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Indian Linux PDA For $300
raj2569 writes "Business Line is reporting that kaii (hand in South Indian languages), a Linux PDA to hit the market in Oct. Based on Hitachi SH7727 @ 160MHz, with 64 MB SDRAM, 32 MB Flash, 3.5" Colour TFT (320x240x64k-16 bit) and USB host controller, the device looks cool. The monochrome will be priced at $200"
With a specification and price like that, it makes the new Palm Zire look rather overpriced wouldn't you say?
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Look out U.S./Canada/Japan! Is this the first of a flood of new products to come out of India?
Luckily for me, I believe in capitalism, and I say the more the merrier.
Mike van Lammeren
It will challenge your head, your brain, and your mind.
I wouldn't consider buying a PDA like this from a company who has 75% of the pages on their site "under construction" (animated gif and all) with pictures of their product being computer rendered 3-D models.
Come on people! Whether this is a real product or not, it doesn't look to me like it has a cold chance in hell of taking off, the company just doesn't look like they have their act together properly. The "Agenda" had their act together a whole lot more than this company and the product went nowhere.
-Pete
Soccer Goal Plans
While the commercial launch of Kaii may only happen sometime in March next year, he estimated that the monochrome version would be available "under Rs 10,000" and the colour version around Rs 15,000. (Sharp's Zaurus retails for $450.)
It's good to know that the color version will be Rs 15,000 which is such a bargain compared to the $450 Sharp Zaurus, the 2,669 DKK (Denmark Kroner) Clie N760C or even the 78,903.50 SDD (Sudan Dinars) Palm m515.
I fail to see how people in India can afford to drop 200(or 300 if you read the title of the article) on a PDA
Well, last time I was in India I met several software engineers that had worked in the USA and had moved back to India because they said the standard of living was better and that they were relatively better off working in India than they were in the USA!
India is a big place with a massive population. Even if only a small percentage are wealthy enough for electronics toys, that's still a huge market.
This thing is pretty impressive. Truly, I only see one flaw.
/. uses for an icon is trendier than this beige/off-white case that this thing uses.
It's BUTT UGLY.
The antequated Palm III that
I'm still waiting for a PDA that comes in a titanium cae. Yes, I know I can buy one for $100 or so and put my PDA in it, but seriously... why make a geek toy that looks so ugly?
There is no reasonable defense against an idiot with an agenda
:wq
It always seems PDA makers are moving towards more expensive items... $300 is still very expensive (at least to me).
I swore I would never buy a stylus-based input PDA because I know $200-$400 should get me a nice one with a thumboard (which I like).
Guess what. I gave in when I got a refurbed Palm IIIx for $39 CDN. At $39 I don't worry about it being broken, lost, stolen, whatever. And it has all the features I see me needing, because a thumboard is just a want.
I wish there were some people making handhelds with the kinds of features old Palms had in the $50-$100 price range. But that's just me... And probably quite a few more consumers.
If you could be told what you can see or read, then it follows that you could be told what to say or think - BoC
It doesn't seem like it is being developed for the Indian Mass market
The level of language speaking in India is very high. Pretty much anyone who can afford one of these things will probably be able to speak English.
1) The picture is computer generated
2) Linux on the Kaii is under construction? I could understand that but
3) Java on the Kaii are under construction? Worse still
4) Application section is under construction...not to mention
5) Peripheral Information is also under construction
6) and most important...Developer program is also under construction....
3) and 6) is unacceptable for developers. Yopy and Nokia 92x0 release developers programs and emulators/developers model at least half a year before final launch. Unless they are as big as Microsoft which could single-handedly create a market for their products, even big corp like Nokia need a developer community to survive.
I think common handheld developers will see that this PDA is not even existed! This propaganda could be used to seek VC money and publicity, but it can't fool us geeks....can it?
All the articles say essentially the exact same thing, which sounds like a press release that the company created themselves.
gimme a V
gimme an A
gimme a PORWARE
My beliefs do not require that you agree with them.