Indian $10 laptop a ‘box with sockets’
p2pnet news view | Products:- India’s $10 Rs 500 Sakshat laptop no longer looks cheap at the price.
It just looks cheap.
But that probably won’t come as much of a surprise to people who’ve been following its progress.
It’s, “unclear how ten dollars can get you much more than a souped-up calculator,” said the Indian Express, and now, “There’s a reason that India’s $10 Sakshat computer is just $10,” says Ars Technica.
“It does almost nothing. What we thought would be a humming notebook equipped with Wi-Fi and 2GB RAM turns out to be little more than a box with sockets – no keyboard, no monitor.
“The Sakshat is a 10″x5″ plastic box which, despite an official unveiling at India’s Sri Venkateswara University yesterday, still contains only mystery parts.”
The “much-touted device was riding high on the expectation wave since the announcement of its launch,” says MeriNews, adding:
“The ‘laptop’ was supposed to cost around Rs 500 or $10. However, the laptop turned out be just a computing device that can store information, which can be accessed by user by connecting it to a laptop.
“Clearing the air over the issue at the inaugural function of National Mission on Education Programme, NK Sinha, Joint Secretary, Union Human Resource and Development Ministry, said that the computing device is 10 inches long and five inches wide and has been priced at around $30.
“However, he refused to comment as to why was it being projected as a laptop when it was not.”
But — there’s a bright side, observes MeriNews.
People at the Sakshat’s unveiling, “claimed that the device can help in building a laptop that would cost around $60,” it says.
Now you know. 
cheap at the price – Is India $10 laptop ’souped-up calculator’? February 4, 2009
Ars Technica – India’s $10 Laptop: Neither $10 nor a Laptop, February 4, 2009
Indian Express – Little laptops that couldn’t, February 2, 2009
MeriNews – Rs 500 laptop is not a laptop, February 4, 2009
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