A $35 Tablet Computer?

Tuesday, 27 July 2010 11:06

Written by jeffrey clark

The cloud is fast becoming a popular option for businesses looking to outsource their IT infrastructure, thereby reducing initial capital expenditures and gaining access to IT resources on a pay-as-you-go basis. The recent unveiling in India of a prototype tablet computer that could cost as little as $35 may signal a greater cloud-computing presence in the consumer market as well. The device, if delivered, would be a much-lower-cost alternative to Apple’s popular tablet computer, the iPad.

According to Network World (“What Could You Do With a $35 Tablet?”), the prototype tablet includes 2GB of RAM, USB support, and integrated Wi-Fi connectivity. The device runs a Linux variant, and it includes no built-in storage; instead, it uses a removable memory card. Its software offerings include a web browser, multimedia player, word processor, and PDF reader. The prototype was developed at the behest of the Indian government through a partnership with Indian universities such as the Indian Institute of Technology.

Compared with the Apple iPad, which costs around $500 and up, this new tablet appears to be a stripped-down device with little to commend it to demanding consumers and businesses looking for technology to connect them to the Internet and to needed applications. Nevertheless, as cloud computing gains traction with both businesses and consumers, the ability to perform all manner of tasks relies less on processing power in the hands of individual users. For instance, users can store data in the cloud, obviating the need for extensive local storage capabilities. The availability of cloud-based applications such as Gmail, Google Docs, and Microsoft Office Web Apps, for instance, means that users do not need to run such applications directly on their devices—they can be run in the cloud. All the user needs is a device to access these services.

The appeal of a bare-bones device like that introduced in India is that its lack of bells and whistles means less chance of failure. By omitting failure-prone components, the device can be simpler and more reliable. Of course, the other attraction is price: in this case, the device was announced to have a price tag of just $35, making it far cheaper than laptops and even other tablet computers, such as the popular iPad.

Some questions have arisen concerning the feasibility of the tablet at this price level, however. According to a blog article at Wired.com (“Why India’s $35 Tablet May Be Just a Dream”), the actual bill of materials was $47. Assuming this is the case, and given India’s extensive government control of its economy, some form of government subsidy may have been factored into the price. As yet, the government has not found any manufacturers willing to produce the device. In addition, India has a less-than-stellar reputation when it comes to following through on promised inexpensive gadgets. According to the BBC (“India unveils prototype for $35 touch-screen computer”), the Indian ministry of Human Resource Development (the same ministry responsible for this new tablet prototype) also planned and promised an inexpensive laptop (on the order of $10), but this device never materialized.

Whether or not the tablet prototype goes into manufacturing and distribution (and regardless of whether it hits the $35 price point), the concept of an inexpensive device that relies on cloud computing rather than on putting extensive computing power directly in the hands of the user is one that may be gaining steam. Many businesses with tight budgets are looking to the cloud as a way to reduce capital expenditures on IT resources. An inexpensive device such as the Indian tablet prototype could be a way for those businesses to also give employees access to cloud-based resources at a minimum of expense, thereby saving cost that might have gone to unneeded local processing power. For consumers, the situation is similar. An inexpensive device could increase access, especially by the economically disadvantaged, to computing resources. Such a dynamic could greatly expand the market for cloud computing, giving it an even greater boost. In light of the recent economic downturn and the withering hopes for a speedy recovery, inexpensive technology that meets users’ demands could be a hit, even despite competition from much more powerful devices, such as the iPad, with their corresponding higher price tags.

Only time will tell whether the Indian government’s prototype tablet will go into production and, further, whether it will ever reach markets outside of India (especially at $35). The concept of an inexpensive tablet of this type, however, may drive similar innovation in the United States and other developed nations in an attempt to meet the “low-end” market that values low price over high performance.

Author contact: jclark@datacenterjournal.com

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