Wednesday, 29 February 2012
Tuesday, 28 February 2012
Future plans
The UbiSlate 7+ will be launched between January and February 2012.
DataWind is already working on giving the device a capacitive touch screen and 3G connectivity. This version will be priced around Rs.7,000, making it, when it releases, the cheapest 3G tablet in the market. The aim thereafter is to bring down the price - through sheer volume sales - to 
3,000.
3,000.Reliance Industries Limited (RIL) has announced the plan to launch LTE(4G) Tablet between 3500-5000, with low cost Internet service. This tablet will be an upgraded version of Aakash developed by DataWind.
3500-5000, with low cost Internet service. This tablet will be an upgraded version of Aakash developed by DataWind.Indian Govt. HRD has revealed that Aakash 2 will be announced in April 2012, and Datawind may not be its manufacturer Hindustan Computers Limited (HCL), Indian Telephone Industries Limited(ITI), and Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited (BHEL) are Interested in bidding at the Aakash 2 contract auction.
IIT-Rajasthan's specifications are 1.2Ghz CPU and 700 MB RAM. It wanted the tablet to work after steep falls and in Monsoon season, making the cost over Rs 5000. So responsibility of drafting specifications will be shifted to IIT Mumbai, IIT Madras and IIT Kanpur while PSUs are being considered for procurement of the Aakash Tablet. Aakash 2 could have the 1 GB RAM and a front facing camera capable of capturing video, that was announced earlier by Kapil Sibal.
Reception
Problems such as low memory, frequent system freezes, poor sound quality, absence of support for all formats and inability to install free software available online were also cited by users.Technical commentator Prasanto Roy criticized issues such as a low battery life, an insufficient 7" screen and absence of training and support infrastructure, especially in rural areas. UbiSlate 7+ will be released by 2012. The producer has finalized the improvements of Aakash.
After receiving feedback of the early release model from over 500 users from educational institutions, DataWind announced the next iteration that will have a new microprocessor of 700 MHz versus the original 366 MHz processor. This will improve the speed of the tablet and solve the existing problems of quick overheating, frequent system freeze, poor sound quality, absence of support for all formats and the inability to install free online software. The amount of memory, storage, and USB ports will remain the same.
On 16 December 2011, DataWind opened Aakash ordering online in their official website at 2500 with one week delivery time and cash on delivery facility and its upgraded version Ubislate 7+ is available for pre-order at 2999.
2500 with one week delivery time and cash on delivery facility and its upgraded version Ubislate 7+ is available for pre-order at 2999.On 19 December 2011, DataWind reported that the first phase of Aakash tablet has been sold-out completely, just three days since it was opened for Online order. UbiSlate 7+ production capacity of January, February and March has already been sold. Now, April production is open for pre-Booking.
By 3 January 2012 1.4 million orders had been received since the UbiSlate 7+ was put up for sale online.
By the end of January, 2012 pre-orders for UbiSlate 7+ have crossed two million.
Development and testing
Kapil Sibal has stated that a million devices would be made available to students in 2011. The devices will be manufactured at a cost of 1500 (€23 Euro) each, half of which will be paid by the government and half by the institutions that would use it. In January 2011, the company initially chosen to build the Sakshat, HCL Infosystems, failed to provide evidence that they had at least 600 million (60 crore) ($12.2 million) in bank guaranteed funds, as required by the Indian government, which has allocated $6.5 million to the project. As a result, the government put the project out for bidding again.
1500 (€23 Euro) each, half of which will be paid by the government and half by the institutions that would use it. In January 2011, the company initially chosen to build the Sakshat, HCL Infosystems, failed to provide evidence that they had at least 600 million (60 crore) ($12.2 million) in bank guaranteed funds, as required by the Indian government, which has allocated $6.5 million to the project. As a result, the government put the project out for bidding again.In June 2011,the HRD announced that it received a few samples from the production process which are under testing. Also it mentions that each state in India provided 3000 samples for testing on their functionality, utility and durability in field conditions.
The Government of India announced that 10,000 (Sakshat) tablet will be delivered to schools and colleges by late June and over the next four months 90,000 more would be made available at a price of 2500 device. Government will subsidize the cost by about 50%, so a student would have to pay less than 1,500 for the device.
2500 device. Government will subsidize the cost by about 50%, so a student would have to pay less than 1,500 for the device.35% of hardware components were sourced from South Korea, 25% from China, 16% from the USA, 16% from India and 8% from other countries.
Software Development DataWind, the maker of Aakash, has announced a contest for students wherein their best applications will be embedded in the Ubislate(Aakash Tablet). Top 5 application winners will be awarded Rs. 1 Lakh each.
Nasscom Foundation has partnered with DataWind and announced a contest wherein 10 NGOs will have an opportunity to win 20 tablets each, mainly to improve their operations and programme implementation.
Indian Ministry of Education is releasing educational videos in conjunction with IGNOU and at sakshat.ac.in. This preparation of content is meant for students with access to the Internet, India's first law-biding Online Video Library.
Browser
Datawind announced that their browser will use data compression technology to speed up data transmission. Compressed data such as ZIP files, JPEG images, MP3 audio, MPEG video will be transmitted at the basic speed, while uncompressed data will transmit typically at speeds up to 6 times faster, depending upon its nature. If and when successfully combined with Server-side web compression, 1G Analog Internet service might actually be able to compete with 2G or 3G digital internet service. Datawind claims that their browser can give up to 30 times faster speeds.
Specifications
As released on 5 October 2011, the Aakash features an overall size of 190.5 x 118.5 x 15.7 mm with a 180 millimetres (7.1 in) resistive touchscreen,a weight of 350 grams (12 oz) and using the Android 2.2 operating system with access to the proprietary marketplace Getjar (not the Android Market), developed by DataWind.
The processor runs at 366 MHz; there is a graphics accelerator and HD video coprocessor. The tablet has 256 MB RAM, a micro SD slot with a 2 GB Micro SD card (expandable to 32 GB), two USB ports, a 3.5 mm audio output and input jack, a 2100 mAh battery, Wi-fi capability, a browser developed by DataWind, and an internal cellular andSubscriber Identity Module (SIM) modem. Power consumption is 2 watts, and there is a solar charging option.
The Aakash is designed to support various document (DOC, DOCX, PPT, PPTX, XLS, XLSX, ODT, ODP,PDF), image (PNG, JPG, BMP and GIF), audio (MP3, AAC, AC3, WAV, WMA) and video (MPEG2, MPEG4, AVI, FLV) file formats and includes an application for access to YouTube video content.
Storage: Both tablets will have a micro-SD slot, and a 2 GB micro-SD flash memory card, upgradable to 32 GB, to store user data and programs not run from ROM. In Android 2.3 some applications' data can be moved from the ROM to the memory card.
Memory: ROM size has apparently not been stated by Datawind, but is estimated to be either 256 MB or 2 GB. Both tablets have graphics processing cards, but the graphics memory size and GPUspeed have not been stated .
Google Android Market: Aakash has no SIM card and insufficient processing power to use Google's Android Market, and will instead use the GetJar Marketplace. UbiSlate-7+ also will not have access to Google's Android Market confirmed by Google.
Network: Aakash supports wireless local area network (wireless LAN or Wi-Fi). It does not support any cellular networks. In addition to Wi-Fi, UbiSlate-7+ has GPRS Internet connection, a 2.5 generation Internet connection. Both tablets support an external 3G USB modem.
comparison between Aakash and Ubislate 7+
| Specifications | Aakash | UbiSlate 7+ |
|---|---|---|
| Screen | Resistive | Resistive |
| Random-access memory | 256 MB | 256 MB[25] |
| Price | 2,500 | 2,999 |
| Phone Call | No | yes |
| Operating system | Android 2.2 Froyo | Android 2.3 Gingerbread |
| Network | Wi-Fi | Wi-Fi + GPRS phone network |
| Made in | India | India |
| Central processor unit speed | ARM11, 366 MHz | ARM Cortex-A8, 700 MHz |
| Battery | 2100 mAh | 3200 mAh |
| App Store [26] | GetJar | Android Market |
History
Aspiration to create a "Made in India" computer was first reflected in a prototype "Simputer" that went into production in a small way. Bangalore based CPSU, Bharat Electronics Ltd manufactured around 5,000 Simputers to Indian Customers during 2002-07. In 2011, Kapil Sibal announced an anticipated low-cost computing device to compete with the One Laptop per Child (OLPC), though intended for urban college students rather than the OLPC's rural, underprivileged students.
A year later, the MHRD announced that the low cost computer would be launched in 6 weeks. Nine weeks later the MHRD showcased a tablet named "Aakash", not nearly what had been projected and at US$60 rather than the projected $35. "NDTV" reported that the new low cost tablet was not a patch that was shown as a prototype and was going to cost about twice as much.
While it was once projected as a laptop computer, the design has evolved into a tablet computer. At the inauguration of the national Mission on Education Programme organized by the Union HRD Ministry in 2009, joint secretary N. K. Sinha had said that the computing device is 10 inches (which is around 25.5 cm) long and 5 inches (12.5 cm) wide and priced at around $30.
India's Human Resource Development Minister, Kapil Sibal unveiled a prototype on 22 July 2010. The price of the device exhibited was projected at $35, eventually to drop to $20 and ultimately to $10. After the device was unveiled, OLPC Chairman Nicholas Negroponte offered full access to OLPC technology at no cost to the Indian team.
Doubts about the tablet were dismissed in a television program "Gadget Guru" aired on NDTV in August 2010, when it was shown to have 256 MBRAM and 2 GB of internal flash-memory storage and demonstrated running the Android operating system featuring video playback, internal Wi-Fi and cellular data via an external 3G modem.
| The initial release of the Aakash tablet. | |
| Developer | DataWind |
|---|---|
| Manufacturer | DataWind |
| Type | Tablet computer |
| Introductory price | US$35 / 2,250 |
| Operating system | Android 2.3 |
| Power | 2100 mAh li-po battery, 2-3 hr life |
| CPU | Cortex A8-700 MHz processor |
| Storage capacity | Flash memory Internal: 2 GB flash External: 2 to 32 GB microSD slot |
| Memory | 256 MB RAM |
| Display | 800 × 480 px 7 in (18 cm) diagonal |
| Sound | Built in microphone; stereo earphones; 3.5mm jack |
| Input | Multi-touch resistive touchscreen,headset controls |
| Camera | None |
| Connectivity | Wi-Fi (802.11 a/b/g/n) |
| Online services | GetJar Market |
| Dimensions | 190.5 mm (7.50 in) H 118.5 mm (4.67 in) W 15.7 mm (0.62 in) D |
| Weight | 350 g (12 oz) |
HRD Ministry Seeks Cabinet Nod For 50 Lakh Aakash-2 Tablets
The Ministry of Human Resource Development will soon propose a Cabinet note to obtain a permit for obtaining 50 lakh Aakash tablets, which will be dispersed among college students by the end of this year, a project that may cost above Rs 110 crore.
Kapil Sibal, HRD Minister displayed the tablet, Aakash-2 last week in front of the media. Aakash-2 tablet is includes a capacitive touchscreen and a faster processor. The acquisition price of these tablets would be capped at Rs 2,276, at the same cost at which government acquired the version 1.0 of Aakash.
“We are planning to propose a tender for Aakash-2 in the next 2 months. The tender will be for around 50 lakh Aakash tablets. C-Dot and ITI will be handling the tender,” said Kapil Sibal. “The current vendor of Aakash, Datawind will have to deliver the remaining 1 lakh tablets in its current contract. It can also bid for the upcoming tender,” Minister added.
Sources reveal that a Cabinet note is getting prepared to have the money sanctioned from the Ministry of Finance, as the Rs 4,000 crore 5 year fund of National Mission for Education (NME) is going to expire by this financial year end.
“We will sanction the contract to more vendors now, as the capability of meeting 50,00,000 tablets is not possible by a single vendor. However, price will be capped at Rs 2,276 per tablet. Finally we want to handout about 220 crore tablets to students,” N.K.Sinha, Additional Secretary at HRD Ministry said.
Just around 500 tablets have been dispersed so far, he added. “There were isssues with its battery life. Hence, we have enhanced upon the features in the new version,” he added.
The government is planning to distribute 50 lakh aakash tablets by the end of this year. “Because of the limited supply, we are pushing colleges to issue them similarly as books are distributed through libraries,” he added.
Sinha also revealed that the HRD ministry’s grand project of Virtual Laboratories, which aims to offer virtual study material and lectures from IIT’s on technical subjets through online. The website vlabs.co.in will also offer online model of difficulat lab experiments. All the students can book a slot on the website online, to perform virtual experiments which need high computing control.
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