India Hopes to Make $10 Laptops a Reality

sas-dot writes "We all know Nicholas Negroponte's $100 OLPC. India, which was a potential market, rejected it. India's Human Resources Development ministry's idea to make laptops at $10 is firmly taking shape with two designs already in and public sector undertaking Semiconductor Complex evincing interest to be a part of the project. So far, the cost of one laptop, after factoring in labor charges, is coming to $47 but the ministry feels the price will come down dramatically considering the fact that the demand would be for one million laptops."

I must be living in a story book..

[QuantumG]

Umm.. I never thought I would see competition for supplying education to the poor.

What a strange time we live in.

hmmm

[Anonymous Coward]

But could a Beowulf cluster of these beat a $100 laptop?

Re:I must be living in a story book..

[Paradise Pete]

Scientific calculators in India cost around 600RS(15$). How come a child laptop cost 10$.

The article doesn't actually say it will be a computer. Maybe it's just a slab of wood or something.

At this current rate...

[AchiIIe]

That's nothing, at the current rate I fully expect Thailand (and other developing southern Asian countries) to hit back with a $1.00 laptop, with wireless, and wikipedia, openoffice (running really fast), and even Duke Nukem Forever

Re:I must be living in a story book..

[EoN604]

The article doesn't actually say it will be a computer. Maybe it's just a slab of wood or something.

Pff. 'wood'. Look at me, I'm making people Happy! I'm the magical man, from Happy Land, who lives in a gumdrop house on Lolly Pop Lane! Try cardboard. At best.

Outsourcing to India

[hexed_2050]

I wonder if tech support will be outsourced to India?

US Education!!!

[ghoul]

Did IISc hire some US returned scientists? People in US academia have been playing this game of overpromising and underdelivering for a long long time.

What is it made of?

[Anonymous Coward]

E.g. what kind of screen will it have? Even PDA screens are more expensive than 10$. Is it a 8x50 array of LEDs?

$10 Laptop?

[Asmandeus]

It's a pad of paper and a really nice pencil.

Re:At this current rate...

[Antique Geekmeister]

They could buy licenses for all those pirated copies of Windows and Office, then use the rebates to pay for the royalties on the Britney Spears CD's.

Re:10$ Laptops...

[Bloke down the pub]

Very impressive, Your father wasn't oil minister of somewhere, was he?

Fundamental flaw with your plan: making Y lower than X.

Wow, a $10 laptop

[mattmacf]

And so begins the Ten-Laptops-Per-Child campaign

Re:hmmm

[edwardpickman]

Only if the squirrels running in the wheels that power them don't have heart attacks first.

Re:Outsourcing to India

[walt-sjc]

Nope. I heard China, but all support calls will be spoken in French. This will keep support costs low...

Re:I must be living in a story book..

[Dogtanian]

The article doesn't actually say it will be a computer. Maybe it's just a slab of wood or something.

No... I've just figured out how they're going to build a laptop for $10. Here's the P-P-P-Prototype!!! [zug.com]

Re:Remember Simputer

[suv4x4]

This seems to be another vapour ware project, whose main aim is to extract government money.

This not a vapour ware, government understand technology, Indian government - twice more!
This a photo of top notch laptop:

$10 Laptop Top Quality, Future Reality [dansdata.com]

Scientists say, just $10, just attach to monitor, take anywhere. We're smart, not paying $100.
Peace!

Re:I must be living in a story book..

[Ngarrang]

Combine a small chalk board with an abacus and voila! A $10 "computer". It has an intuitive "chalk" interface.

Hmm, wait, didn't put Google put out a patent for human-assisted functional computing? Never mind, this new computer will never work.

Re:I must be living in a story book..

[Nefarious Wheel]

"It's a Magical Laptop, Charlie! Of hope and wonder!!"

"Listen, am I the only one getting splinters from the keyboard here?"

"It can't be that cheap"

"Damn, they took my kidney!!"

Re:I must be living in a story book..

[powerpants]

I'm confused. I thought Indians lived in teepees.

Re:US Education!!!

[Geminii]

They must have outsourced.