As a student, I know how hard it can be to get extra money together to satisfy my tech habit addiction. Student loans and the dismal job market just don’t allow for many of us to have an Asus Transformer Prime fund, and we’ll most likely never be able to afford that full-priced Samsung Galaxy Nexus, but that doesn’t stop us from wishing and wanting. If you are a student in India, your budget is probably just as tight as those here in the States, so this latest news flash is one that should bring a smile to your face.
In an effort to aid students, a joint venture between London-based DataWind and the Indian Institute of Technology Rajasthan was created to create the Aakash — the world’s least expensive Android-based touchscreen tablet. Here’s the real kicker — the device generally costs manufacturers about $50 to make, and retails for $60, which would still make it the cheapest tablet on the market. To help put technology in more people’s hands — regardless of their financial situation — the Indian government is now subsidizing the Android-based device to students in the nation. The final price comes in at a whopping $35.
The Aakash isn’t exactly a mind-blowing device, as you can imagine with its cheap price tag, rather it is 7†tablet with 366 MHz ARM-based processor, 256 MB RAM, Wi-Fi, Micro-SD slot, and no access to the Android Market. You can access, GetJar for apps however, so you won’t be stuck with a completely useless $35 paperweight. That would only defeat the purpose, wouldn’t it?
I’m also not surprised to hear initial reports that the tablet has a few issues, such as poor sound quality and occasional freezing. Hey — it’s $35… you get what you pay for.
Source: Daily Mobile via PhoneArena
