Notebook prices have been going down for quite some time now and things only seem to be getting better.
p____p For example, Lindows has launched its Mobile PC, which will sell for $799 in the US market. It includes a 12.1-inch screen and a Via Technologies� C3 processor, along with Lindows OS, a version of the freely available Linux.
p____p The Lindows Mobile PC pairs the 12.1-inch screen and 933MHz processor with 256MB of RAM and a 20GB hard drive.
p____p Buyers can opt to increase the hard-drive size or memory allotment. The notebook also includes Compact Flash, USB (Universal Serial Bus), Ethernet as well as Firewire ports. A modem, however, is not included. External CD or DVD drives are optional.
p____p Back home in India, Via Technologies plans to introduce its 800 MHz Windows OS loaded laptops called eNotes by April. It will be priced in the Rs 45,000 to Rs 50,000 range.
p____p That seems to be the beginning of a trend that could be here to stay. It seems inevitable that new and first-hand notebooks are all set to breach the Rs 50,000 price barrier very shortly. In fact, the signs are quite encouraging.
p____p By March, ACi will launch its Ethos range of Red Hat Linux loaded-notebooks at a price of Rs 55,000. It would incorporate a Netscape browser, a P4 1.8 Celeron, a 20 GB hard disk, a 14-inch monitor, as well as a CD drive and floppy drive, besides other features.
p____p What�s more, the device will come with full service and support back-up from ACi.
p____p Of course, the second hand market is full of notebooks selling between the Rs 35,000 to Rs 50,000 range. But they don�t come with any service or warranty support, which seems to deter potential customers.
p____p Then, there are players like the Pune-based Pushpam Infotech which sells low-end sub-20K notebooks like the Civil Note 200 which can be used for basic purposes like presentation, document editing, Internet surfing, accounting and playing games.
p____p The CivilNote 200 features a Windows 98 loaded, Pentium 100 processor with 40 MB RAM, 1 GB hard disk, 10.4-inch flat screen colour display, 2 PCMCIA slots, 1.5 hour battery backup and comes with a one-year warranty. It is priced at Rs 19,999 (end-user price) and is distributed by Rishabh International in Bangalore.
p____p But as things stand, first hand notebooks continue to be expensive… Though, all that may change vary soon.
p____p For example, the Via 800 MHz eNotes mentioned above is loaded with Windows. Assuming that it is loaded with Linux, it would be available for less than Rs 45,000.
p____p Maybe it is a bit early to speculate about how things will develop. It is also quite likely that users may not be comfortable using Linux.
p____p However, the signs are unmistakable. The sub-50K notebook is almost here…