Introducing the $35 tablet!

I had the honour of meeting one of the Global VPs at TATA today, and getting a small insight into the extraordinary power of the Indian market for technology.

One part of our discussion was about the recent announcement of a $35 Android powered tablet targeting education

Yes – you heard that right. $35 !

(it is not quite that simple, of course. An Indian manufacturer has made a lovely prototype, and has offered to supply 1m of the devices for $35m, which the government is considering to buy for education)

But = still. $35 for an Android powered tablet (with all the extras you would expect) does sound awfully compelling!

 

What do you think?

Let us know your comments, or if you find further links to it

X0 2 to have a touch screen!

It looks possible that the next generation OLPC might have the touch screen we were wishing for!

Some of the early ideas and mockups are up on the OLPC wiki site and the form factor looks superb.

Is this a good idea?

Of course!

OLPC walk a delicate tightrope between keeping the XO as cheap, robust, and low-power as possible while at the same time pushing to innovate. Theirs is a device built just for students - just for learning. Adding in one (or even two) touch screens moves their device closer to an idealised learning device!

We were lucky enough to hear David Cavallo who head up OLPC's future of learning research talking at ALT-C last week, and were pleased to hear him enthusing about the XO innovations.

Of course there is a long journey between the current announcements and a final release, but two touch screens would be a great response to new devices like the ClassMate PC - and if you believe some of the literature OLPC are creating, they are seriously considering adding these multi-touch screens.

 

Go OLPC go!

Is Classmate PC the king of touch?

Something we love about the latest Classmate PC is the addition of a touchscreen.

One of the strongest "form" messages we get back from the various m-learning trials we run, is the appreciation of "touch" as an interface. That and easy access to multimedia features (like cameras, voice recording, speakers etc)

That - and the ability to work together, sharing devices.

PDA-style devices, like the many HTC / WindowsMobile gadgets have always scored really well on these, and looking at this interview with one of the classmate researchers, they are taking the message to heart with their latest version

Are touchscreen UMPCs the pen and paper for students of the future?

 

This may well be a critical addition, enabling Intel’s Classmate PC to emerge as leader of the pack out of the swamp of chaos engulfing OLPC at the moment ...

Come on OLPC ... don't give up just yet ...