The likes of Dell, Intel, HP, Acer and Microsoft are among the list of seventeen companies that have shown interest in creating the next version of Indian government's ambitious low-cost tablet Aakash 4 whose tender will close on January 18.Datawind - the Canadian firm which supplied the first one lakh Aakash tablets in India is also in the list, competing against other players including domestic manufacturers like Simmtronics , Micromax, WishTel and ITI.Unlike the last time, this time around, the government is looking for multiple vendors and we may see many manufacturers join the syndicate. Unlike the last time, this time around, the government is looking for multiple vendors and we may see many manufacturers join the syndicate.
The Aakash 4 tablet features a dual-core processor coupled with 1GB of RAM and Bluetooth along with second generation phone calling facility. The specs on the tablet were decided by a special 12 member committee who had representatives from department of electronics and information technology, C-DAC, IIT Bombay and directorate general of supplies and disposal. The tablet will also have support for Wi-Fi, 2G, 3G and 4G connectivity and comes with 4GB of in-built storage which is expandable up-to 32GB via SD card slot, along with a front camera.
Aakash 1 did not get the start one would have hoped for such an initiative on the part of the government. It was promised that the tablet will be made available for students at a subsidised rate of Rs.1,130, but rather got tangled in a controversy regarding specifications between DataWind and IIT Jodhpur. Hopefully for the government and as well as consumers, the Aakash 4 project turns out to be a success.
0 comments:
Post a Comment