Shankar Ganesh

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Plans to introduce another low-cost PC in India

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Recently, it was reported that India’s HRD ministry is planning to introduce $10 laptops to children.

Now, Techtree is reporting that Intel may bring it’s low cost classmate PCs to India as part of its World Ahead Program. Pilot tests were conducted in some Delhi schools.

Designed for school going children, the classmate PC sports a 900MHz Celeron Processor, Flash memory (no hard disk). While OLPC’s laptops cost around 170$, these classmate PCs might cost around $280 dollars each, but the cost may fall with time.

The cost seems to be good – considering it takes $600 for an average PC here in India. Even though these computers are less expensive, I wonder who’ll train the students to use it. There’s no good infrastructure in India, and there are not so many teachers with necessary qualifications. The quality/standard of computer education is very low. This project is another hype, I say.

Where would students store their projects if at all there’s good teaching? Should they buy additional flash memory ;)

Viable PCs are better than Affordable PCs in my opinion. Shoot your views in the comments.

Written by admin

June 16th, 2007 at 9:12 am

Posted in news

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  • http://sankaranand.com/blog/ sankaranand

    the laptop should be easily customizable so that students can upgrade their program when they switch classes and go to higher stands.

  • http://www.shankarganesh.com/ Shankar Ganesh

    SankarAnand: That’s a good suggestion.

  • http://daily-tech-news.blogspot.com/ Ramkarthik

    Shankar,this is a good idea of giving PC’s. But Laptops would serve the situation better. Already there is a plan in SSN College which is in Chennai to give Laptops to 750 first year UG and PG Students. The students can pay in easy installments. But this is not confirmed yet I think.

  • http://www.shankarganesh.com/ Shankar Ganesh

    Thanks for the info, RamKarthik.

  • http://techyantra.net Beta3

    Geez not another low-cost PCs. They always remain in drafts and in theory. Name one school that provides all students with the LOW COST PCs. Students don’t get their own PCs unless they are studying in some international school or colleges like IIT….

  • http://www.shankarganesh.com/ Shankar Ganesh

    You’re right Beta3 :D

  • http://www.techlivez.com Shashank

    i can smell a big ghotala out of this ,the ministers keep thinking of new ways of earning money in India that is why so much corruption is there in our country .

    i wonder it will benefit to the ones for whom its been introduced.

  • http://www.shankarganesh.com/ Shankar Ganesh

    Absolutely, Shashank. They just want to eat up the money before it reaches those people who need them.

  • http://techyantra.net Beta3

    You said it Shashank. Another political drama. Yawn tired of such nonsense. Somebody should think of outsourcing such project to private companies (like Tata or any such company which can be trusted, which of course doesnot include Reliance)

  • http://technicaltricks.blogspot.com/ luv

    nice idea may b a ghotala shashank may b u r rite