Finally, the wait for world’s cheapest tablet is now over! The Govt. of India declared the release of the cheapest yet powerful tablet- Aakash yesterday. While the Govt. is distributing the tablet for $35 to students of India, the commercial version of the tablet will be available for just $60 after 60 days(approx). The tablet is manufactured by Datawind.

P.S. Be the early bird. You can now book the Aakash tablet here.

Mr. Kapil Sibal Unveils Aakash

According to Datawind, the commercial version of the tablet will have an internal cellular modem and a sim to connect to the internet which will not be present in the version of the tablet provided to the Govt.

Let’s have a look at the specs briefly:

The device will run on Android 2.2 Froyo and a 366 MHz processor. It offers 256 MB RAM and 2 GB flash memory. You will also get a 2GB memory card which is expandable upto 32 GB. For internet access, it features WiFi connectivity. There are also 2 USB ports. You can use them to access internet through datacards. With this tablet people can watch full 108p videos. The weight is 350 grams and the battery will last for 3 hours on average use.

Aakash Tablet

The most important point is that students can access lectures, simulations, animations, notes, study materials  instantly over the internet and download them!

So what are the cons?

The touch screen is resistive. Perhaps this will be the matter of concern for many. The device lacks a camera. The $35 version of the tablet does not have cellular connectivity. The tablet does not support Android marketplace, but it has Getjar support.

After Brazil, China and Russia, now India will get its 1.2 billion population connected to latest technologies including mobiles and internet. Actually, the developing countries like India always needed this kind of boost. Now the dream has come true. Soon students will be seen with this Tablet in their hands. The Govt. has done a great job indeed.