Soon, laptop at Rs 5,000; can run Windows

MUMBAI: UK's longest standing laptop specialist brand marketed in India by a BSE-listed, Allied Computers International (Asia) Limited, is now all set to offer super low-cost laptop to Indian public at Rs 4,999. 

"We are launching India's super low cost laptop at Rs 4,999 in mid-June. It will be real fully functional, windows compatible working laptop at a lowest price tag in the country," Allied Computers managing director Hirji Patel said. 

London-based missile scientist turned entrepreneur, Hirji Patel established Allied Computers International (Asia) Limited under the ACi brand in May 2002. 

ACi India offers laptops and PCs in the Indian market with innovative design. 

Talking about the viability of the project, Patel said, the company will import the product from China and depend on volume growth and will have thin profit margin. 

Patel is all set to unveil to market few third generation models of laptops including Rs 4,999 windows compatible with 10" screen. Among other low-cost models, laptop PC for lower-mid class segment for Rs 9,999 and latest 3rd generation model housing Intel i3 CPU for Rs 19,999 will be launched shortly. 

The company is also launching latest 3rd generation model housing Intel i7 with 32GB RAM - fastest gaming laptop ever built - first laptop in India with RAM exceeding 8GB for Rs 49,999, Patel said. 

"We will never compromise on quality with price. The range we will be offering are carefully designed and developed just like majority of our models launched both in UK and India," Patel said. 

In the recent times, we have seen much hype and heard much hoopla around so-called low-cost computing devices, which created enough buzz, but failed to live up to their expectations purely because they could never deliver computing, Patel said. 

Patel pointed out that although, India today enjoys a volume sales of around 2.5 million laptops per annum, it is still barely 10 per cent of what western countries like UK and other leading European countries are churning out into the market. 

Laptop cost-to-earning factor is still rather high in India and in lower middle class to the poor it is still considered beyond reach. 

Introducing such low-cost computing devices becomes more significant in the wake of various state governments like Tamil Nadu, UP and others announcing to provide laptops for students. The company is looking at offering the low cost laptops to these state governments, Patel added.


Courtesy: The Times Of India

Acer, Toshiba to unveil Windows 8 tablets

THE NEW LAUNCH: Acer, Toshiba to unveil Windows 8 tablets

SAN FRANCISCO: Acer, Toshiba and Asustek Computer will unveil tablets running Microsoft's Windows 8 operating system next week, people with knowledge of the matter said, challenging the dominance of Apple's iPad. 

Acer will display a tablet based on Microsoft's new software at the Computex show in Taipei, while Toshiba will show a tablet and a notebook-type device, said the people, who asked not to be identified because the plans haven't been made public. Asustek will present tablets with detachable keyboards similar to its current Transformer model, the people said. 

The annual Computex show provides a forum for the computer industry to tout its wares before the typical increase in second-half demand. Computer makers allied with Microsoft will use this year's event to highlight a long-awaited response to the iPad and machines that run Google's Android operating system, which together have 91 per cent of the tablet market. 

Windows 8 also will be the first version of the software that will work on processors using ARM Holdings technology, a type of chip made by Qualcomm and Nvidia that dominates the phone industry. ARM-based chips, manufactured by Samsung Electronics, power the iPad. 

The use of ARM-based chips marks a snub for Intel, which along with Advanced Micro Devices has been the exclusive provider of chips for Windows machines. Intel, which has more than 80 per cent of the PC-chip market, hasn't been able to parlay that dominance into market share in phones or tablets. 

Asustek will demonstrate tablets based on an Nvidia ARM- based chip called Tegra and another powered by an Intel chip, the people said. The Tegra-based device, which is similar to the one that will go on sale, will be displayed publicly, setting up an opportunity for direct comparisons between a Windows computer running on ARM and one using Intel technology. 

Tablet sales The Acer tablet is built around an Intel chip, while Toshiba is using Texas Instruments for its processors. 

Microsoft plans to show off Asustek devices in a presentation by Vice President Steven Guggenheimer at the show on June 6, said one person familiar with the company's plans. 

The show provides the first airing of tablet hardware that Microsoft intends to use to narrow Apple's lead in the tablet market. Sales of Windows PCs to consumers have slumped as buyers opt for tablets, making it critical for Microsoft to offer a compelling option in that category. 

The tablet market is poised to grow 70 per cent a year on average through 2015, according to estimates from Evercore Group LLC. Traditional notebooks will have an average annual growth rate of 8 per cent. Apple Chief Executive Officer Tim Cook predicted in January and reiterated this week that tablets will surpass PCs in terms of units sold. 

Windows 8

LAUNCHING NEW WINDOWS 8 TABLETS

The June 5-9 Taipei show will highlight a limited number of ARM-based devices as Microsoft seeks to ensure that when Windows 8 is released later this year, the products will stand up to comparisons with the iPad. The limited debut will be followed by a second wave of computer and phone makers lined up for next year, two of the people said. Qualcomm, the world's largest maker of mobile-phone chips, will demonstrate a test device running Windows 8 based on its Snapdragon processor, said a person familiar with its plans. The company is committed to having customer devices in the market when the new version of the software goes on sale, the person said. 
Spokesmen for Microsoft, Asustek, Acer, Nvidi, Intel and Texas Instruments declined to comment on their plans before announcements and demonstrations planned for next week. 

Courtesy: The Times Of India

Samsung unveils new Windows phone, Omnia M

SPARKLING WINDOWS: THE NEW SAMSUNG OMNIA M

NEW DELHI: Samsung mobile has unveiled its latest Windows Phone, Omnia M. Samsung Omnia M comes with a 4 inch Super AMOLED display, is powered by a 1 Ghz Qualcomm Snapdragon processor coupled with 384 MB RAM.

It has a 5 megapixel rear camera, and an additional front-facing VGA camera for video chat. The battery is 1500 mAH. On storage front, Samsung Omnia M offers 4 GB internal space.

Omnia M sports ChatOn messenger and Samsung AllShare which allows users to play films, games, or any other media directly on a TV. 

Additionally the device will get 25GB of free storage on Microsoft SkyDrive and will also include the mobile version of Microsoft Office. 

Samsung has not revealed the launch date for the phone, it has, however, said Omnia M will first ship to Europe and then to the rest of the world. 

According to reports, the phone is likely to be priced around Rs 11,000.


Information Courtesy: The Times Of India