Rs 500 laptop creates an unprecedented hype

New Delhi, Jan 31, 2009: India is set to bring another computer revolution with the launch of Rs 500 laptop. The government is planning to produce the computer on a mass scale to provide this unbelievably cheap computing device to thousands of students, schools and colleges across the country.

Tata Motor’s Nano car may not have hit the market even several months after its intended launch, but this nano computer should be a reality within a very short time.

So far the cheapest computer available in India costs somewhere around ten thousand rupees. This will be around twenty times cheaper than the cheapest available computer in the country.

The promised US$ 100 laptop christened as ‘The One Laptop Per Child’ has completely failed.

The project originally aimed for a price of 100 US dollars. In May 2006, project officials told the Red Hat's annual user summit: “It is a floating price. We are a nonprofit organization. We have a target of $100 by 2008, but probably it will be $135, maybe $140.” When the laptop started mass production in November 2007, the unit price was estimated to be $188 when bought by thousand units. At the same time, the laptop was made available under the "Give 1 Get 1" program at $199 for a single unit, or $399 for 2 units.

So how the Indian government plans to produce such cheep computing device?

The Rs 500 prototype that will come with 2 GB RAM capacity, would be on display in Tirupati on February 3 when the National Mission on Education through Information and Communication Techology is launched.

The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs has given its approval for a new Centrally sponsored Scheme by the name of National Mission on Education through Information and Communication Technology (ICT) submitted by the Ministry of HRD. An amount of Rs.4612 crore is to be incurred during the 11th Five Year Plan for the National Mission on Education through ICT. There is a budget provision of Rs.502 crore during the current financial year 2008-09. The National Mission on Education through ICT has been envisaged as a Centrally sponsored Scheme to leverage the potential of ICT, in providing high quality personalized and interactive knowledge modules over the internet/intranet for all the learners in Higher Education Institutions in any time any where mode. This is expected to be a major intervention in enhancing the Gross Enrolment Ratio (GER) in Higher Education by 5 percentage points during the XI Five year Plan period and in ensuring access and equity in Higher Education, as also recommended by the Oversight of Committee and the National Knowledge Commission.

The Mission has two major components viz., (a) content generation and (b) connectivity along with provision for access devices for institutions and learners. It seeks to bridge the digital divide, i.e. the gap in the skills to use computing devices for the purpose of teaching and learning among urban and rural teachers/learners in Higher Education domain and empower those, who have hitherto remained untouched by the digital revolution and have not been able to joint the mainstream of the knowledge economy.

National Mission on Education through Information and Communication Technology would seek to extend computer infrastructure and connectivity to over 18,000 colleges in the country, including each department of nearly 400 universities and institutions of national importance. The mission would focus on appropriate e-learning procedures, providing facility of performing experiments through virtual laboratories, online testing and certification, online availability of teachers to guide and mentor learners, and utilization of EduSat and DTH.

Article Source:- http://www.in.com/news/readnews-science-technology-news-rs-500-laptop-creates-an-unprecedented-hype-7829193-53087-1.html