Low-cost Buzz

There is a new kid on the block and this time, from Bangalore. Close on the
heels of Kolkata-based Xenitis Infotech's announcement of a Rs 9,900 computer,
comes Encore Software's babies: three new mobile desktop computers expected to
be priced between Rs 10-15K. But here is the catch-that price, says the
company's chairman and CEO Vinay L Deshpande, can only be achieved if a volume
of 50,000 numbers is reached. Till such time, the least priced may be available
at Rs13, 000 while the other models-Mobilis and Mobilis TFT-may sell for Rs
16,000 or more. The CEO's clarification: "It is not a poor man's PC,
only a common man's computer".

The products have been developed over a period of 18 months through a soft
loan of Rs 3.1 crore from the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research's
'New Millennium Indian Technology Leadership Initiative'. The spend so far
in R&D has been around four and a half crore. There is still three months to
go before the computers may be available at the retail level, but if the company
is to be believed, these products can be used for everything except for number
crunching applications like high-resolution gaming, simulation, or design.

For those who may confuse these with the Simputer, there are subtle
differences-the first and most obvious is the large screen size-of 7.4
inches. "The Simputer was meant more for simple mobility-based applications
like data collection, invoicing, making receipts, micro-credit, micro-banking
etc. For these purposes, Simputer will continue to be the preferred device. For
applications that require a larger screen, like surfing, where you can see the
entire page at once, Mobilis is ideal," says Deshpande.

The basic Mobilis model has an STN screen. Mobilis TFT has an LCD screen and
so is brighter than the STN screen. Both the devices have the option of wireless
in the form of GPRS as well as GPS. The company is touting it as a mobile
desktop because of the full screen display.

Goutam Das