India's human resource development minister, Kapil Sibal, has unveiled a touchscreen computing device that will cost just $35 (£23).
The device, which more closely follows the form of a tablet than a laptop, has been designed with students in mind. The minister has revealed that his department is currently in talks with global manufacturers to discuss mass production of the unit and a 2011 roll out.
Supporting web browsing, video conferencing and word processing, the tablet will use a memory card for storage.
Speaking at a news conference in New Delhi, Sibal revealed, "We have reached a stage where the motherboard, its chip, processing and connectivity costs around $35, including memory, display - everything." Sibal hopes to eventually reduce the price of the device to $10.
The device's low cost will potentially lead to a huge installed userbase - one which will certainly be attractive to developers, especially in light of India's burgeoning games industry.
The conceptually similar One Laptop Per Child initiative set an earlier precedent when it seized on gaming's potential as an educational tool.
(via Guardian)