The Echo

India unveils prototype of 35 U.S. dollar laptop
http://news.xinhuanet.com/english2010/sci/2010-07/24/c_13413076.htm


NEW DELHI, July 24 (Xinhua) -- India has unveiled a prototype tablet touchscreen laptop, priced at 1,500 rupees (35 U.S. dollars) , which it hopes to roll out in the market commercially next year.

Indian Minister for Human Resource Development Kapil Sibal Friday unveiled the device, which also comes with a solar-power option, as part of a push to provide high-quality education to students across the country.

The minister said it was India's answer to the 100 U.S. dollar laptops developed by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in the U.S., local media reported.

The laptop, developed by India's top Information Technology colleges, has no hard disk, using a memory card instead, like a mobile phone, and can run on solar power.

The minister said the Indian tablet, which would run the Linux operating system, was expected to be introduced to higher education institutions next year.

"The plan is to drop the price eventually to 20 U.S. dollars and ultimately to 10 U.S. dollars," he said.