The world’s cheapest
tablet, the Aakash 2 , just got cheaper! Kapil Sibal, India’s IT and Telecom
Minister, announced at a media event in Delhi that the government has asked the
Centre for Development of Advanced Computing, the partner in the Aakash
project, to reduce the price of the Aakash tablet to Rs 1,500 (~$28).
Currently, the Indian government is buying the Aakash 2 from manufacturers
DataWind at Rs 2,263 (~$43), while offering the same to the Indian student
community at a highly-subsidized rate of Rs 1,131(~$22).
What this low price point will get you is a
7-inch capacitive display with 800 x 480 resolution, single-core ARM Cortex-A8
processor, 512MB of RAM, 4GB internal storage expandable via microSD up to
32GB, a 0.3MP front-facing camera, and a 3,000mAh battery. Obviously not the
best specs around, but at that price, and considering the target consumer base,
the Aakash tablet is absolutely amazing!
With plans to reduce the Rs 2,263 price point
evenfurther down to Rs 1,500, it’s logical that the device might get even
cheaper for Indian students, expanding its reach even further to the millions
of students currently a part of the Indian education system. Of course, while
the idea is impressive, execution has been a huge problem so far. The first
Aakash tablet announced two years back never made it. The Aakash 2 has been
plagued with logistical difficulties as well, and is not even close to reaching
the targets that had been set by the government.
What are your thoughts? While the plans sound
good, do you think it will ever come to fruition, at least the extent the
government has planned? Are you waiting to pick up an Aakash 2 tablet?
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