India's iPad rival to cost $35



Mumbai — The Associated Press Published on Friday, Jul. 23, 2010 8:38AM EDT Last updated on Friday, Jul. 23, 2010 1:08PM EDT

It looks like an iPad , only it's 1/14th the cost: India has unveiled the prototype of a $35 (U.S.) basic touch screen tablet aimed at students, which it hopes to bring into production by 2011.

If the government can find a manufacturer, the Linux operating system-based computer would be the latest in a string of “world's cheapest” innovations to hit the market out of India, which is home to the $2,100 compact Nano car, the $16 water purifier and the $2,000 open-heart surgery.

The tablet can be used for functions like word processing, web browsing and video-conferencing. It has a solar power option too – important for India's energy-starved hinterlands – though that add-on costs extra. (The Globe and Mail)