New subject: [Wikimediaindia-l] Fwd: [WMF Staff] [press] CNN on india's $35 laptop

23 Jul 2010

  Interesting article. A couple of top of mind thoughts:
1. Wouldn't it be great to have a preloaded version of Wikipedia on all 
of these computers...and a simple tutorial for how to edit Wikipedia 
when they get these computers online. Anyone want to coordinate on this?
2. It would be great to meet with the Human Resources Development 
Minister and possibly other relevant government officials when I'm in 
India in September. Anyone have warm connections for us to start a dialogue?

Best,
Barry

-------- Original Message --------
Subject: 	[WMF Staff] [press] CNN on india's $35 laptop
Date: 	Fri, 23 Jul 2010 12:54:04 -0700
From: 	Jay Walsh &lt;jwalsh(a)wikimedia.org&gt;
Reply-To: 	WMF Staff Mailing List &lt;staff(a)lists.wikimedia.org&gt;
To: 	WMF Staff Mailing List List &lt;staff(a)lists.wikimedia.org&gt;

(sorry it's CNN, I know... but interesting read)

http://edition.cnn.com/2010/WORLD/asiapcf/07/23/india.thirty.five.dollar.la…

  India unveils $35 computer for students

By *Harmeet Shah Singh*, CNN
*STORY HIGHLIGHTS*

    * India: Connectivity to all colleges is key to achieving education
      goals.
    * Officials say the price would gradually fall to $10 a piece
    * The country's literacy rate stands at 65 percent

*RELATED TOPICS*

    * India <http://topics.edition.cnn.com/topics/India>
    * Computer Technology
      <http://topics.edition.cnn.com/topics/Computer_Technology>

*New Delhi, India (CNN)* -- India has unveiled a $35 computer prototype 
as part of its program to provide connectivity to its students and 
teachers at affordable prices.

Kapil Sibal, the country's human resources development minister, 
displayed what he called a low-cost computing and access device in New 
Delhi on Thursday.

The ministry said the price would gradually fall to $10 a piece.

India said connectivity to all its colleges and universities is key to 
achieving its education goals.

Home to a billion-plus population, the country's literacy rate stands at 
65 percent, according to the 2001 census figures.

Nevertheless, the South Asian nation has made giant strides in various 
areas since it opened up its economy in the early 1990s.

The country ushered in a telecom revolution that delivered mobile 
telephony to nearly 600 million people in just a little more than a 
decade with highly competitive call tariffs.

Now, India is preparing for another leap into the digital world.

Recently, it auctioned off its airwaves for third-generation services to 
enable super-fast multimedia streaming of wireless.

The move is aimed at bringing India's online market on a par with its 
booming cell-phone business through Internet penetration with technology 
allowing quick access, data transfer and entertainment on mobile handsets.

The country has announced plans to link up all its 250,000 village 
councils by 2012 in a bid to plug massive broadband divides between 
rural and urban communities as it emerges as one of the world's few 
growth markets.

Authorities say technical institutions involved in designing the new 
device are now setting up research to address price and quality issues 
in developing budget gadgets for students.

"The aim is to reach such devices to the students of colleges and 
universities, and to provide these institutions a host of choices of 
low-cost access devices around Rs 1,500 ($35) or less in near future," 
the human resources ministry said at the launch of the computer.

Ministry spokeswoman Mamata Varma said the government aimed to introduce 
the new touch-screen computing tool at higher educational institutions 
in 2011.

The ministry, she said, is expected to tender out contracts to private 
companies for mass production of its prototype.

The Linux-based computer is equipped with an Internet browser, a PDF 
reader and several other facilities, she said.

-- 
Jay Walsh
Head of Communications
WikimediaFoundation.org <http://WikimediaFoundation.org>
blog.wikimedia.org
+1 (415) 839 6885 x 609, @jansonw