AcrossWord an International education cloud company in partnership with Go-Tech will soon launch a low cost tablet with a 7 inch screen specially targeted for Indian schools and colleges. These tablets will not be as cheaper as the (still awaited) Aakash tablets but for a price of Rs. 5000, it looks like a good deal.
ATab specifications are quite impressive. It comes with a 1.1 GHz processor, a 512 MB RAM and 2 GB internal usable memory that can be further upgraded to 16 GB. Other features are Bluetooth and Wi-Fi. You will not find GPS on such low cost tablets. The touchscreen will be of resistive technology as adding a capacitive touch to it will increase the cost.
You cannot use this tablet as a phone as it does not come with a SIM slot. However there is a USB port where you can plugin a 3G USB Dongle for surfing. The tablet is priced at Rs. 5000 and comes with free access to EducationBride for period of 3 years. EducationBride is a revolutionary education technology platform from where students will be able to access / download content, educational resources etc.
To start with AcrossWorld will initially launch 10,000 ATab tablets and then scale up as required. Low cost tablets (Under Rs. 3000) are still a distant dream in India. It started with Aakash but failed, the GOVT is now looking for new manufactures to develop Aakash 2. As for the BSNL tablets for Rs. 3250, shipping will start from first week of March 2012.