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

Thu Feb 5 22:00:33 PST 2009

Hi again, C'da:

So it's going to be an electronic reading device like Amazon's Kindle? That's not bad either, and just for Rs. 500 instead of $330 or more - the cost of a Kindle, it would be great. And if it indeed is a device like the Kindle, it would not need a computer or a cable. If it serves another purpose, like providing eJournals or ebooks, and not a complete lap-top, so what, and that too for Rs. 500? 

In case, you were serious in asking about UGC and MHRD, don't they stand for University Grant Commission and Ministry of Human Resources Development that exist for educational development? I see a good connection of producing a device that they "ended up with" with these two agencies and did not see them doing anything "shameful" as the article suggested.

>desi-ingenuity has finally arrived on > the scene, bearing $ 10.00 laptops for the > deprived of the world. A mini tech-revolution > flashed across my mind-screen.

So do not give your hopes up yet!

:) 

 > Date: Thu, 5 Feb 2009 08:56:32 -0600> To: assam at assamnet.org> From: cmahanta at charter.net> Subject: Re: [Assam] WoW--the $ 10 Desi Laptop is Here!!!> > Hi A:> > > > At 6:05 PM -0600 2/4/09, Alpana B. Sarangapani wrote:> >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.> >> >:) :) :)> >> > > > *** Actually I OD'd on antacids when mm wrote > about the imminent arrival of the @ 10.00 > desi-laptop.> That gave me a lot of heartburn. But after the > heavy dose of antacids settled my stomach, I > thought about it a bit more. For a fleeting > moment I thought that hey--this is good! Maybe, > just maybe, desi-ingenuity has finally arrived on > the scene, bearing $ 10.00 laptops for the > deprived of the world. A mini tech-revolution > flashed across my mind-screen.> > But I should have known better.> > *** Tell us though, do you think ToI was catering > to the despicable wishes that lurk the shadowy > crevices of anti-Indians' black hearts, by > characterizing it "---turned out to be a joke--", > belittling genuine efforts of IT geniuses from > the hallowed halls of institutions like " Vellore > Institute of Technology, scientists in Indian > Institute of Science, Bangalore, IIT-Madras, UGC > and MHRD -" ? ( I don't know anything about these > named institutions, except for IISc. and IIT-M. > But I am sure they are all a cut above ).> > I mean,has ToI descended to the depths of > negativism by splitting semantic hair over a ' > firangi' ( foreign) language here? If the > currently-$ 20.00-but-soon-to-be-$ 10.00 > invention is a COMPUTING device, it IS a > COMPUTER, isn't it?> > Why do they have to say things like "---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,'' .> > > *** BTW, what does MHRD stand for? Tell me it is > not Most Humiliating Research and Development, is > it ?> > > c-da :-)> > > > > > > > > > > > >> >> > > 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> >_________________________________________________________________> >Windows Live: E-mail. Chat. Share. Get more ways to connect.> >http://windowslive.com/howitworks?ocid=TXT_TAGLM_WL_t2_allup_howitworks_022009> >_______________________________________________> >assam mailing list> >assam at assamnet.org> >http://assamnet.org/mailman/listinfo/assam_assamnet.org> > > _______________________________________________> assam mailing list> assam at assamnet.org> http://assamnet.org/mailman/listinfo/assam_assamnet.org
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