World's cheapest tablet launched

India's finally got its much hyped ultra-low-cost tablet, Aakash. The government is buying the first units of the device for Rs 2250 each from a British company which is assembling the devices in India. They will initially be given to students for free in a pilot run of 100,000 units. 


"The rich have access to the digital world, the poor and ordinary have been excluded. Aakashwill end that digital divide," Telecoms and Education Minister Kapil Sibal said. 


The tablet runs on Android 2.2 (Froyo) and comes with a 7-inch resistive touch screen with 800x480 resolution and weighs 350 gram. The tablet has a 256 MB of RAM, a 32 GB expandable memory slot and two USB ports. 


The tablet comes with a 12-month replacement warranty and supports formats like DOC, DOCX, PDF and PPTX etc. Aakash has standard 3.5 mm headphones jack. 


The tablet has a 2100mAh battery which can reportedly last for 2-3 hours depending on the usage. The device is also said to be completely made in India, as according to a review, a sticker at the back emphasises the fact. Aakash also reportedly packs some pre-loaded apps, however, lacks the Android Market Place. 


DataWind, the British-based company that developed the tablet, said the cost would drop when mass production begins. The tablet will be commercially available from November for Rs 2999. The commercial version of the tablet would have no duty waivers or subsidy, as in the government's version and come with added features like an inbuilt cellular modem and SIM to access internet. 


Initial reactions to the Aakash were mixed, with the mainly middle-class technology students saying it needed refinement but was a good option for the poor. 





Ankita Pande
CS -3rd year