Friday, 30 March 2012
Datawind's Aakash is set to get more competition as Wishtel has announced the launch of its budget tablets in the Indian market today. Dubbed as Ira and Ira Thing, these tablets have been priced starting Rs 4,000.
Wishtel was the second lowest bidder after Datawind in the Aakash tablet project tender and it was only a matter of time before we could see budget tablet announcements from the company.
It is planning to release two variants of its tablets in the country. While one variant will be running on Android 2.2, the other variant will have Linux Sugar OS on-board. The Linux variant of the tablet will also have the native Hindi language support.
The cheaper version Ira features 7 inch resistive display, 800MHz VIA WonderMedia ARM SoC , Wi-Fi connectivity, 2GB internal memory, 512MB RAM, 3G modem support via USB, 3.5mm audio jack and a 2800 mAh battery. It is being sold at Rs 4,000.
On the other hand, Ira Thing will come with 7 inch capacitive display, but rest of the specifications will remain same as Ira. It will be priced at Rs 5,500. Both the tablets are now available nationwide.
Raspberry Pi miniaturized computer available for pre-order
Raspberry Pi, a single board computer is now available for pre-order on the element14 site. It is a credit card-sized computer, that can be connected to a TV and lets you connect generic USB mouse, keyboard and even a monitor. The mini computer has been developed to improve the programming skills of children and has been selling since the day of its launch. It is capable of many tasks your PC does, such as spreadsheets, word-processing and also games. It can also handle high-definition videos. The computer is designed around a Broadcom BCM2835 SoC and includes ARM1176JZF-S 700 MHz processor, VideoCore IV GPU, and 128 or 256 MB of RAM. Interestingly, for booting it relies on an SD card and doesn’t require an HDD or SSD and runs on Linux kernel operating system.
Two versions of the computer will be released dubbed Model A and Model B. The former will equip 128 MB RAM, one USB port and no Ethernet, while the latter will be integrated with 256MB RAM, two USB ports and a 10/100 Ethernet controller. Model A doesn’t feature an RJ45 Ethernet port, but can be connected to the network using the supplied USB Ethernet or Wi-Fi adapter. Generic keyboards and mice will also be compatible with the computer. Debian GNU/Linux, Iceweasel, Calligra Suite and Python are expected to be bundled with the Raspberry Pi. It isn't accompanied by a real-time clock, so the OS uses a network time server, or can ask the user for time information at boot time to get access to time and date info for file time and date stamping. This doesn’t mean that a real time clock (such as the DS1307) with battery backup cannot be added.
It is available for pre-order on the element14 website and is priced at Rs.2,350. Those who have pre-ordered the device will receive an e-mail about the delivery time and other details, while others can pen down their interests on the site and Raspberry will let you know when the units are available. The Model B Bundle with mouse, keyboard, Wi-Fi dongle, SD card reader and other accessories, likewise Plus Bundle and Accessory Pack will be made available soon.
BSNL launches Aakash tablet's rival
BSNL has launched three tablets including two 7 inch resistive screen based tabs with Android 2.3 operating system while the third tablet comes with an 8 inch capacitive touchscreen.
Made by Noida based company - Pantel, the tablets will be sold with discounted data plans from BSNL. The three tablets are priced at Rs 3,250, Rs 10,999 and Rs 13,500.
The cheapest model is Panta Tpad IS 701r which is priced at Rs 3,250. Notably, Aakash is priced at just Rs 2500. However, Tpad has better specification than the Datawind's low cost tablet.
Panta Tpad is a WiFi only tablet with Android 2.3 operating system, it has a 1 GHz processor (ARM11 IMAP210) clubbed with 256 MB RAM. The tablet also offers HDMI port through which it can be connected to a TV. Its 7 inch resistive touch screen comes with 800x600 resolution and 16:9 aspect ratio.
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The tablet has a 3000 mAh battery and 2 GB internal memory which can be expanded through micro SD card. The tablet also has a VGA front facing camera for video calling. While Panta Tpad IS 701r has the BSNL branding, the other two tablets images do not have.
The second tablet is named 'Panta Tpad_ws704c'. It has the same specification as its cheapest cousin (701r) but offers added 3G connectivity which supports both CDMA/EVDO and GSM, inbuilt A-GPS, Accelerometer and Bluetooth. It also comes with a 2 megapixel rear camera and also has bigger 512 MB RAM for faster performance.
The costliest amongst the three is the Tpad WS802C which has an 8 inch capacitive screen. It comes with a faster 1.2 GHz processor and 512 MB RAM. The internal memory is also bigger at 4 GB. Rest of the features like GPS, camera and Bluetooth are same as the 704C.
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