158 - Aakash 4 Tablet Specifications Awaiting Indian Government Approval Posted - Gizbot

Aakash 4 Tablet Specifications Awaiting Indian Government Approval Posted by: Vinayak Published: Monday, June 3, 2013, 18:29 [IST]

The Indian Government's Aakash project was a initiative meant to make technology affordable for students. Three versions of the Aakash tablets have been release to the public, till date and now there is news that the government is planning to bring in Aakash 4. The specifications of the upcoming tablet to be finalized soon.

"The draft of the specifications has been prepared, formally it has to be placed before a committee... We are waiting for a suitable date to do that," Department of Electronics and IT (DEITy) Secretary J Satyanarayana told PTI. "We should not add so many features so that the cost will go beyond," he further added. 

Aakash tablets are no strangers to controversies, they have constantly been bombarded with negative reviews for poor quality. In-fact there was major riff between the tablet's makers Datawind and IIT Jodhpur - which Initially handled the project, regarding poor quality of the tablets. This forced the government to shift the control over to IIT Bombay. There was also the controversy about media reports which said DataWind had procured the tablets off the shelf from China for $42 a piece. However, the company denied this. 

Coming back to Aakash 4, the success of this device will depend on the features it offers, as there are quite a few tablets that are already available at low-end price ranges. It is likely that the government will stick to Datawind for the production of the new tablet, hopefully, these device will offer better quality, at least for the sake of the students.

157 - Aakash 4 specifications awaiting authentication from government - Mobiletor

Aakash 4 specifications awaiting authentication from government

By Staff on June 3, 2013

It looks like the specifications of the Aakash 4 will be finalized soon by the government of India and the fourth generation low-budget tablet for students should be out in no time. J Satyanarayana who is the secretary of the Department of Electronics and IT, told PTI that the components suitable for the device have been outlined, but a date has yet to be fixed for them to place this proposal before the committee.

Speaking further on this subject, he went on to claim that even though they have ensured inclusion of specifications which will be at par with the latest technologies, the tablet will comprise no such element that would breach the said budget, reported Economic Times. This news comes even before the third iteration of the slate hits the shores.

Datawind, the company that had taken up the responsibility to manufacture the units, has vouched on its official site that it has recommended the UbiSlate 7C+ to serve as the third generation slab. This slab can be expected to surface during mid-2013, so we guess it should be showing up sometime this month.

However, judging by some rumors which held the manufacturer guilty of delaying the delivery of the UbiSlate 7Ci that was suggested to play the original slab’s immediate successor, we cannot really confirm if the OEM will indeed stand by its word. But whenever it does arrive, the 7C+ will be seen flaunting voice calling functionality for the first time and some noteworthy components like a 7-inch multi-touch capacitive screen as well as a 1GHz Cortex A8 processor.

Picking up from where we left, J Satyanarayana has also commented that the department’s interest lies in getting the technical specifications finalized at present and when that is done, they will be declaring it openly. According to them, this should help promote manufacturers’ of such affordable slabs.

Since the Aakash 4 is still awaiting confirmation by the government, it is too early to remark on its price and availability. But customers hunting for tablets touting low retail tags can take a look at the UbiSlate 7Ci which is currently available in the market at Rs 3,999, while students across the nation can purchase the same at Rs 2,363.

156 - Specifications for Aakash 4 to be finalised soon

Specifications for Aakash 4 to be finalised soon

The idea was to provide low-cost computing device at subsidised rate to students

The government is likely to finalise soon the specifications for the fourth version of low-cost tablet PC Aakash.

"The draft of the specifications has been prepared, formally it has to be placed before a committee... We are waiting for a suitable date to do that," Department of Electronics and IT (DEITy) Secretary J Satyanarayana told PTI.

He added that the specifications have been designed keeping in mind the current technological developments and also how to keep the cost under check."We should not add so many features so that the cost will go beyond," he said.

The Aakash project was Telecom Minister Kapil Sibal's brainchild when he was the HRD Minister.

The idea was to provide low-cost computing device at subsidised rate to students so that they can access Internet for educational purposes.

Canadian company DataWind had bagged a contract to supply one lakh tablets. However, the project hit rough weather when IIT-Rajasthan, the nodal agency for the project, rejected the tablet for not meeting performance criteria and the project had to be shifted to IIT-Bombay.

The first version of Aakash was rolled out in October 2011. The second version was launched last year."Our interest is to finalise the technical specifications at this stage and notify these specifications...Promote domestic manufacturers of such tablets so that electronics manufacturing is given a priority under the electronics policy," Satyanarayana said.

Asked if some private players have shown interest to set up manufacturing facility in the country for Aakash, he added: "Not yet...But once we notify the specifications probably more proposals will come."

Read More:

Specifications for Aakash 4 tablet to be finalised soon IBNLive New Delhi: The government is likely to finalise soon the specifications for the fourth version of low-cost tablet PC Aakash. "...the draft of the specifications has been prepared, formally it has to be placed before a committee... We are waiting for a ... See all stories on this topic »

Specifications for Aakash 4 to be finalised soon Economic Times ... under the electronics policy," Satyanarayana said. Asked if some private players have shown interest to set up manufacturing facility in the country for Aakash, he added: "Not yet...but once we notify the specifications probably more proposals will ... See all stories on this topic » Specifications for Aakash 4 to be finalised soon Hindu Business Line The Government is likely to finalise soon the specifications for the fourth version of low-cost tablet PC Aakash. “...the draft of the specifications has been prepared, formally it has to be placed before a committee... We are waiting for a suitable ... See all stories on this topic »

155 - Aakash 4 Specifications & Features Draft Is Ready

Aakash 4 Specifications & Features Draft Is Ready
Discussion in 'Gadgets | Software | Apps' started by by Kaustubh Katdare, Jun 2, 2013 at 12:35 PM

Aakash 4 specifications & features list is ready and and the draft describing the same is soon to be submitted to the Government for approval. J Satyanarayana, secretar of Department of Electronics & IT informed the PTI.

The government is already rolling up sleeves for the fourth generation of the Aakash tablet while the fate of Aakash 3 isn't clear yet. Regular readers of VoiCE may remember our post about Aakash 3 tablet features & specifications (Read). J Satyanarayana further said that the tablet specifications are beging finalised keeping the cost factor in mind. "We should not add so many features that the cost will go beyond", he said.

With that in mind, what can we expect in terms of hardware and software from Aakash 4? Let's try & make a guess based on the finalised specs for Aakash 3. Here's what we think would get featured in Aakash 4-

Unless Aakash 4 offers features what we've guessed, we believe the upgrade won't be worth it. It'd also be interesting to see which firmware does Aakash 4 will ship with. It's high time that the latest version of Jelly Bean Android finds its way to the tablet. 

Aakash tablet was a brainchild of Kapil Sibal, who currently leads the law ministry in India. The idea was to provide a budget-friendly gadget to students in India so that they can have Internet access for educational purposes. The contract to design and develop the tablet was handed over to a Canadian company 'Datawind'. The first version of Aakash was rolled out in October 2011. The section generation was launched last year. We don't yet have concrete information on the status of Aakash 3 tablet.

When asked whether any private players have shown interest in manufacturing or assembling the tablet in India, Satyanarayana said that no company has come forth yet, but once the specifications are finalised, proposals would come in.

We'd love to hear reviews and feedback about Aakash tablet from oure readers & members. Chinese computer giant Lenovo had backed out from submitting proposals stating that it was almost impossible to offer a better user experience in the price bracket set by the Government. Do Aakash owners think that the tablet offers value for money? Share your opinion with us through comments. 

154 - Punjab govt to distribute Aakash tablets among students in rural areas - Tech 2

Punjab govt to distribute Aakash tablets among students in rural areas

29 May, 2013 | by tech2 News Staff 

In its attempt to strengthen higher education in the rural areas of Punjab, the state government has said that 1.5 lakh students here would be given Aakash tablets from this session, at a cost of Rs 110 crores.  Chief Parliamentary Secretary (Education) Inderbir Singh Bolaria said in Amritsar, that the education sector was a priority for the SAD-BJP government. By distributing these tablets among students from the rural areas, the government is looking to make them aware about the use of technology in education these days.  To cost Govt Rs 110 crores Just this month, Aakash tablet manufacturer, Datawind announced the completion of delivery of 100,000 units of its low-cost tablet - Aakash 2. The total delivery included 98,000 Aakash 2 devices and 2,000 units of tablets with DataWind’s recommendations for Aakash 3, at a price of Rs 2,263. One of the world’s cheapest tablets, the tablet is spec'd competitively in comparison to other low-cost slates and is said to be half the price of a similarly-outfitted tablet in the market.  The 7-inch WVGA display is manufactured at India’s only touch-screen manufacturing facility in Amritsar. Under the hood of the Aakash 2 is a Cortex-A8 1Ghz processor of the same calibre as the original iPad; in addition, there is 512MB of RAM.  DataWind announced that it had completed deliveries of its pre-paid backlog with less than one percent of pre-paid backlog customers pending, due to lack of courier coverage or contact information.  News Sources

153 - 1.5 lakh students in rural Punjab to get Aakash tablets - Hindu Business line

1.5 lakh students in rural Punjab to get Aakash tablets

Aakash Tablet Computer, in New Delhi. 

File Photo:Sushil Kumar Verma.

AMRITSAR, MAY 29:  

1.5 lakh students in rural areas would be provided with Aakash tablets from this session at a cost of Rs 110 crore, Punjab Government said yesterday.

The Government is fully committed to strengthen higher education in rural areas of the state and the education sector was a priority for the SAD-BJP Government, Chief Parliamentary Secretary (Education) Inderbir Singh Bolaria said here.

The tablets would be distributed with an aim to make rural students aware about the use of technology in present day education, he said.

Under the previous budget, Punjab Government had sanctioned 12 per cent of the whole budget to the education sector, he said.

It has initiated the process of creating a special border area cadre for teachers so as to give a big push to education in border areas, he also said.

Besides the expansion of GNDU campuses, the process had already started to set up a world class University at Amritsar, he said.

The Guru Nanak Dev University has established a regional campus at Sathiala, where computer science, electronics, management, social sciences and science departments have already started functioning.

Apart from this, the infrastructure would also be strengthened at the regional campus with a fund sanction of Rs 14 crore, he said, adding that GNDU has opened another centre at Patti.

152 - India's $35 Tablet Getting New Hardware, Android 4.0 - Tech Hive

India's $35 Tablet Getting New Hardware, Android 4.0

By Agam Shah, IDG News Service

• Apr 9, 2012 1:24 PM

India's highly touted $35 tablet, set to ship in two to three weeks, is getting a makeover with improved hardware and Google's Android 4.0 OS, according to the company assembling the device for the Indian government.

The second-generation Aakash 2 will have a 7-inch capacitive multitouch screen and a faster single-core, 800MHz ARM Cortex-A8 processor, said Suneet Singh Tuli, CEO of Datawind. The new $35 tablet will ship with Android 2.3, but will be upgradeable to Android 4.0 about six to eight weeks after delivery, Tuli said.

"The product development is complete and deliveries are expected to start for Aakash 2 in about two or three weeks," Tuli said in an email.

The tablet's total price is around $45, and the Indian government will subsidize that to $35, Tuli said. The Indian government has budgeted for the acquisition of about 5 million units for the country's fiscal year, which started on April 1, and the tablet will be further upgraded as component prices come down, Tuli said.

The original $35 tablet was announced in July 2010 by the Indian government as a subsidized low-cost computing device for students in the country. Shipments started late last year but have been affected by disputes between Datawind and an Indian education institution responsible for providing specifications and testing the tablet.

The Aakash 2 is a significant upgrade over the original $35 tablet, Aakash, which means sky in Hindi. The original tablet had a 7-inch resistive touchscreen, Android 2.2 and a slower 366MHz processor based on an older ARM architecture. The Aakash 2 will have 256MB of RAM and 2GB flash storage, which are the same as the original $35 tablet.

The tablet will likely be upgraded to dual-core ARM Cortex-A9 processors by the end of the year, Tuli said. Many tablets today use Cortex-A9 processors, including models from Samsung, Asus, Acer and Lenovo.

"We're confident that by the fall, Cortex A9 dual-core processors will be in the same [price] range as what Cortex A8 is at today," Tuli said.

The development and deployment of the original Aakash tablet has been marred by controversies. The Indian government was expected to buy 8 million to 10 million units of the original Aakash tablet by March 31 this year, which was the end of the Indian fiscal year. But shipments have been much lower than expected mostly due to disagreements between Datawind and Indian Institute of Technology-Rajasthan, which was responsible for providing specifications and field testing for the device.

The differences between Datawind and IIT-Rajasthan related to testing criteria used to see if the tablet met certain requirements, Tuli said. The original Aakash device was tested on parameters such as shock, water resistance, temperature and dust and humidity, according to a document sent by Tuli describing test results.

IIT-Rajasthan has now been removed from the project, and the Aakash project has been transferred to the Indian Institute of Technology-Bombay, Tuli said. IIT-Bombay will also be the first buyer of Aakash 2 and purchase about 100,000 units. IIT-Bombay, in Mumbai, and IIT-Rajasthan, in Jodhpur, are among the top science and engineering educational institutions in India.

IIT-Rajasthan did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Agam Shah covers PCs, tablets, servers, chips and semiconductors for IDG News Service. Follow Agam on Twitter at @agamsh. Agam's e-mail address is agam_shah@idg.com

151 - Distribution of Aakash tablets among NIELIT students.

Distribution of Aakash tablets among NIELIT students.

Commissioner Secretary, IT Department distributes Aakash Tablets at NIELIT Srinagar.

NIELIT as one of the select technical Institutes across the country, has received over 200 Aakash tablets from IIT Bombay under project Aakash. 
These tablet’s will be tested for effectiveness as a teaching aid in a class room environment and also as a potential R&D device for promoting application development in FOSS (Free Open Source Software).

In order to inculcate and promote application development on Android
platform, NIELIT held a seminar where in students presented various project ideas targeting Android based applications on Aakash tablet. The application ideas presented by NIELIT students ranged from developing location based warning systems to e-Learning applications for students and faculty.

Sh. Bipul Pathak (IAS), Commissioner/Secretary to Govt., IT Department, Govt. of J&K attended the function as a chief guest. He distributed 93 Aakash tablets among the participating students of MCA and B-level course of NIELIT. He highly appreciated the role of NIELIT to bring in the state-of-the-art technology to promote quality education and training. On the occasion, he encouraged students to develop world class products particularly on Android platform and promised all help from the Department of IT, to the students in doing so. He also announced to give laptops to the winner of the best application developer on Android, which would be reviewed by a peer expert committee. Sh. A.H.Moon, Director NIELIT spoke about the experience of “hole in the wall experiment” which proved that technology can be learnt even in an unsupervised environment given the right kind of conditions. Sh. Muneer Ahmad Dar, Scientist-B & project Aakash coordinator, coordinated the presentations. The function was well attended by staff and students of NIELIT. 

150 - Pie in the sky - Indian Express

Pie in the sky

The Indian Express : Sat May 25 2013, 03:51 hrs

Government still doesn't get it. Aakash is no panacea for the problems in education

Unveiled as a proud tribute to Indian inventiveness, Aakash, the Central government's $35, low-cost tablet intended to bridge the divide between digital haves and have-nots, has been beset with problems from the outset. After years of trying and failing to meet the goals set for Aakash's success, the HRD ministry appeared to have divested its interest in the project, going by recent noises about how a focus on hardware as a cure for everything that ails the education system is misplaced. Yet, former HRD minister Kapil Sibal, whose brainchild it was, has now ridden to a most unwanted rescue. He has sought intervention from the PMO to address the procurement problems that have hobbled Aakash.

The fundamental problem with Aakash stems from its original ambition of being a nationalist response to the One Laptop Per Child (OLPC) project, which was aimed at providing children in developing countries with cheap laptops. The techno-utopianism that motivates such policies assumes that access to technology can, in and of itself, address the inadequacies in education delivery. It ignores questions of whether Aakash can compensate for bad teachers, or overcome the limitations posed by a lack of basic infrastructure in many parts of the country.

Like OLPC before it, Aakash privileges the tool over the outcome it is meant to achieve. And in Aakash's case, the insistence on the indigenous aspects of the project distracts from the conversation on transforming education, however misdirected it might be, turning it into a discussion on the merits of homegrown innovation instead. Affordable computing is a laudable goal. But why must the government get into the business of consumer electronics?

149 - dna exclusive: PMO steps in to sort out Aakash mess - dna

dna exclusive: PMO steps in to sort out Aakash mess

Thursday, May 23, 2013, 10:00 IST | Place: New Delhi | Agency: DNA

As the UPA government celebrated nine years of rule on Wednesday, the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) stepped in to fix one of its biggest failures – the Aakash project.

The project, aimed at providing low-cost tablet computers to the masses, has made no headway after the then HRD minister Kapil Sibal unveiled it in 2011. 

On Wednesday, principal secretary to the prime minister, Pulok Chatterjee, called a meeting with officials of the HRD and IT ministries to know the progress on the project and to decide it’s fate.

The PMO had first written to both the ministries about the statue of the project on May 15.

The scheme to provide tablets at Rs 2,750 has almost been dead since Sibal’s exit from the HRD ministry. Singed by repeated failure in procuring the first one lakh units of the tablet from Canada-based manufacturer Datawind, the ministry, currently headed by MM Pallam Raju, admitted that Aakash had failed to take off. Datawind finally delivered one lakh tablets in May after a delay of one-and-a-half years.

Consequently, the ministry has been dragging its feet on the project and hasn’t moved a cabinet note to float a tender for the next 55 lakh units.

“We don’t want to put the cart before the horse. We want to first seek feedback on the performance of the units delivered by Datawind and then take a call on moving the cabinet note procuring the next 55 lakh units,” said a senior HRD ministry official.

Launched with much fan-fare to bridge the digital divide between the rich and the poor, the tablet has failed to impress its target audience due to poor performance. However, the governments of Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan and Kerela have managed to extract political mileage from this idea by promising tablet computers to school students in their states.