India launches the ‘Lowest cost ’ PC in the world

beach · Aug 5th, 2005, 13:18

CHENNAI: A personal computer for Rs. 9,990 (plus taxes). That is HCL's "PC for India," unveiled here on Monday by the Union Minister of Communications and Information Technology, Dayanidhi Maran.

The PC has a one GHz processor, 128 MB RAM, 40 GB hard disk, 15-inch digital colour monitor, 52X optical drive, keyboard and scroll mouse. The Linux-based PC will "support applications such as word processing, spreadsheet, presentation and web browsing, e-mail clients and audio video playback. It will come bundled with multi-lingual fonts such as Tamil. (more…)

concoran · Aug 6th, 2005, 00:17

This doesn't appear to be a 'low cost' pc as projected by the company. Most of the equipment in that configuration is very outdated.

1 GHz processor : 40$ (are these available anymore?)
128MB RAM : 10$ (sometimes even free).
40Gb Disk : 30$
15" monitor : 40$ (are these available anymore?)
Other equipment (case/mouse/keyboard/motherboard) 60$.
Software : 0$

crvlvr · Aug 6th, 2005, 01:12

Concoran, your numbers add up to $180. .then there is assembly cost, shipping, sales costs, and customs duty added to the imported components.

HCL's PC sells for $230. While manufacturers in the rest of the world continue to make current model obsolete to force consumers to keep updating allowong them to make a profit. Its interesting to note that this manufacturer is actually giving consumers what they need - the very basic PC.

shere · Aug 6th, 2005, 01:41

Low spec but Linux does not hog a lot of resources as most Microsoft OS do (or it never used to last time I installed and ran it on my 486 (years ago))

rangss · Aug 6th, 2005, 02:57

Quote:

Originally Posted by shere

Low spec but Linux does not hog a lot of resources as most Microsoft OS do (or it never used to last time I installed and ran it on my 486 (years ago))

Buy Windows OS by the kilo in Bangalore Software sold by kilos

MeCasa · Aug 6th, 2005, 03:03

I'm happy that India is encouraging Linux use since western governments do not have the courage to slow M$'s growing monopoly.

Good for India

Geographer · Aug 6th, 2005, 03:10

outdated doesn't mean ot of date my youngest boy has a PC based on a lower spec than this but which performs perfectly for everything he wants to do, he isn't in to games but uses office and the internet agressively so this spec is fine and the p
rice point is $50 dollars below what I could achieve on this component level ( in the UK)

edwardseco · Aug 6th, 2005, 13:27

Almost exact configuration in the Friday's Frys ad at 179 USD..

cyberhippie · Aug 6th, 2005, 14:22

Well done HCL my only gripe is the RAM module a 256 mb wouldn't change the price that much and would make for a better fuctioning PC
CHIP India recently built a similar computer with off the shelf parts for around 12000 Rp
I was thinking about doing the same for a second home PC, HCL might just have saved me the trouble!!
A great solution after all the failed ideas like simputer, discribed by chip as a "frightfully expensive PDA"

charlotte · Aug 6th, 2005, 17:57

What a brilliant price - that will do me fine whilst I am in India for 6 months - it is ok for internet use and especially e-mailing my diary back home. Save taking the laptop and the CD player.

Nick-H · Aug 6th, 2005, 19:03

Quote:

Originally Posted by charlotte

that will do me fine whilst I am in India for 6 months

It isn't so much to add to the cost of a trip. Maybe in a few months time cleaners are going to find them left behind (minus hard disc) in hotel rooms!

...Now, if they could come up with the world's cheapest laptop they'd make a fortune selling from a stall outside every international airport!

What is HCL quality like, generally?

Does it pass the acid test?

cyberhippie · Aug 6th, 2005, 21:02

Yeah Nick I'm all for the worlds cheapest laptop! I remember a conversation on a train where someone in IT was telling me about a cheap Indian laptop but that's as far as the memory goes!
Apparently laptops are all built by a handfull of companies in Taiwan! The main build is done there with specs provided by your Compaq's and Dells of the world!
So Taiwan may be a good starting point for cheap laptops although as we all know expertise in the field of fabrication doesn't always lead to good retail prices in the lands involved!

Anders · Aug 6th, 2005, 22:56

Laptops are actually not that expensive any more. You should be able to find one at home with decent specs for less than US$700.

rangss · Aug 6th, 2005, 23:05

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nick-H

It isn't so much to add to the cost of a trip. Maybe in a few months time cleaners are going to find them left behind (minus hard disc) in hotel rooms!

...Now, if they could come up with the world's cheapest laptop they'd make a fortune selling from a stall outside every international airport!

What is HCL quality like, generally?

Does it pass the acid test?

HCL is an old company who had tied up with the likes of HP and Siemens a long time ago. It had a close partnership with Intel too.

My first job was as a salesman of these PCs. Those days, Samsung was a major supplier to HCL and their hard disks had major problems. But over the years, Samsung improved a lot. HCL's Beanstalk is a premium computer and a good one too.

edwardseco · Aug 7th, 2005, 00:18

Decent laptops now at 429 USD..

Aug 5th, 2005, 13:18	#1
beach Lost in translation Join Date: Dec 2003 Location: India ! Posts: 2,233	India launches the ‘Lowest cost ’ PC in the world CHENNAI: A personal computer for Rs. 9,990 (plus taxes). That is HCL's "PC for India," unveiled here on Monday by the Union Minister of Communications and Information Technology, Dayanidhi Maran. The PC has a one GHz processor, 128 MB RAM, 40 GB hard disk, 15-inch digital colour monitor, 52X optical drive, keyboard and scroll mouse. The Linux-based PC will "support applications such as word processing, spreadsheet, presentation and web browsing, e-mail clients and audio video playback. It will come bundled with multi-lingual fonts such as Tamil. (more…)

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Aug 6th, 2005, 00:17	#2
concoran Explorer Join Date: Oct 2003 Location: Desert Southwest Posts: 319	This doesn't appear to be a 'low cost' pc as projected by the company. Most of the equipment in that configuration is very outdated. 1 GHz processor : 40$ (are these available anymore?) 128MB RAM : 10$ (sometimes even free). 40Gb Disk : 30$ 15" monitor : 40$ (are these available anymore?) Other equipment (case/mouse/keyboard/motherboard) 60$. Software : 0$

Aug 6th, 2005, 01:12	#3
crvlvr Guru Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: Hollywood Posts: 4,667	Concoran, your numbers add up to $180. .then there is assembly cost, shipping, sales costs, and customs duty added to the imported components. HCL's PC sells for $230. While manufacturers in the rest of the world continue to make current model obsolete to force consumers to keep updating allowong them to make a profit. Its interesting to note that this manufacturer is actually giving consumers what they need - the very basic PC.

Aug 6th, 2005, 01:41	#4
shere Maha Guru Member Join Date: Mar 2004 Location: England Posts: 1,199	Low spec but Linux does not hog a lot of resources as most Microsoft OS do (or it never used to last time I installed and ran it on my 486 (years ago))

Aug 6th, 2005, 03:03	#6
MeCasa Account Closed Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: Texas/New York Posts: 959	I'm happy that India is encouraging Linux use since western governments do not have the courage to slow M$'s growing monopoly. Good for India

Aug 6th, 2005, 03:10	#7
Geographer Member Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: Dunham on Trent near Retford UK Posts: 14	outdated doesn't mean ot of date my youngest boy has a PC based on a lower spec than this but which performs perfectly for everything he wants to do, he isn't in to games but uses office and the internet agressively so this spec is fine and the p rice point is $50 dollars below what I could achieve on this component level ( in the UK)

Aug 6th, 2005, 13:27	#8
edwardseco Maha Guru Member Join Date: Sep 2001 Location: Land that shakes and bakes. Posts: 5,844	Almost exact configuration in the Friday's Frys ad at 179 USD..

Aug 6th, 2005, 14:22	#9
cyberhippie Account Closed by User's Request Join Date: Jul 2002 Location: the Netherlands Posts: 6,009	Well done HCL my only gripe is the RAM module a 256 mb wouldn't change the price that much and would make for a better fuctioning PC CHIP India recently built a similar computer with off the shelf parts for around 12000 Rp I was thinking about doing the same for a second home PC, HCL might just have saved me the trouble!! A great solution after all the failed ideas like simputer, discribed by chip as a "frightfully expensive PDA"

Aug 6th, 2005, 17:57	#10
charlotte Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2002 Location: Cold UK at moment Posts: 282	What a brilliant price - that will do me fine whilst I am in India for 6 months - it is ok for internet use and especially e-mailing my diary back home. Save taking the laptop and the CD player.

Aug 6th, 2005, 21:02	#12
cyberhippie Account Closed by User's Request Join Date: Jul 2002 Location: the Netherlands Posts: 6,009	Yeah Nick I'm all for the worlds cheapest laptop! I remember a conversation on a train where someone in IT was telling me about a cheap Indian laptop but that's as far as the memory goes! Apparently laptops are all built by a handfull of companies in Taiwan! The main build is done there with specs provided by your Compaq's and Dells of the world! So Taiwan may be a good starting point for cheap laptops although as we all know expertise in the field of fabrication doesn't always lead to good retail prices in the lands involved!

Aug 6th, 2005, 22:56	#13
Anders Maha Guru Member Join Date: Jun 2003 Location: England Posts: 630	Laptops are actually not that expensive any more. You should be able to find one at home with decent specs for less than US$700.

Aug 7th, 2005, 00:18	#15
edwardseco Maha Guru Member Join Date: Sep 2001 Location: Land that shakes and bakes. Posts: 5,844	Decent laptops now at 429 USD..