Sci-Tech Today: Intel’s plans for low-cost computers for developing countries is well known. The company is apparently close to announce the details of the project very soon. “Within the next few weeks, Intel is expected to detail plans to roll out sub-$300 PCs specifically geared to bring computing capabilities to underdeveloped countries,” says the report. Intel is also believed to be contemplating a pay-per-use model which entails purchasing computing time rather than purchasing the computers outrightly.
One strategy for the PCs, according to Bill Siu, vice president and general manager of the Intel Channel Platforms Group, would be a pay-per-use model where users in, say, India, would purchase time on the low-cost computers rather than buy them outright.
The company has said that it hopes to provide a more integrated computing experience rather than just a cheap box with a processor. According to Intel, this initiative will consist of a “total solution” that includes financing, education initiatives, and even local content. Initial rollout of the PCs likely will happen first in India and Latin America, but the company hopes eventually to offer the low-cost computers worldwide.
There are many others too who are looking to launch low cost computers in India. Microsoft is one who has declared rural digital initiatives for India. MIT Media Lab is also planning to put a laptop into the hands of every child, as its cofounder Nicholas Negroponte “believes a hand-cranked PC would be valuable in regions with spotty electrical power”. There are other homegrown initiatives like Chennai-based Novatium, an initiative of Rajesh Jain (MD, Netcore), Ray Stata (Chairman of Analog Devices, US) and Prof. Ashok Jhunjunwala of IIT-Madras.
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