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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.'"

26 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. Re:Yea, right by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Informative

      I think you completely miss which group will benefit from this the most: rural students bound for college. Even in rural communities, most students attempt the college entrance exams. Many are accepted into big universities in big cities. It's quite a big deal, because the village commissions print up and hang banners with the names of the kids from their town who are bound for university.

      The ministry of education already dramatically suppresses tuition costs. Even top universities are usually 1,000 yuan per year in tuition, which is within the range of what rural families can afford -- assuming they are not augmenting their income by renting spare rooms out to tourists and urbanites looking for a weekend out of the smog for 150 yuan per night.

      The problem is that the schools tend to be very poorly equipped with computers, and the universities expect students to have access to their own. Your average laptop here is priced at 7,000 yuan: more than the cost of a student's entire education. I have known some students from somewhat backwards parts of Anhui who this was a major sticking point for.

      Keep in mind most students in college, even those from Xinjiang and Inner Mongolia, tend to get money from their parents -- almost 200 to 300 yuan per month without exception. Of course, that is to pay for student meals, etc.

      The point is, for these college students, such a low-priced laptop is extremely important news. I would expect these to sell a whole lot. On top of that, Lenovo is a top domestic label and is known for have international-quality customer support, unlike those shady companies down in Shenzhen.

  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.
    4. Re:Ugh by TheRaven64 · · Score: 2, Informative

      But the OLPC is designed in the U.S. and made in the Republic of China (Taiwan). Some of the components are made in the PRoC, and the designs are all available royalty-free, so they could use them if they want and produce the machines locally. Alan Kay said he hoped that a lot of countries would do this, and produce their own copies locally, supporting the development of a local technological economy.

      An SD TV makes an OK monitor if you can live with 320x480 4-bit graphics Why 4-bit colour? TVs are analogue when it comes to colour, so the limit is the quality of your DAC. 24-bit colour on a TV is certainly feasible. The interlacing means you don't want to be looking at it for too long though.
      --
      I am TheRaven on Soylent News
  3. Not only price but law by jshriverWVU · · Score: 2, Interesting

    I was under the impression, there was limits on what people could buy in China. A chinese class mate was telling me how you would get slips, that would authorize you the ability to buy 1 computer. But you were limited on how many or what you could buy. So even if you were rich, it wasn't like you could go down to the store and buy 10 computers for a home cluster. Anyone know more on this?

    1. Re:Not only price but law by suv4x4 · · Score: 2, Interesting

      I was under the impression, there was limits on what people could buy in China. A chinese class mate was telling me how you would get slips, that would authorize you the ability to buy 1 computer. But you were limited on how many or what you could buy. So even if you were rich, it wasn't like you could go down to the store and buy 10 computers for a home cluster. Anyone know more on this?

      In a capitalism, when stock is limited, prices go up and demand gets lower. In a centralized economy they put you on queue and first-in gets first served. So for some property, yes, you gotta prove you need what you buy (from the bigger stuff, cars, apartments, and in the past computers, I don't know about presently), since the prices are sub-market and the stock is limited.

      But China today isn't so black-and-white in terms of the economy model. It's a weird mixture of capitalism and communism.

      Plus, this limitation of purchase applies to a person though, not companies. Companies still exist in China and they can make clustered servers for their business without troubles, trust me.

    2. Re:Not only price but law by ajs318 · · Score: 2, Funny

      Definitely some sort of a planned economy. If you give vendors free rein to set the prices of goods, consumers get royally screwed.

      --
      Je fume. Tu fumes. Nous fûmes!
    3. 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.

    4. Re:Not only price but law by E++99 · · Score: 2, Interesting

      But China today isn't so black-and-white in terms of the economy model. It's a weird mixture of capitalism and communism.


      That's for sure. China itself is far from a centralized economy, although some regions within it may be. Some of the autonomous regions there are more free-market than most Western countries. In the rural provinces, I doubt you'll find the kinds of restrictions you find in the urban areas. You definitely find far more entrepreneurism than you would expect in a "communist country". You also find far less of a "safety net" than you find in Western countries. One of the common struggles in rural families is coming up with tuition to send their kids to school, whereas most Western countries have state-run free schooling.
    5. 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?

  4. It makes me laugh. by selain03 · · Score: 4, Interesting

    It makes me laugh everytime I see someone develop a "cheap" computer with substandard, obsolete technology. The irony is that I can buy a nearly top of the line computer for $199 here in the states. It just takes some smart shopping and rebate forms. Examples:
    http://www.fatwallet.com/t/18/749939/ (laptop for $181 after rebate)
    http://www.fatwallet.com/t/18/749936/ (desktop for $180)

    What I'm trying to say is that Fry's should open up a location in rural China.

  5. 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.

    --

    Only 'flamers' flame!
    Does slashdot hate my posts?

  6. 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
  7. 1975 by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Informative

    Your class mate must be talking about 1975. I was born in 1976 in China, never heard such "slips" for computers.

  8. Re:I thought that China was communist. by IBBoard · · Score: 2, Informative

    Maybe because Communism is about sharing the means of production rather than giving everyone everything ;)

  9. bullshit by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Informative

    That's a load of crap. You aren't buying a laptop for $181. You're buying a laptop $459.93 and almost $500 in software. Then you have to jump through fucking hoops and try to cash in on 23 rebates and HOPE you get your $755 in rebates back. You're an idiot if you think that's worth the risk. And then when half your rebates never show up you're out that money.

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

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

  11. Re:I bet you 1 yuan by trolltalk.com · · Score: 2, Interesting

    Thanks for the memories ... I loved my CoCo2 (16k upgraded to 64k ram) - I learned assembler on that old box. When the CoCo 3 came out, with 128k of ram (which I upgraded to 512k + 3 floppy drives + 2 tape drives + multi-io + speech synth + mouse + touchpad + remote electrical control unit, etc., Microware OS9 + RGB monitor yadda yadda yadda, I was one happy camper. People with their early PCs were stunned! True multi-tasking, a graphical environment, multiple console terminals + multiple consoles per screen on both text and graphics, and v and pascal compilers. w00t!

    Sometimes the "good old days" really were the "good old days."

    --
    Kevin Smith on Prince
  12. China already has cheaper PC's by John+Sokol · · Score: 4, Interesting

    Gold Leopard King GLK has computers the are selling all over Asia, from China to India.
      These PC retail for the equivalent of $5 US!
      There is only a single chip in a cartridge the rest is just buttons and interconnect, no chips. They have at least 15 models that I have seen.
      They support printers, modems, a mouse, and supports 100 of video games from perfect clones of most Atari 2600, and early Nintendo like Mario Brothers.

      I have been trying to track down this company, there products are in shops everywhere, but there is no Address, website or any information on how to contact the company.
      Even the shop owners don't know how to contact them because there are just people that come around selling then to the shops.

        Model numbers look like GLK-6102, GNC-1133, GLK-5002, GLK-1119, GLK-2012,GLK 98, GLK 1339, GLK 5002
        They also seem to come under many other brand names, and make lower end game clones that are sold here in the US, and even in Walmart China.

        With a little bit more work, they would be able to add a web browser and many other cool apps.
        I would really like to get in touch with this company.

    Here is an example:
    http://famiclone.emucamp.com/goldleopardking/glk.h tm
    http://www.museo8bits.com/famiclones.htm
    http://ultimateconsoledatabase.com/famiclones/gold _leopard_king.htm
    http://n-europe.com/special.php?sid=retro3&page=2

    --
    I am always doing that which I can not do, in order that I may learn how to do it. - Pablo Picasso
  13. 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

  14. Re:I thought that China was communist. by LainTouko · · Score: 3, Informative

    China is an authoritarian capitalist state nowadays. That's more or less the opposite of communism.

  15. PCs are now cheaper than free by ChrisA90278 · · Score: 3, Informative

    Here in the US working PCs are free. Or even less than free. A while back a loaded a pickup truck with old computers, CRTs and some printers and scanners and took them to a recycle facility. I effect I paid someone to take them off my hands. Today I still have a couple working computers that are powered down and in storage. I tried giving this stuff to a school (my daughter is in 3rd grade) but the school has a "minimum standard" that they will accept. Basically if it's not a 2Ghz Pentium with a good sized hard drive and monitor and CD/DVD they don't want it. The school has to haul of their old stuff to be recycled too.

    So anyone who wants a three or four year old PC can have on for the asking. and if they work it right can have hundreds of them. All of these are usable and better then the using a TV set for a monitor.