[Assam] WoW--the $ 10 Desi Laptop is Here!!!

Wed Feb 4 16:05:27 PST 2009

Good you found out about that, C'da. 

Have you already spent the money buying Zantac to reduce the heartburn? If you have the reciept and haven't opened the package yet, you can return it, you know!  

Oh wait, may be you can save them to use for many more other things that India might come up with. 

:) :) :)

 > Date: Wed, 4 Feb 2009 15:22:38 -0600> To: assam at assamnet.org> From: cmahanta at charter.net> Subject: [Assam] WoW--the $ 10 Desi Laptop is Here!!!> > http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Govts_much-awaited_10_laptop_turns_out_be_a_joke/articleshow/4078115.cms> > > > Govt's much-awaited $10 laptop turns out be a joke> 5 Feb 2009, 0054 hrs IST, Neelima Rao, TNN> > > TIRUPATI: The hype surrounding the $10 laptop ``prototype'' with two > GB RAM turned out to be a joke when the department of Human Resources > Development announced - during its inauguration in the temple town of > Tirupati - that it wasn't a laptop at all but a computing device.> > While the world eagerly waited for the launch of the $10 laptop - > designed by students of Vellore Institute of Technology, scientists > in Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, IIT-Madras, UGC and MHRD - > it wasn't a patch on the $100 laptop made by MIT.> > The MHRD officials said the price was working out to be $20 but with > mass production it was bound to come down to $10 (Rs 500) and thus > become affordable for every student in India.> > But netizens were disappointed when the ``laptop'' turned out to be > nothing more than a computing device along with a hard disk with > e-books, e-journals and relevant educative material through the > state-art-of-the-art ``Sakshat'' portal.> > As the device appeared smaller than the normal laptop with 10-inch > length and five-inch width, buzz got around that it was a > ``Nano-top'' and not a laptop. But MHRD official brought the curtains > down on all the hungama, saying it was just a computing device with > 2GB memory.> > Joint Secretary, MHRD, N K Sinha said that the device still needs to > be fine tuned. But he had no answer to the million dollar question: > where was the $10 laptop?> > The talk of the ``invention'' had raised expectations of bridging the > technological divide between rural and urban India. Talking to TOI, a > Professor from Sri Venkateswara University said (on the condition of > anonymity), ``How can just a computing device bridge the digital > divide and make access to computer literacy affordable to the masses? > Where will poor students get computers to jack this gizmo with? Will > MHRD provide computers and internet connectivity in rural and remote > areas? There is no clarity among the officials themselves,'' he said.> > A research scholar from Mahila University said, ``How many students > in Tirupati have access to computers? Then, MHRD hasn't given details > of the size of the screen, storage, processor, etc. MHRD should first > think about the feasibility of such projects before they are > launched. The entire world was watching. This act of MHRD has shamed > the nation,'' she said.> > > > > _______________________________________________> assam mailing list> assam at assamnet.org> http://assamnet.org/mailman/listinfo/assam_assamnet.org
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