India's 35-dollar slate PC

Seeking to enhance Indian college students' education and IT skills, which the Indian government believes will boost the country's economic development, India has developed a dirt-cheap slate computer. The 35-dollar touchscreen tablet PC is set for release in 2011 and is seen as reinforcing India's IT leadership.

Developed by the Indian Institute of Technology and the Indian Institute of Science, the gadget is part of the Indian government's efforts to improve the country's education system. With a literacy rate of about 60%, India lags other Third-World countries, such as China, which has 94%.
At the same time, India plans to install broadband Internet access in the country's 22,000 government-owned colleges. This indeed makes the solar-powered, multimedia portable computer one potent mix that would empower the country's college students.

India is negotiating with IT vendors to mass produce the device.

I sure hope that this Indian device reaches our shores. And I sure hope that it works as good as it looks (see accompanying photo).