State Of The Simputer

2br02b writes "Readers might recall the Simputer (Simple, Inexpensive, Multilingual Computer) whose story Slashdot has been following over the past few years, including its release in October 2002 and most recently the Scientific American article in November. Rediff.com has an informative overview on the status of what was introduced as a low-cost computer for the poor to be sold for under Rs 10000 ($200). Of the two companies that have been given licences, one has yet to put the product on the market while the other is only looking at bulk sales at prices from Rs 12000 to Rs 20000 ($400). Only between 1500 and 2000 Simputers are out on the market."

Comments

I'm going to go into direct competition

[91degrees]

with my Automated Bead Array Computational Unit System. This can be made much more cheaply, the batteries alst forever, and it never crashes!

Re:I'm going to go into direct competition

[JonTurner]

>>with my Automated Bead Array Computational Unit System. This can be made much more cheaply, the batteries alst forever, and it never crashes!

Is this compatible with Dirt-And-Stick 1.0? I've been looking to upgrade. I hate losing all my documents every time it rains...

Re:Needs a few changes

[Anonymous Coward]

Something like the old Spectrum keyboards, cheap, nasty, unbreakable.

Then it would be nothing like the Spectrum keyboards. What you want is cheap, nasty and held together with tinfoil and an old bandaid.

The High Cost of Software

[TheVidiot]

It's strange how SimCity, SimCoaster, SimSafari and the Sims all were priced normally, and yet SimPuter appears to be behind schedule and way overpriced.

Perhaps moving development offshore isn't the cost saver it's been promoted as.

:)

Re: computer for the poor?

[Anonymous Coward]

Will drop pants, write Perl for food

Re:Computer for the poor?

[Dun Malg]

HOw about we concentrate on basic human needs like food, clean, running water and shelter before we go doling out handhelds to people? I'm not at all against technology education and maximizing its use wherever possible, but there truly are some things that must take priority here.

"we"? Where do you get this "we" from? The Simputer is manufactured by a for-profit corporation in India. Are you saying that they (a bunch of tech guys, obviously) should have gone into the food water and housing business? Or are you saying that "we"-- as in all of humanity-- should drop whatever we're doing and rush to the aid of the hungry, thirsty, and homeless? Yeah, that would work. Both scenarios are ridiculous, so maybe you meant something else?