'Aakash' tablet to reach Pune after Diwali

India’s very own low-cost tablet, named Aakash, was launched amidst much fanfare, sometime last week in the national capital. This move by the government earned it a lot of admiration from tech enthusiasts and the layman alike, since it looked at making the larger picture bright, i.e. improving the quality of education in the country. Now, while everyone across the country is anxious to own a unit of the low-cost tablet ($35), a report in the Times of India confirms that those in Pune eagerly waiting for the tablet to reach a store near them would have to wait till the end of November to see that happen. Reportedly, the manufacturer’s hands are full with the manufacturing of 100,000 units of the Aakash tablet for the government, and only then would they take up newer retail orders. 

Proud owners of the Aakash tablet at its launch

The Union government had prior to the launch announced that it would give out several units to the students across the country for free, for the first year. Sure enough, on the day of the launch, the HRD minister, Kapil Sibal, on behalf of the government gave out as many as 500 units of the Aakash tablet to the crowd of eager students who had assembled to catch a glimpse of the new tablet. Mr. Sibal also announced that the manufacturing company, Datawind, was already working to produce as many as 100,000 more units of the tablet, which would also be given out for free across the students in the country. 

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While November-end seems close, it has surely got the masses anxious.