Ahmedabad, June 28: Believe it or not. Here is a desktop computer for just Rs1,900 and Rs6,500. The state owned telecom company, Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) launched Novatium’s netPC in Gujarat on Friday. The computers are made by Chennai-based company, Novatium Solutions which will sell these computers through BSNL in Gujarat.
Both the companies believe that this PC is probably the country’s cheapest computer.
Company is offering the desktop for Rs1,900 in rural areas while in urban areas it is around Rs6,500. “We will sell computers for Rs1,900 on upfront payment which includes 15 inches CRT monitor, keyboard and mouse in rural areas. For selling computers in rural area we are getting subsidy of Rs4,500 from Department of Telecom, government of India,” said general manager – alliances, Novatium Solutions, Praveen Dwivedi.
The Novatium’s net PC which will be sold in Ahmedabad and urban areas, will not have a monitor. “We will sell computers in urban areas for Rs3,000 which excludes monitor and with monitor it will cost additional Rs3,500, totaling to around Rs6,500 which excludes taxes,” said Dwivedi.
Apart from that, the computer will also have broadband connection from BSNL. “The broadband connection is not free. The monthly subscription of the broadband service starts from around Rs300 per month for both – rural and urban customers,” said chief general manager of BSNL, Satya Pal.
Till now, both the companies have sold around 5,000 computers in a few parts of the country. “In Gujarat, we have a target of selling minimum 50,000 and maximum 2 lakh computers by the end of March 2010,” said Dwivedi.
Talking about the configuration of the computer, Dwivedi said that the PC has 512 MB RAM. “The computer works through the network so it does not have hard disk and the softwares also come free with it. The PC has Intel Atom processor with six USB ports. Keyboard and mouse will need one port each while rest four ports will be free so that one can attach pen drive or external hard disk or any external device for data storage facility,” he said.
The computer has multiple operating systems. “It has the ability to connect to multiple operating systems – Microsoft Window, Linux and Solaris. It also has Microsoft Office, games, voice and video chat application,” he said.
Great Utility:
PC has ability to connect with multiple operating systems – Microsoft Windows, Linux and Solaris
It has Intel Atom processor and 512 MB RAM
Company wants to sell up to 2 lakh of computers in Gujarat by end of March 2010
–Agencies