On the 22nd of July 2010, Sakshat- India’s very own tablet computing device was unveiled by Kapil Sibal, the Union Minister for Human Resource Development of India. The tablet would cost somewhere around $35 (Rs 1500). When the device was unveiled, it created a lot off skepticism all over the world. It seemed a good as well as an impractical idea. After all, $35 or Rs 1500, will not buy you a new cellphone, let alone a computer.
The device has been developed as part of the National Mission on Education through Information and Communication Technology that aims to link 25,000 colleges and 400 universities on the subcontinent, whereas HCL Technologies has been given the contract to manufacture this on large scale and supply it to Indian institutions for Rs 1500.
Some of the key features include:
- Android Operating System
- Wi-Fi enabled
- Web browsing,
- Video conferencing
- Fixed Ethernet capability
- Mini and Full USB
- MiniSD Card Slot
- Video Out
- Headphone Jack
- 2 GB of Memory using Memory card
The device is expected to hit the Indian markets by the 10th of January 2011 and it looks like this has all the ingredients to become a rare Indian Government success story.
