India, in October last year to the world launched the Android tablet named Aakash, the Indian Government considers cheap Tablet PC task is to reduce the threshold for the use of the nationals, so that more needy families and children to use on the Tablet PC and experience the fun and convenience of the Internet has brought. Aakash will help India's 220 million students get a better education, although the starting point is very good, but it looks like this is a bit unrealistic, Aakash price of only $ 35 (about 218 ), which can almost be seen as Tablet PC is one of the world's most expensive.
In fact, more than $ 35, the price of Aakash by the British company called DataWind company R & D Tablet PC with 7 inch resistive screen, 366MHz processor, 256m run memory Tablet PC was sold to a price of $ 35 Indian students, the surplus will be conducted by the Indian government stepped in subsidies.
But did not last long, Aakash has just launched soon encountered problems. As a technology partner of the project, the Indian Institute of Technology Rajasthan Aakash R & D has been shelved because the technical standards are not unified. DataWind CEO Suneet Singh Tuli also told reporters that the the Aakash main problem in the promotion of operators, rather than the machine itself. At this point, the $ 35 Aakash hope for the future is very slim.
However, the Indian government is not willing to let cheap tablet project did not go ahead, so in the spring of 2012, Aakash 2 been published. Aakash successor is still equipped with a 7-inch display, powered by Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich system, 800 × 480 resolution capacitive touch screen, processor configuration can also upgrade to 1GHz, memory also doubled, reached 512m. Aakash 2 is priced at $ 40 (about 250 yuan), and each computer has the Indian government subsidies of $ 10. So, the students need to pay only 30 (about 62 yuan) the price of the U.S. dollar can be Aakash 2 buy in the hands, and can cost $ 8 (about 50 yuan) to buy the matching external keyboard.
Looks Aakash 2 program perform more smoothly than Aakash. Government of India intends to purchase from five different manufacturers at more than 100,000 units Aakash and requirements to be completed before the end of 2012. Aakash 2 is still developed by DataWind smoothly, however, in the contract stage, the entire offer 8% lower than competitors.
Some people may have doubts, why DataWind Tablet PC can be cost pressure is so cheap it? Do they not want to make money do? Tuli answer is quite straightforward and surprising, DataWindThe Aakash 2 lowest factory price can be compressed to $ 37, but throw away the middlemen and unnecessary intermediate links in the channel on little more than to spend what cost. Aakash 2 will also be some not very necessary function were abandoned, such as Bluetooth, GPS and HDMI, 802.11 high-speed Wi-Fi and automatic light sensors, these functions are not to be considered added Aakash 2. This also led to the Aakash 2 maximum support 4G extended storage time just three hours to maintain.
DataWind said the cost of middlemen will try to minimize the Aakash 2 cost is the cost of the display, to occupy the largest share probably accounted for 30%. The Aakash 2 the various components from different suppliers, DataWind them together in the final. The DataWind biggest advantage lies in its Montreal an exclusive procurement company, the overall procurement costs can be compressed to 70-80%.
And 5% of the selling price of each device in the the Aakash 2 R & D process to be handed over to the Indian government as a deposit, to urge Aakash 2 R & D process to maintain a very healthy state. So, DataWind Aakash 2 itself will not be able to obtain such, its main source of income is advertising. Aakash 2 preinstalled cooperative relations and DataWind built-in Yahoo's advertising position, the light of this revenue accounted for 20% of overall revenue.
DataWind in the R & D process looks fairly normal from the above point of view, it is not unlimited amount to increase production of it? The Indian government and DataWind look convinced by. In November by the President of India, Pranab Mukherjee personally cut the ribbon for the release of Aakash 2. When I asked about Aakash 2 will supply problems, Tuli explicitly told me absolutely not. He is expected in early February, when the end of January 2013, Aakash 2 will complete delivery market. He also said that more assembly plants have now joined in, Aakash 2 as a mature product, listing the pace is accelerating.
Recognize a total of 220 million potential student users in India in there, then I think the next five years there will be more manufacturers join. One million orders delivered complete, then the next new product will have to wait until the Aakash 2 was eliminated when to officially been put on the agenda. The Indian government has decided this Aakash 2 sales costs to low cost consumer usually part of the textbook, and after three years and then a new generation of products to replace Aakash 2.
From the present situation, Aakash 2 project implementation is quite good. I Aakash 2 trial, browse the Web, send and receive e-mail, read e-books, games, and even the front camera and microphone to Screen calls, have normal access to the Google Play Store.
However, Aakash 2, there are still many problems to face. Capacitive touch screen with experience very poor, very unhappy, and in a display is in the sun is almost difficult to read and use, the battery consumption is very quick to open several applications. After Aakash 2 open, my concern is more obvious. All components, including the processor, motherboard, battery is fully exposed, looks like a cottage. Despite the the Tuli hope people will Aakash 2 as a toy, but who want to spend money to buy one so passable Tablet PC.
Taken together, the thought of thousands of students will use Aakash 2, is still very exciting. Although it now appears the Aakash 2 status of some slightly awkward, but the development trend of tablet PC must be getting lower and lower prices, more and more strong performance. India's Aakash 2 as a pioneer for the latecomers have opened up roads, accumulated experience, we hope that the major manufacturers are able to learn the spirit of Aakash 2, under the premise of ensuring the performance, the price of the Tablet PC civilians some.