In commerce, lesser the price better are your chances of selling a product. Brand exceptions are of course well known. However, in recent times, there seems to be a paradigm shift towards better economics. The Nano paved the way for a whole gamut of devices that were ridiculously cheap yet showed all signs of commercial viability. Reports of a $10 laptop in India left techies across the world dumbfounded, but apparently a zero was missed out in the bargain, or perhaps in the quest for publicity. This time around, a group of designers are making sure the numbers are accurate while designing a $12 notebook. U.S. graduate student Derek Lomas, Anuj Nanavati of India, MIT graduate Jesse Austin-Breneman and their comrades will showcase their product at the MIT International Design Summit this month. And it is heartening to note that their endeavor is targeted at enhancing economic opportunities for people in developing countries.
The group’s objective is to create a stripped-down computer that is only a tenth of Negroponte’s creation for the ‘One Laptop Per Child’ project. The systems will be based on archaic Apple II computers, beefed up and incorporated with memory chips. The notebooks will also feature web access (connected through cellphones) and other basic features. Apple II experts have also come on board to help the team out with the programming aspect. We are certainly looking forward to this one, for economical as well as philanthropic reasons!
Via:Therawfeed
