According to this BBC article, Indian company HCL Infosystems has launched its first low-close personal computer. A mere 9,990 ruppes (~$225), the machine’s specifications include a VIA or Intel Celeron processor running at 1 GHz, 128 MB DDRAM, a 40 GB hard drive, 15″ monitor and Linux as its OS.
Reading this, I can’t help but think about MIT Medica Lab cofounder Nicholas Negroponte’s $100 laptop project, which strives to provide cheap computers for those in developing countries. As prices for mass-produced computers continues to fall and projects like Negroponte’s continue to push manufacturers to go cheaper and simpler, the potential for rapid growth of the non-wealthy user base is undeniable. According to HCL’s CEO and Chairman, within 15 months of launching a computer priced below 15,000 rupees (~$340), the company’s market share grew more than 10 percent. Granted, the ability of the extreme poor to even afford a machine costing a few hundred dollars is suspect, but lower cost computers will increase access for millions (even billions).
Take a look at these numbers (from 2002, courtesy the CIA World Factbook):
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Of a population of nearly 296 million, the US has an estimated 159 million internet users (53.7%).
- Of a population of more than 1 billion, India has an estimated 18 million internet users (1.8%).
Look out, world.
Not too sure what you exactly want to say comparing statistics of US and Indian internet users.
The idea was to simply give readers an idea of how much the number of Indian computer users can grow, ideally with the help of a low-cost pc.