Will India’s $35 computer be successful?

India’s Human Resource Development Minister Kapil Sibal has released a $35 computer, which is touch-screen, Linux-based device and looks iPad-inspired, but will it last in the market?

The minister wants to reduce the price to $10.It will come with browser and PDF reader, Wi-Fi, 2GB memory, USB, Open Office, and multimedia content viewers and interfaces. However, the example of the Simputer is with us. The $100 laptop from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology did not last long in the market. But it looks like the government has not learnt form the failure of such cheap devices.

it is to be noted that usually no one shows the prototypes until and unless its all the functionalities are in place and it has a running apps, backed by a clear game plan to build up a vendor and apps network. But nothing of these goes in showing of the prototype of the computer by the government. Know that the computer is all about the application and not just the hardware, while the roadmap of hundreds of application is fully missing. So, it is yet to be seen if the commuter is going to be useful for the targeted people especially for the educational purposes.