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$35 Android Tablet

Rii

Rii

Rear Admiral
No, there are no zeroes missing from the price tag.

IT'S not as pretty and it's not as powerful, but a new $35 tablet computer from India comes with some basic features that the iPad doesn't.

Apple's trendy touchscreen device, starting at about $630, requires users to fork out for extra accessories if they want to connect a digital camera or output video.

But a low-cost educational tablet from India that costs a fraction of the price comes with USB and Mini USB ports and an SD card slot as standard.

It also has Wi-Fi, a video-out port, runs Google's Android OS and will sell for just 1500 rupees ($36 or $US35).

The tablet is the product of a government plan to create a device affordable for students, and authorities hope to make it even cheaper in the future.

However the computer does have its setbacks.

It has 2GB of RAM but doesn't have a hard drive, and its touchscreen must be used with a stylus rather than fingers.

Indian TV network NDTV this week said a prototype model they reviewed was very impressive despite its flaws.

"The hardware seems to be handling it all very well," they said. "Android was not sluggish. It seemed like heavy-duty hardware all working well."
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[yt]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tdGowVXNeiQ[/yt]

Even if they were to sell the thing to foreigners at a rather higher price to subsidise the program for Indian students a la the OLPC, I could definitely go for this sort of thing.
 
That is great! Even if they doubled the price it would be an absolute bargain!
I hope they sell these in the U.S.!
 
I could see it at $100-$199 here in the US and they wouldn't be able to keep the on the shelves...cool stuff! :bolian:
 
Interesting, could stand a few improvements, and charge a bit more, and people would eat it up.

Make it so you can use it without the stylus, finger touch, if it doesn't support gestures (should cause its Android) then add that support.

I suppose you can just use the SD Card as the hard drive if you get a big enough one, but if they could, put some internal memory in it, 16GB would be nice.

Needs a bit of a refined design, kind of ugly the way it is, could be prettier.

Make sure it can support and run Android 2.2.

Do those things, charge like $75-$100 even, and it'll make a killing over here, the key is to target right at that $99 price point so you can say it is an under $100 tablet.
 
Brent said:
Interesting, could stand a few improvements, and charge a bit more, and people would eat it up.

Make it so you can use it without the stylus, finger touch, if it doesn't support gestures (should cause its Android) then add that support.

I suppose you can just use the SD Card as the hard drive if you get a big enough one, but if they could, put some internal memory in it, 16GB would be nice.

Needs a bit of a refined design, kind of ugly the way it is, could be prettier.

Make sure it can support and run Android 2.2.

Do those things, charge like $75-$100 even, and it'll make a killing over here, the key is to target right at that $99 price point so you can say it is an under $100 tablet.
Click to expand...

Bingo. Charge more than $100 and the magic goes away, because for a little more, people can buy tablets with more capabilities. I love the idea of this tablet, and it would be perfect for low to mid range users like me who can't afford the high end stuff with the high end prices.
 
I would buy this...even for $100. It just seems so handy. I love my MacBook Pro...and the iPod touch that came with it, but as a student, I can totally dig it. Add support for a USB keyboard...and it would be wonderful! Finger touch support would be nice as well, but I don't think I'd mind using a stylus.

Here's to hoping this device hits store shelves soon...at a decent price.
 
Brent said:
I suppose you can just use the SD Card as the hard drive if you get a big enough one, but if they could, put some internal memory in it, 16GB would be nice.

.....

Do those things, charge like $75-$100 even, and it'll make a killing over here, the key is to target right at that $99 price point so you can say it is an under $100 tablet.
Click to expand...

Are you insane? $99 for 16gigs

I'm like to buy a brand new Saleen Mustang for $500. In my fantasy land, that's perfectly reasonable.
 
16 gigs is pretty damn cheap these days. We're not talking high-performance RAM, just storage.
 
JonathonWally said:
Brent said:
I suppose you can just use the SD Card as the hard drive if you get a big enough one, but if they could, put some internal memory in it, 16GB would be nice.

.....

Do those things, charge like $75-$100 even, and it'll make a killing over here, the key is to target right at that $99 price point so you can say it is an under $100 tablet.
Click to expand...

Are you insane? $99 for 16gigs

I'm like to buy a brand new Saleen Mustang for $500. In my fantasy land, that's perfectly reasonable.
Click to expand...

That's what Apple wants you to think ;)
 
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