Closing the Digital Divide

CNN.com - India to roll out cheap, handheld computer - July 5, 2002 The Linux-based Simputer is almost ready for release in India, selling in different configurations for 10,500 to 23,000 rupees, or $214 to $469 USD. That doesn't sound like much for the StrongARM-based devices until you consider that the average income for an Indian citizen is about $450 USD a year. Still, the devices allow personal data to be stored entirely on expansion media, making it possible for an entire village to share a single device. The Simputer includes features like voicemail and text to speech, and is aimed at bringing more of India's poor and illiterate into the digital age. Thanks to Alert Reader Bill Tanch for the link.