet. There is a huge difference between the two.
Also, if this device proves to be the best way to deliver essential public services (e.g. education, tele-medicine, etc.), it most certainly is the job of the government to make tablets. If this is a platform on which people can innovate and build apps on top of, it is not a stretch to compare this to US federal funding of basic science.
Here we go again with false dichotomies. Having such cheap tablets will disseminate more information which will help people in multiple ways. Just 5 in 100 having access to the internet is appalling and needs to be fixed, government or not.
But I've always wondered, what came first, the corrupt government, or citizens who don't pay tax?
I see the same thing in Greece. The government is corrupt, but the people don't pay taxes.
Does the government become corrupt because there isn't enough money to pay civil servants, or does do people refuse to pay taxes because they will be misused by a corrupt government?
Again? The 'Indian Government' makes an announcement like this every three to six months. There is really really weird politics surrounding this vs the OLPC project in India. Start believing in these releases when you have consumers purchasing them, and/or deployments greater than 100.
I think you overstate the situation greatly. I have in fact written school assignments on my iPad. I have also written a pretty large body of personal notes on ideas on it.
Granted, a seven-inch screen will make it harder. But for creation of content there's always actual paper and pencil. They can keep doing whatever they're already doing in that regard. And if they can't now, there's at least the theoretical ability to attach a keyboard.
The way I see it, the first goal is to be a lighter, more flexible textbook. This is exactly content consumption. It will likely do a good job of this. If it does anything else as well, that's a bonus.
The article switches tense from "on sale" to "will have", which is a similar uncertain time detail to other articles about vaporous sub-$50 computers that have been published in the past.
Is this device shipping at the claimed price right now or not?
The first step is to offer them to university students , they probably have WIFI and electricity.
And yes, rural electrification is a huge challenge, but it's much easier to deploy a solar panel per school , to power some tens/hundreds of low power tablets.
Regards the Nano, why would people rather walk than be seen in the 'world's cheapest car?' Given the funds and the availability I'd grab one in a moment---a mountain bike in a snow storm makes a very convincing argument that there must be a better way! Is this a cultural thing---if so move the market to where such hangups don't exist would be my suggestion...
I see that the context is missing.
The alternative is two wheeled vehicles (scooters and motorbikes). In India a big percentage of people use two wheelers for commuting. Nano seems to be a slight upgrade from two wheelers. However with rising gas costs, moving from a two wheeled vehicle to the cheapest car does not make much economic sense. Also with Nano being branded as the cheapest car, it does not make much social sense either.
I really want to know what the plan is? How will poor people who cant afford a decent computer have access to WiFi? Its not like India has free Wifi spots in many of these locations. Is there a plan to provide Wifi in the schools where these kids go? I wish this article had more information regarding the whole plan
[+] [-] tmcw|14 years ago|reply
My comment a year ago: http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=1600780
Same thing. 'unveiling' a tablet for a price is nothing until a tablet is actually sold for that price on the market. This times two in a place like India, which is plans-heavy and implementation-light. This really doesn't mean much.
[+] [-] padmanabhan01|14 years ago|reply
If they can only fix their corruption, bureaucracy and the totally broken governmental system, thousands of entrepreneurs can emerge and create millions of gadgets...
[+] [-] drzaiusapelord|14 years ago|reply
Subsidized government programs exist because this is where the market fails and governments have a larger and more important mission than just maximizing profits and putting on fancy keynotes for drooling fans.
[+] [-] brador|14 years ago|reply
If India now creates a national or city wide free wifi network, their economy would skyrocket in the next two decades.
[+] [-] CesareBorgia|14 years ago|reply
Also, if this device proves to be the best way to deliver essential public services (e.g. education, tele-medicine, etc.), it most certainly is the job of the government to make tablets. If this is a platform on which people can innovate and build apps on top of, it is not a stretch to compare this to US federal funding of basic science.
[+] [-] senthil_rajasek|14 years ago|reply
May be those who come out of such an education system will know better than working within a corrupt, bureaucratic and broken system.
[+] [-] recoiledsnake|14 years ago|reply
[+] [-] rajpaul|14 years ago|reply
But I've always wondered, what came first, the corrupt government, or citizens who don't pay tax?
I see the same thing in Greece. The government is corrupt, but the people don't pay taxes.
Does the government become corrupt because there isn't enough money to pay civil servants, or does do people refuse to pay taxes because they will be misused by a corrupt government?
[+] [-] sethish|14 years ago|reply
[+] [-] dimmuborgir|14 years ago|reply
First announcement: "we'll do it".
Status update: "as announced it is on course and will be completed 'soon'".
Launch: "as promised here it is for the public".
Media just publishes each statement as major news item and people feel it's already overrated.
[+] [-] sandGorgon|14 years ago|reply
Will be available for purchase in November.
The specs are:
Android 2.2
Wifi, 2 USB Ports
7'' resistive display, 350g
366 mhz processor
256 mb RAM
2GB flash
microsd support
2100 mah battery
can play 1080p video
[+] [-] misterbwong|14 years ago|reply
This is a big surprise to me given the low specs. Can it do this well?
[+] [-] deweller|14 years ago|reply
[+] [-] snampall|14 years ago|reply
[+] [-] RobertKohr|14 years ago|reply
Without a keyboard you cannot create. (Ok you can draw imprecise pictures and type really slowly)
Without creating/doing you are not learning. You are just absorbing data.
Tablet/touch screen users never add new content to the world, they are just an audience.
[+] [-] andrewflnr|14 years ago|reply
Granted, a seven-inch screen will make it harder. But for creation of content there's always actual paper and pencil. They can keep doing whatever they're already doing in that regard. And if they can't now, there's at least the theoretical ability to attach a keyboard.
The way I see it, the first goal is to be a lighter, more flexible textbook. This is exactly content consumption. It will likely do a good job of this. If it does anything else as well, that's a bonus.
[+] [-] aw3c2|14 years ago|reply
[+] [-] droithomme|14 years ago|reply
Is this device shipping at the claimed price right now or not?
[+] [-] ankimal|14 years ago|reply
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rural_electrification#India
[+] [-] ippisl|14 years ago|reply
And yes, rural electrification is a huge challenge, but it's much easier to deploy a solar panel per school , to power some tens/hundreds of low power tablets.
[+] [-] ww520|14 years ago|reply
My bad. Downvote me to oblivion.
[+] [-] hsmyers|14 years ago|reply
[+] [-] thewisedude|14 years ago|reply
[+] [-] yalogin|14 years ago|reply
[+] [-] hugh3|14 years ago|reply
[+] [-] thewisedude|14 years ago|reply
[+] [-] unknown|14 years ago|reply
[deleted]
[+] [-] ashwinm|14 years ago|reply
[+] [-] Achshar|14 years ago|reply
[+] [-] drieddust|14 years ago|reply
[+] [-] vimalg2|14 years ago|reply
Seriously, I hope this gets put to good use by schools for textbooks too.
Boys will be boys.
[+] [-] tariq|14 years ago|reply
[+] [-] teja1990|14 years ago|reply
[+] [-] joshu|14 years ago|reply
[+] [-] nextparadigms|14 years ago|reply
[+] [-] meow|14 years ago|reply
[+] [-] trollLikeABoss|14 years ago|reply