Aakash Tablet

Introduction

The wait is finally over; India has launched the most economically priced computing device ever to be made. The Aakash Tablet as this device is known may have an astonishingly low price tag, but it is loaded with some incredible features that can match any other computing device.

Price factor

The tablet is priced at a $50, which when converted in to Indian money amounts to just Rs. 2,276. However, for students the tablet is priced much cheaper at just Rs 1,500 which comes to just over $30. The tablet is the result of an initiative by the Government of India to make computers affordable and available to all its citizens, especially to the young student community.

Advantages of tablet

• It coalesces access to available data in one device 
• It provides different learning styles
• Has inimitable capabilities 
• Powerful ANDROID 2.2 Tablet with 7" Touch Screen 

Specifications

The Indian made  Aakash  LCAD  Tablet was  launched  on  5th October  2011! It  has been  called ‘Aakash’ which literally translates to ‘Sky’. The tablet has basically been developed for students and keeping this in mind the price of the tablet has been kept affordable. The tablet was developed as an initiative by the   Ministry of  Human  Resources and  Development under Government of  India. The basic version  would  cost  a  student only Rs 1,500 which is  around  $35.  This is because  of the subsidies that will be offered to students and institutions using the tablet. These  would be available through government organizations to students and educational institutions. The  commercial version which would have a few more features than the basic version would be marginally  costlier. However, the Aakash LCAD Tablet still holds the distinction of being the world’s  cheapest  computing device. When we talk of the specifications provided in  the tablet  experts  feel that  they are good but could have been better. The PC  tablet is  not  meant for gaming purpose,  it has in  fact  been  developed especially for students,  and it would  be right to say it  meets that  purpose. To understand  this we must first take a look at the general specifications of the tablet.

Specifications of Aakash LCAD Tablet 

• Cost – Rs 2,276 (approximately $50) – Approximately Rs. 1500 for students 
• Size – 190.5×118.5×15.7mm 
• Screen size – 7” resistive 
• Weight – 350gms 
• Operating System – Android 2.2(Android Marketplace is missing, instead Getjar is installed) 
• Processor -366 MHz, plus Graphics Accelerator and HD Video Co-processor 
• Memory -256 MB RAM 
• Storage –2GB Micro SD card expandable up to 32GB 
• Connectivity – 2 USB ports (full sized) 
• Battery – 2100mAh
• Camera – External USB
• Network – Wi-Fi Enabled 
• Web Browser – DataWind Accelerated Browser 
• Modem – Inbuilt cellular and Subscriber Identity Module (SIM)

The number of computer users in the world has grown manifold. In India however the percentage is less. Majority of school children do not have access to a computer. This little device will enable all students to own a computer and it can aid in improving the educational levels especially in rural areas. The tablet is affordable and is developed for the masses, yet it has everything a tablet computer must be. The small size and light weight make it convenient to carry the device around and this is just the beginning of its advantages.

Tablet hardware

The tablet is backed by a 366MHz processor and a graphic accelerator. It also has a HD video processor that enables viewing better quality videos. The 256 MB RAM provides ample memory and for its size the storage capacity of the tablet is impressive. It has 2GB Flash memory in addition to a 2GB Micro SD card which can be expanded to 32 GB. This storage capacity is enough to store a lot of data The battery of this device is powerful and is supposed to run for long when fully charged. The 2100Ah battery is capable of lasting 3 hours during normal use and up to a maximum of 2 hours when High Definition videos are played. The AC adaptor for charging the battery is the standard 200-240 volts. Speakers and headphones can be used on the tablet with the 3.5mm audio out jack and a similar audio in jack that have been provided.

Features

The tablet is small and compact and its external dimensions are 190.5×118.5×15.7mm. At 350gms it is light weight and portable and can easily fit in to a school bag or handbag.

The fully loaded tablet has all the essentials required in a computing device. It is built using the latest technology and has a 7” resistive touch screen, with a picture resolution of 800×400 pixel. The tablet has 2 USB ports for connectivity. Since the model that has been launched is basic, it is only Wi-Fi enabled. The advanced models which will be launched at a later date are proposed to be Subscriber Identity Module (SIM) and General Packet Radio Service (GPRS) enabled. They would be priced slightly higher because of these extra features, but would still be highly affordable.

Unbeatable price

• Only Rs.2,999 for the UbiSlate 
• Monthly internet charges: Rs.98 / 2GB

High quality web

• Connect via GPRS or Wi-Fi 
• GPRS Embedded modem eliminates the need for external dongles and allows Internet access  everywhere 
• Wi-Fi Allows fast YouTube videos at hotspots 
• Fast web access even on GPRS networks, across the country using DataWind’s patented acceleration technology 
• Web, Email, Facebook, Twitter and much much more!

Multimedia powerhouse 

• HD Quality Video 
• Watching movies in the palm of your hand on a 7” screen 
• Audio library software helps manage your full collection of songs

Applications galore with android 2.2 

• Games 
• Productivity software: Office suite 
• Educational Software 
• Over 150,000 apps!

 Full sized-usb port & micro-sd slot

• Expand memory to 32GB 
• Use any ordinary pen-drive 
• Even plug-in a 3G dongle
  

Software installed in the tablet

The operating system used in the tablet is Android 2.2. The tablet supports various Document formats such as; DOC, DOCX, XLS, XLSX, PPT, PPTX, ODT and OPD. It has a preinstalled PDF viewer and also has a Text editor. It is also pre-installed with Image Display and Multimedia. The image viewer supports the following picture formats – JPG, GIF, PNG and BMP.

The tablet also supports various audio formats such as the – WMA, MP3, AC3, AAC and WAV. It also supports MPEG4, MPEG2, FLV and AVI video formats.

Price

• Aakash Tablet Price for Students :  Expected to be Rs.1500-1750 (After Rs.750 subsidy by the government, only for students) 
• Aakash Tablet Price in Retail Market : Rs. 3000 (inclusive of all taxes)

Source : www.akash-tab.com