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Lenovo Aims $199 PC At China's Rural Population

Posted by Zonk on from the there-might-be-a-sale-or-two-there dept.

athloi writes "Lenovo has announced they are gearing up to sell a basic personal computer for 'China's vast but poor rural market'. The pricetag could be as low as $199. 'The new Lenovo unit will include a processor and a keyboard and will use a buyer's television set as a monitor, Chen said. He said he had no details on the processor size or other features. The new PC goes on sale later this year at prices of 1,499 to 2,999 yuan ($199-$399), Chen said. Lenovo is the world's third-largest PC manufacturer, behind U.S.-based Hewlett Packard Inc. and No. 2 Dell.'"

14 of 111 comments (clear)

  1. Yea, right by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Insightful

    3,000 yuan is like a year's salary for China's poor.

    1. Re:Yea, right by Culture20 · · Score: 2, Insightful

      And beyond that, they'll not have much use for it. Without internet access, a computer is a tool for the middle and upper classes only (unless you think using a computer at home will making rice farming or sweatshop-working better).

  2. Ugh by afidel · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Almost all SD TV's make horrible monitors. I'd think you'd be better off with a OLPC from a usability standpoint.

    --
    There are 4 boxes to use in the defense of liberty: soap, ballot, jury, ammo. Use in that order. Starting now.
    1. Re:Ugh by ScrewMaster · · Score: 2, Insightful

      Horrible is relative, and for someone who doesn't have a computer, and can't afford anything better, a TV is much better than nothing. I started out on an Apple ][ Standard back in 1978-79: 40 column video and we were thrilled to have it, although we eventually upgraded to a monochrome monitor and a Videx 80-column card. Does anyone know the capabilities of China's regular broadcast television standards? I would hope that it would be better than NTSC, something on the order of PAL/SECAM maybe. I just threw my back out and I'm not in the mood to Google it.

      --
      The higher the technology, the sharper that two-edged sword.
    2. Re:Ugh by fm6 · · Score: 3, Insightful

      But the OLPC is designed in the U.S. and made in the Republic of China (Taiwan). Now, the People's Republic of China does trade with both countries (even though it doesn't recognize the existence of the ROC) but importing a "computer for the people" from them is politically unfeasible.

      An SD TV makes an OK monitor if you can live with 320x480 4-bit graphics -- and there was a time when many Apple ][ and IBM PC folks did. I'm sure many Szechuan villagers would consider such a setup the epitome of high tech. The problem I see is that nowadays people want computers mainly for connectivity — and making an ultra-cheap PC does nothing to create the necessary infrastructure in China's many rural regions.

    3. Re:Ugh by ScrewMaster · · Score: 4, Insightful

      {sigh} why do people persist in ignoring the actual content of a message, and focus instead on whatever detail they can use to deride the other person? If it matters to you, I'm typing this on a dual monitor software development system, so of course my expectations have risen.

      Then again, I live in a country where personal computer ownership is near-ubiquitous, where the only people that don't have a personal computer (or more than one) are those who simply don't want one. But if I were a poor Chinese peasant, who has no expectations greater than what I had back in 1978, that TV-based computer might be considered a Godsend. It's all relative, and that TV display is a one Hell of a lot better than nothing.

      At the rate China's industry is expanding, I would venture a guess that the people who are the target market for this system will eventually have the opportunity to raise their expectations as well. But that takes time, and you have to start somewhere.

      --
      The higher the technology, the sharper that two-edged sword.
  3. So much for M$'s Conquest of China. by twitter · · Score: 1, Insightful

    It should be obvious, but Bill Gate's victory lap was premature and I told you so.

    --

    Friends don't help friends install M$ junk.

  4. I just bought a 163 pc by josepha48 · · Score: 3, Insightful
    without Hard drive, monitor, keyboard, mouse and OS.

    Essentially there is a mini-itx motherboard with a Celeron CPU for $79. CPU included, add 1G memory for $24 and case for $60, and it came to about $160. I can get a hard drive from newegg for dirt cheap and have a Linux PC for under $200.

    Yeah, the mini-itx celeron system will not be the fastest and it is certainly not a gaming machine, but for a desktop pc to surf the web and all that, it is pretty cheap. I'm guessing if you include a monitor and mouse / keyboard it would be more, but I have that so, this is a realy cheap deal.

    --

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  5. Not worth it by OfficialReverendStev · · Score: 2, Insightful

    Um... seems to me that I can go to Newegg and put together a fairly kick-ass computer (certainly when compared to what Lenovo seem to be offering) for ~$400US. At least OLPC seems worth the price tag, considering what you get. In this case it sounds like a total rip-off. Unless that $399 machine has some really impressive specs (how can it if it plugs into a freaking TV?) this idea blows. Especially when it's marketed toward those with a lower income who will want to get the most possible for their money.

    Hell, if there are rural Chinese people who are willing to drop $400 on a pc give them my phone number. I'll build them something a hell of a lot better than this.

    --
    A casual stroll through the lunatic asylum shows that faith does not prove anything. - Neitzsche
  6. Heh... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Insightful

    1. Sell cheap PCs to poor Chinese requiring TV for viewing
    2. Poor Chinese' eyesite deteriorates due to horrible readability of text on a TV
    3. Open large eyeglass manufacturer
    4. Profit!!!!!

  7. Re:This sounds more like ... by berashith · · Score: 3, Insightful

    everyone is forgetting about the Atari 800XL ... mine even had a tape drive!

  8. Re:Not only price but law by sakdoctor · · Score: 3, Insightful

    Maybe in soviet Russia you needed a slip authorizing you to buy 1 computer...but not in China.

    In at least 3 medium-large cities I visited these amazing 6+ floor computer stores that puts PC world and anything else in the UK to shame. The choice was amazing, from whole computers to obscure parts, which I would expect to have to mail order in the UK. Bags of dirt cheap OEM hard drives, and quality branded RAM.

    Bottom line, if you have the cash then anyone, Chinese or otherwise can go and buy a pc, the parts to build a pc, or indeed an entire Beowulf cluster of pcs, and there's no VAT/sales tax. China is more capitalist than 'merica.

  9. This is really just .... by kwandar · · Score: 2, Insightful

    a updated version of the Commodore Vic-20 or the Atari 400/800 systems. Similar price point, and the market in China is 25 years behind North America,so it makes sense

  10. Re:Not only price but law by cryfreedomlove · · Score: 2, Insightful

    That's interesting. Whose job is it to plan the economy? For example, how many sets of golf clubs should be put into the economy each year?