5 ms·

The $35 indian tablet isn't vaporware

34 points by blntechie 16y ago

GiraffeNecktie 16y ago
Of the $35, which equates to INR 1500, INR 750 is government subsidy. So it's really a $70 tablet. That's a lot more plausible given that you can already buy Chinese-built Android tablets for less than $100.
- bartl 16y ago
  My calculation ($35 + half that) comes to a figure of about $50.
  - Indyan 16y ago
    Your calculation is correct. If the tablet makes it to the retail market, it will cost around $50.
- whatajoke 16y ago
  You are reading it wrong. It means that the end customer (student) will get it at 50% subsidy, which will be 17.5$
  - GiraffeNecktie 16y ago
    You're right. My bad.
Indyan 16y ago
Hands-on video of the tablet: http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=1600740 http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=1600740
wccrawford 16y ago
If it doesn't exist yet, it's vaporware until it does. Any time a device claims things that it hasn't yet actually produced, that's vaporware.
- cryptoz 16y ago
  I disagree. There are discussions of Ubuntu 11.04 on mailing lists, but absolutely nothing has been produced yet. Are you suggesting that Ubuntu 11.04 is vaporware until development starts? WTF? Edit: Vaporware is a product that we were told was going to come out, but didn't. Vaporware isn't used to describe products that aren't even supposed to be released yet!
  - ww520 16y ago
    Vaporware is based on track record. I guess the Ubuntu team has a history of delivering what they promised.
  - deleted 16y ago
    [deleted]
tmcw 16y ago
So, this article is a government minister telling you that it isn't vaporware? And ending with the words "Never be sceptical of the government."? Yeah...
torpor 16y ago
Great! I hope this means a whole generation of newly-educated people coming into the world with a tool they can use to rapidly increase the quality of their lives. I think this is exactly what computers are good for: giving everyone a chance to improve themselves and life around them, not just the enlightened cognescenti, not just the privileged few .. everyone! I'm looking forward to hearing more about how kids are using these things productively, here's hoping there are going to be some innovative ideas from this sector of humanity, newly anointed with technology we've all come to take for granted ..
skbohra 16y ago
I don't believe Indian government. Never should anyone else.
edge17 16y ago
Someone was telling me that typically hardware markup is 3x-4x from the bill of material to the retail price, but in India it's more like 5x-6x because of customs and duty overheads. Anyone care to comment?
- GiraffeNecktie 16y ago
  That doesn't seem right. Apple is a high margin manufacturer and you often hear of a 50% markup on the BoM for their products http://www.computerworlduk.com/news/infrastructure/18592/apple-looking-at-50-mark-up-on-each-ipad/ http://www.computerworlduk.com/news/infrastructure/18592/app... The markup on commodity computers (and I'd put Android tablets in that category) is very low.
ravichhabra 16y ago
It is ironic that the Indian Tablet would run an OS that does not support it's languages (Devanagari, Tamil, Telugu, Gurumukhi, Bengali, the list goes on). Perhaps they should take on Microsoft's offer of running CE on it for free.

34 points by blntechie 16y ago

Of the $35, which equates to INR 1500, INR 750 is government subsidy. So it's really a $70 tablet. That's a lot more plausible given that you can already buy Chinese-built Android tablets for less than $100.

bartl 16y ago
My calculation ($35 + half that) comes to a figure of about $50.
- Indyan 16y ago
  Your calculation is correct. If the tablet makes it to the retail market, it will cost around $50.
whatajoke 16y ago
You are reading it wrong. It means that the end customer (student) will get it at 50% subsidy, which will be 17.5$
- GiraffeNecktie 16y ago
  You're right. My bad.

Indyan 16y ago

Hands-on video of the tablet: http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=1600740 http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=1600740

wccrawford 16y ago

If it doesn't exist yet, it's vaporware until it does. Any time a device claims things that it hasn't yet actually produced, that's vaporware.

cryptoz 16y ago
I disagree. There are discussions of Ubuntu 11.04 on mailing lists, but absolutely nothing has been produced yet. Are you suggesting that Ubuntu 11.04 is vaporware until development starts? WTF? Edit: Vaporware is a product that we were told was going to come out, but didn't. Vaporware isn't used to describe products that aren't even supposed to be released yet!
- ww520 16y ago
  Vaporware is based on track record. I guess the Ubuntu team has a history of delivering what they promised.
- deleted 16y ago
  [deleted]

tmcw 16y ago

So, this article is a government minister telling you that it isn't vaporware? And ending with the words "Never be sceptical of the government."? Yeah...

torpor 16y ago

Great! I hope this means a whole generation of newly-educated people coming into the world with a tool they can use to rapidly increase the quality of their lives. I think this is exactly what computers are good for: giving everyone a chance to improve themselves and life around them, not just the enlightened cognescenti, not just the privileged few .. everyone! I'm looking forward to hearing more about how kids are using these things productively, here's hoping there are going to be some innovative ideas from this sector of humanity, newly anointed with technology we've all come to take for granted ..

skbohra 16y ago

I don't believe Indian government. Never should anyone else.

edge17 16y ago

Someone was telling me that typically hardware markup is 3x-4x from the bill of material to the retail price, but in India it's more like 5x-6x because of customs and duty overheads. Anyone care to comment?

GiraffeNecktie 16y ago
That doesn't seem right. Apple is a high margin manufacturer and you often hear of a 50% markup on the BoM for their products http://www.computerworlduk.com/news/infrastructure/18592/apple-looking-at-50-mark-up-on-each-ipad/ http://www.computerworlduk.com/news/infrastructure/18592/app... The markup on commodity computers (and I'd put Android tablets in that category) is very low.

ravichhabra 16y ago

It is ironic that the Indian Tablet would run an OS that does not support it's languages (Devanagari, Tamil, Telugu, Gurumukhi, Bengali, the list goes on). Perhaps they should take on Microsoft's offer of running CE on it for free.