India sets out to build $35 PC

The country's minister for human resource development said that the tablet system will connect with local universities in an effort to expand web access and improve education within the country.

The tablet device is reported to run on a version of Linux and will feature 2GB of RAM and Wi-Fi connectivity. Among the software said to be included with the system is a web browser and PDF file viewer.

The government said that the systems would initially cost $35, though the eventual goal would be to drop the cost down to $10. A number of India Institute for Technology (IIT) campuses have been enlisted to help research ways to improve the systems and lower cost.

The efforts are the latest to address the issue of providing both computing tools and internet access to impoverished communities in rural areas and developing countries via rugged, low-cost computing systems.

The most visible of the efforts has been the One Laptop Per Child campaign, which currently offers the $199 X1 notebook system and plans to unveil a prototype for a $75 tablet early next year at the CES conference.