Indian $10 laptop not a laptop

The Hindu has posted a photo of what has been touted as a $10 laptop by the Indian Ministry of Human Resource Development. The prototype, which was introduced recently, however looks instead more like a 10" by 5" large modem. In addition, its cost is now projected at around $20 to $30 although the ministry is trying to bring it back down to $10.

So much for the $10 laptop.

India's $10 laptop

Remember the exciting news about India's $10 laptop, which turned out to be just a typo per a spokesman for the Minister of State for Higher Education? (See previous post here.)

Well, it's back.

Yahoo News is reporting that India has unveiled plans (again) to produce a laptop costing just $10 in a bid to improve the skills of millions of students. While Higher Education Secretary R.P. Agrawal has already announced that the laptops would be available within six months, details are still scarce. Reported features include 2GB RAM and Wifi, but officials have not publicly demonstrated a prototype nor yet explained how it can be produced at such a low cost.

The government has earmarked more than 46 billion rupees ($939 million) to develop the laptops to work in rural areas with unreliable power supply and poor Internet connectivity.

Here's hoping it isn't yet another typo.

India's '$10 Laptop' to Cost US$100 After All

From PC World -

A low-cost laptop being developed by the Indian government will cost US$100 when available, and not $10 as was earlier stated. A spokesman for Minister of State for Higher Education said on Wednesday that the price would in fact be US$100 rather than $10.

In a transcript of the speech delivered at a Delhi conference on Tuesday, the Minister was quoted as saying that the government aims to provide $10 laptops to students. It has since been updated subsequently to reflect the new price.

Source article here.

India says it is developing a $10 laptop

From Computerworld -

India is developing a laptop to be sold at $10 that will target higher education applications. Research is being carried out at the Indian Institute of Science in Bangalore and the Indian Institute of Technology in Chennai. The specifications of the $10 laptop were not disclosed, nor is it clear if the project will be achieved with the help of a government subsidy.

Source article here.