Slashdot Mirror

← Back to Stories (view on slashdot.org)

India Hopes to Make $10 Laptops a Reality

Posted by CowboyNeal on from the but-how-much-in-rupees dept.

sas-dot writes "We all know Nicholas Negroponte's $100 OLPC. India, which was a potential market, rejected it. India's Human Resources Development ministry's idea to make laptops at $10 is firmly taking shape with two designs already in and public sector undertaking Semiconductor Complex evincing interest to be a part of the project. So far, the cost of one laptop, after factoring in labor charges, is coming to $47 but the ministry feels the price will come down dramatically considering the fact that the demand would be for one million laptops."

20 of 311 comments (clear)

  1. I must be living in a story book.. by QuantumG · · Score: 5, Funny

    Umm.. I never thought I would see competition for supplying education to the poor.

    What a strange time we live in.

    --
    How we know is more important than what we know.
    1. Re:I must be living in a story book.. by Paradise+Pete · · Score: 5, Funny
      Scientific calculators in India cost around 600RS(15$). How come a child laptop cost 10$.

      The article doesn't actually say it will be a computer. Maybe it's just a slab of wood or something.

    2. Re:I must be living in a story book.. by EoN604 · · Score: 5, Funny

      The article doesn't actually say it will be a computer. Maybe it's just a slab of wood or something. Pff. 'wood'. Look at me, I'm making people Happy! I'm the magical man, from Happy Land, who lives in a gumdrop house on Lolly Pop Lane! Try cardboard. At best.
    3. Re:I must be living in a story book.. by Dogtanian · · Score: 3, Funny

      The article doesn't actually say it will be a computer. Maybe it's just a slab of wood or something. No... I've just figured out how they're going to build a laptop for $10. Here's the P-P-P-Prototype!!!
      --
      "Slashdot - News and Chat Sites Deviant". (Click "homepage" link above for details).
    4. Re:I must be living in a story book.. by Ngarrang · · Score: 2, Funny

      Combine a small chalk board with an abacus and voila! A $10 "computer". It has an intuitive "chalk" interface.

      Hmm, wait, didn't put Google put out a patent for human-assisted functional computing? Never mind, this new computer will never work.

      --
      Bearded Dragon
    5. Re:I must be living in a story book.. by Nefarious+Wheel · · Score: 3, Funny
      "It's a Magical Laptop, Charlie! Of hope and wonder!!"

      "Listen, am I the only one getting splinters from the keyboard here?"

      "It can't be that cheap"

      "Damn, they took my kidney!!"

      --
      Do not mock my vision of impractical footwear
    6. Re:I must be living in a story book.. by powerpants · · Score: 2, Funny

      I'm confused. I thought Indians lived in teepees.

  2. hmmm by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Funny

    But could a Beowulf cluster of these beat a $100 laptop?

    1. Re:hmmm by edwardpickman · · Score: 2, Funny

      Only if the squirrels running in the wheels that power them don't have heart attacks first.

  3. At this current rate... by AchiIIe · · Score: 4, Funny

    That's nothing, at the current rate I fully expect Thailand (and other developing southern Asian countries) to hit back with a $1.00 laptop, with wireless, and wikipedia, openoffice (running really fast), and even Duke Nukem Forever

    --
    Nature journal lied in Britannica vs Wikipedia Ask to retrac
    1. Re:At this current rate... by Antique+Geekmeister · · Score: 2, Funny

      They could buy licenses for all those pirated copies of Windows and Office, then use the rebates to pay for the royalties on the Britney Spears CD's.

  4. Outsourcing to India by hexed_2050 · · Score: 2, Funny

    I wonder if tech support will be outsourced to India?

    --
    Valkyrie is about to die! Wizard needs food -- badly!
    1. Re:Outsourcing to India by walt-sjc · · Score: 1, Funny

      Nope. I heard China, but all support calls will be spoken in French. This will keep support costs low...

  5. US Education!!! by ghoul · · Score: 4, Funny

    Did IISc hire some US returned scientists? People in US academia have been playing this game of overpromising and underdelivering for a long long time.

    --
    **Life is too short to be serious**
    1. Re:US Education!!! by Geminii · · Score: 2, Funny

      They must have outsourced.

  6. What is it made of? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Funny

    E.g. what kind of screen will it have? Even PDA screens are more expensive than 10$. Is it a 8x50 array of LEDs?

  7. $10 Laptop? by Asmandeus · · Score: 4, Funny

    It's a pad of paper and a really nice pencil.

  8. Re:10$ Laptops... by Bloke+down+the+pub · · Score: 2, Funny

    Very impressive, Your father wasn't oil minister of somewhere, was he?

    Fundamental flaw with your plan: making Y lower than X.

    --
    It's true I tell you, feller at work's next door neighbour read it in the paper.
  9. Wow, a $10 laptop by mattmacf · · Score: 3, Funny

    And so begins the Ten-Laptops-Per-Child campaign

    --
    I only mod funny =D
  10. Re:Remember Simputer by suv4x4 · · Score: 2, Funny

    This seems to be another vapour ware project, whose main aim is to extract government money.

    This not a vapour ware, government understand technology, Indian government - twice more!
    This a photo of top notch laptop:

    $10 Laptop Top Quality, Future Reality

    Scientists say, just $10, just attach to monitor, take anywhere. We're smart, not paying $100.
    Peace!