It looks like fans of the Aakash tablet PC will have to wait another month to lay hands on what is also touted as the world's cheapest tablet. Union Minister Kapil Sibal has said that the upgraded Aakash tablet PC will be launched in May.
"The upgraded Aakash will be fabulous. The processor will be 700 MHz, the live battery would be of three hours uninterrupted, you will have a capacity screen. We will unveil it in May," said Sibal said on the sidelines of an event in Kolkata. Sibal further revealed that the government had roped in two state-owned technology firms for manufacturing of the upgraded version of the Aakash tablet, also dubbed as the Aakash 2.
The minister also admitted that the government had several issues with DataWind, which was spearheading the initial Aakash project. Sibal said that the government wants to provide a quality product, therefore it is reviewing different versions of the Aakash tablet. "The Aakash 2 will also go through tests. Only when we feel that quality is clear, and that children will accept then only we will commercialise it," he said.
Earlier, the minister had said that the Aakash 2 tablet PC would be launched in April with better specifications. However, it now seems the Aakash tablet has hit another delay.
The Aakash tablet project is one of the ambitious government projects that aims at bridging the digital divide in the country. The government will provide the tablet at a subsidised price of Rs. 1,200 to students in urban and rural areas. The initial Aakash tablet developed by DataWind was highly criticised for its poor specifications. The company also came under scanner for failing to meet delivery deadlines and for failing to give a proper customer service platform. Check out our detailed coverage on the Aakash tablet here.
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