Wishtel based in Mumbai is all set to release linux based tablets for just 50$. Wishtel will release its planned tablets, netbooks at the end of this month and the range will start at just $50. Wishtel has already developed a platform for its range of tablets, netbooks and PCs that are based on Linux. Wishtel has named this linux based platform PrithV and the same will be used in their tablets and netbooks.
The company has already launched an android based tablets called IRA. The company has been developing cheap and economical tablets and netbooks. The company had also bid for manufacturing of the Akaash tablets. The IRA tablets from Wishtel were also priced at just Rs. 4000 and another one from Wishtel ,that is PrithV based tablets would be priced at almost the same range ,that is around Rs. 3000.
Milind Shah is the CEO of WishTel and he said in a statement – “Our objective as a technology and manufacturing company is to create affordable range of products that can contribute to society by extending education for free and without boundaries” while addressing the media at a meeting.
PrithV – the linux based platform has been developed by a joint venture of Wishtel and HomiBhabha Centre for Science Education. The platform supports 85 different languages. This count of 85 different global languages includes 23 Indian languages as well, meaning that the tablet has been developed with a view to support majority of the Indian users, Wishtel being an India based company.
What’s more? The tablet, netbooks will come with a pre-loaded educational suite that will offer self-learning facility for pre-primary, tertiary and higher education as well. There will be no extra charge to avail this facility. The 50$ tablets will come pre-loaded with this suite of self-learning. This would make the use of tablets and netbooks manufactured by Wishtel in primary schools more prominent leading to cut down the burden of books on children and enhance the concept of e-learning and digitization even in remote areas, where such tablets are being seen as affordable for lower and middle class people living in remote areas too.
The tablet PC would be available at a cost of 50$, that is about 2750 Rupees (at present 1$ = 55 Rupees), while the netbooks by Wishtel will be available at a bit costly price of $120, that is about Rupees 6000.
Earlier, Wishtel had lost a contract of manufacturing low-cost Akaash tablets to Datawind. But, still Wishtel is seeking for another opportunity to secure the tender with itself and has said that this time Wishtel will again participate in bidding and will try to get the tender of manufacturing the cheap Akaash tablet this time, whenever the tender is floated by the government. Datawind is the same company which had manufactured Akaash tablet version 1.0 in the previous year in collaboration with IIT Rajasthan.
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