16:03, May 22 2013
Three U.S. cities are rolling out DataWind's Aakash tablets into schools
Three U.S. cities are taking part in a pilot plan to roll out cheap tablets to schools.
DataWind's Aakash tablets are being given to children in Silicon Valley and Atlanta, with Las Vegas beginning its trial soon.
The cheapest tablet, called the Aakash 2 tablet costs just $40.41 and features many aspects either better, or comparable to the original iPad.
There's a 1GHz Cortex A8 processor, 512MB RAM, 4GB internal storage, a 7-inch, 800 x 480 pixel screen and VGA camera.
For an extra $5, you can purchase the 3G and Wi-Fi model.
Following hugely successful trials in India, where the vast majority of children drop out of school before they hit eighth grade, the tablets will be used as an education tool.
When DataWind opened up its order page in India, it expected to get around 50,000 orders in a year. In fact, it found demand was so high for such a low cost device (around 25 percent of a typical Indian's monthly salary), it was getting 100,000 orders per day.
With a backlog of four million worldwide, the company has now shipped 100,000 devices to the government for distribution in schools and 500,000 to consumers.
The Indian government now plans to hand out the tablet to 220 million school children as an educational aid. Thailand, Turkey, Nigeria, Honduras, Brazil, Panama and Nicaragua have all announced they too, will be considering rolling out tablets as part of their education policy.
Although the tablets may not prove as popular in the U.S. as they have been in less developed territories, 20 percent of children in this country don't have internet at home. DataWind thinks introducing devices like the Aakash 2 will enable those without access to internet to finally access the Web.
DataWind previously launched the PocketSurfer, an enlarged smartphone that was designed purely to access the Web with an annual subsidized data connection.
