$35 tablet PC has more features than the iPad !!!!!!! Running Android OS !!!!!

Now what do we think about this little beauty......

News.com ...... $35 PC tablet

Interesting, but having no HD is not winning me over .....

I can guarantee you that at $35, that device is being subsidized in some way. I'd be willing to bet that when it enters other markets, it will be $200 or more.

Hopefully these pretenders influence the price of the iPad, much like el-cheapo MP3 players influenced the iPod Nano/Shuffle.

Looks like cheap junk, like most made in Asia stuff, if it weren't for electronics I'd never buy anything made outside the US. I don't even buy clothes without the UFCW logo on them.

It's 35 dollars so I'm not exactly expecting streamline design. >_>" For what it can do for 35 dollars that's pretty amazing.

I wonder if the kids in the sweatshop assembling it get paid enough in a month to afford it.

Hey India,

Palm called. They said they wanted their PDA back.

"The tablet is the product of a government plan to create a device affordable for students, and authorities hope to make it even cheaper in the future." - That statement leads me to believe that the device will be staying in India for the foreseeable future. I'm not familiar with it but it sounds like it was designed/will be distributed by the government for the people of India. It's a shame though because an Android tablet at that price would be nice.

After doing a quick search, it appears I may be right: "But get this before you reach for your wallet. Of the $35, which equates to INR 1500, INR 750 is government subsidy. Without going into details, the minister said that if the tablet was in the retail market, something for which he has no plans for at the moment, there'll be added cost to the device which will jack up the price." (see here).

Regardless, I wonder if the device will have the Android market or whether you're stuck with what you get. Either way, it's not bad for $35.

It's never just about the feature set. There are a ton of tablets and phones out there that offer more features than Apple's offerings, yet they continue to fail repeatedly. The "everything but the kitchen sink" approach doesn't work when 90% of your customers don't know how to use the darn thing. It's about usability, and Apple has that down pat.

True, but I'm sure for $35 (compared to $500), people will learn to deal with the cheaper device.

Typing on a big screen with a stylus =

LOL ^ thanks for that.

If anyone here actually believes that a) a Tablet exists that costs $35 and b) that it is better than the iPad, do yourself a favour and buy this swampland in Florida from me. I'll give you a great deal.

@ chas ... I do believe that a Tablet exists that could cost $35 even if it is Government subsidised (very pessimistic of ya of to think there cant be)
Being it better that the iPad well that is pushing it a little too far. .. . . . . .

Cheers

Yeah, very cheap, and quite amazing, but it's not an iPad. People buy the iPad regardless of cost and lack of features, because it's an iPad.
I think the sales figures have proved that.

chas_m said:

If anyone here actually believes that a) a Tablet exists that costs $35 and b) that it is better than the iPad, do yourself a favour and buy this swampland in Florida from me. I'll give you a great deal.

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That's not the point of building the $35 tablet. It's not trying to be better.

In India, as of 2005, the official poverty rate was at 42% (source). Poverty here is defined as "living below $1.25 a day." If you make less than $1.25/day, an iPad will never be an option. A government subsidized tablet that provides the people with communication tools is more realistic. It wouldn't matter if the iPad did everything in your house (cleaned, cooked, etc.), it will never be viable for a huge percentage of the population.

The issue here isn't whether or not it's better (as I said), it's determining the best way to provide the people with these tools. Yes, the $35 tablet will not have the same functionality but as I said earlier, the much much cheaper price will drive people to it especially in a country with such a high poverty rate. It is therefore pointless trying to argue whether or not it is better because it's not trying to be.

If you can only afford a $35 internet device, you certainly can't afford the service necessary to make it usable.

vansmith said:

That's not the point of building the $35 tablet. It's not trying to be better.

In India, as of 2005, the official poverty rate was at 42% (source). Poverty here is defined as "living below $1.25 a day." If you make less than $1.25/day, an iPad will never be an option. A government subsidized tablet that provides the people with communication tools is more realistic. It wouldn't matter if the iPad did everything in your house (cleaned, cooked, etc.), it will never be viable for a huge percentage of the population.

The issue here isn't whether or not it's better (as I said), it's determining the best way to provide the people with these tools. Yes, the $35 tablet will not have the same functionality but as I said earlier, the much much cheaper price will drive people to it especially in a country with such a high poverty rate. It is therefore pointless trying to argue whether or not it is better because it's not trying to be.

Click to expand...

I think the sad realization here is that the caste system is still alive, well and flourishing in India. The disparity between the well-to-do and the absolutely impoverished is simply despicable, considering how many jobs we in the West are sending to what is still very much a third world country.

Perhaps it's just the idealist in me, but I think that when your neighbor is starving, the last thing you need to worry about is a computing device of any description.

cwa107 said:

Perhaps it's just the idealist in me, but I think that when your neighbor is starving, the last thing you need to worry about is a computing device of any description.

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Agreed. This is why I don't understand the need for India to send a man to the moon in the next ten years (source). There is so much more that the money could be spent on.

Are we seriously debating the merits of this? Seriously?

According to an India guy at work, the media gets wind of these "inexpensive peoples' PCs" as he calls them, every few years. Generally, the announcement comes from the incumbent administration running the government at the time and coincides with elections. Apparently it's a point of contention and somewhat of a joke, sort of like the "balanced budget amendment" pops up in America every 4 years. Everyone publicly states it's a great idea and evidence of the strong and or improving domestic economy and work ethic. Nothing ever comes of it and no one really seriously expects it will happen. Nice talking point though and everyone feels good about the country.