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Intel Plans Atom-Based Rs.5000 Desktop. Good For India
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Atom was an important announcement from Intel, back in March. The possibility of a chip, based on the same architecture as the desktop computers could have meant a new era in cross platform applications altogether. When announced, Atom was thought of powering the mobile internet devices (MID). The chips can however also be used in low-cost computing devices. And that’s exactly what Intel has done now.
According to reports, Intel will be selling desktops, based on Atom, for Rs.5000. Rs.5000 is the perfect price point for what can be termed as low-cost computers. Back in 2002, I used to read, with interest efforts for designing a low-cost computer for the Indian rural market. The cheapest one, then made the magazine Chip, was priced at Rs.12,000. I always felt, anything more than Rs.6,000 will be too expensive to be put in the low-cost computer category. Rs.5000 seems like a good entry point for rural population who are aware of the benefits of the digital technology and are ready to accept the digital age.
Rural Indians sure have a fancy for the machines. That much can be seen from the crowds gathered around the computer stalls in various malls. Also, many of the youngsters have been dabbling in few softwares from some time now. Computer Training Centres are a common sight in Indian villages. All these machines are assembled. At times, even second hand. The softwares, needless to say, are all pirated. If the price can be brought down to Rs.5000, I visualize two things happening rapidly. a.) Mass adoption of computers in India. And I mean, on an extremely large scale. And b.) Coming up of new services and a new economy altogether, that revolves around digital products, but has this huge-scale, low-price rural population as the target point.
I hope the machines get delivered soon. I am waiting to review one of these machines. And also to witness how a major part of our population manages it.
What do you think of the Intel announcement? Further, any thoughts about low cost computing in India, in general? It’s a big business in India. Okay, possibly a big business. There are many initiatives going around this already. Would love to see comments from our readers.
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The move is surely welcome but a computer without Internet is like a stone which has limited uses.
For a villager important things are the weather, bus tickets and train tickets and for that Internet is must.
@Sameer
Thanks for commenting, Sameer.
Agreed, Internet is an important resource. But we all agree that sooner or later, Internet will be commoditized. It will be cheap then. Cheap enough for an average villager to afford it.
Availability of Internet is one thing, but you do need devices to access it on, right?
Internet is services, it can be offered at a much cheaper level, if the volumes are met. Providing desktop at Rs.5000 can have that multiplier effect where the volumes shoot up considerably. Needles to say, the demand for the Internet will shoot up, accordingly. At this point we will see the influx of affordable Internet services in India.
Thanks for visiting us. Please keep coming back for more.
Ankit, what I wanted to say is, without a good, solid and built-in way to access Internet the computer is a stone and nobody will buy it, even if, the rhetoric goes, it is free. Intel should have a CDMA 1xRTT modem (Reliance, Tata or Shyam) built-in.
Wireline Internet will never be cheap or commoditiozed in India. It is a curse on India. India’s answer is wireless. I will gladly give buit-in Ethernet for 1xRTT modem for Rs. 5000 computer.
I believe we are moving from computing first and communications second world to communications first and computing second world. There is a lesson here for both India and Intel.
@Sameer
“computer is a stone and nobody will buy it”
I disagree. A computer is a useful tool. Agreed, the Internet makes it so much more useful, but a computer still is a useful device. And when there are thousands of computers being used in rural India already, I do not see why anyone would not take a computer, when offered for Rs.5000.
Yes, Internet is important, but is it necessary? I don’t think so.
Bundling a CDMA modem doesn’t makes much sense. Once the computer is there, let the user select which network provider would they want to go with. Reliance, Tata, MTNL, or a plethora of new entrants
Ankit, do not think like a Yuppie (Young Urban Professional) for whom a villager is a trickle down person.
A villager is not buying a computer, he is buying a solution. The solutions are now Internet based. Travel, Indian Railways site, Internet. Carrier of his son, naukri.com, Internet. Weather for his fields, Internet. Marriage for his daughter, shaadi.com, Internet.
I say Internet is necessary. I say Internet is necessary and computer is not. A mobile can also give you Internet.
Also here goes Yuppie thinking, if they do not have bread, let them eat cake. User is buying a solution and not a computer. He is not interested in another transaction for modem. He wants the solution built-in for a single price transaction. For him Rs.5000 is a fortune.
I would say this one is very much useful for rural india of course we need internet but to use internet there is one pre requisite and i.e. every one should aware of how computer operates and there we are