PCs can be your classmate from August

Digital learning with personal computers will soon become a mass reality with Intel and HCL Infosystems planning to introduce the Intel-powered Classmate PC in India from August. Wipro and Zenith Computers will soon follow the suit.

Intel has set a target of getting at least 10,000 such PCs over the next one year, and is in talks with state education departments. It already has a PC-donation programme in place, and hopes to use this to further promote this concept.

Classmate PCs will initially be available for sale to schools, since they are "targeted at providing technology to students to aid their learning in classrooms".

The cost of each PC is under Rs 18,000. However, "that's not the way to view the project", notes Abhinav Dhar, senior vice-president, Educomp Solutions. He says: "It's a solution involving hardware, software and learning programmes that will be offered to schools, hence the cost cannot be seen in isolation."

Besides, he adds, in all likelihood, the solution will be offered to schools as a long-term payout as instalments. "For instance, it could be a subscription model where schools pay us a nominal fee of anywhere between Rs 70 and Rs 100 per month for a certain time period. The schools, in turn, can charge this small fee to students," he adds.

Educomp is providing a learning solution on the PC and using its experience and presence in schools to promote the concept.

Intel already conducted its first Classmate PC pilot programme in India in December 2006 with Class VI students at Delhi Public School, Ghaziabad. The other pilot programmes were conducted in two other schools - one in Faridabad and the other in Bangalore.

"How do you integrate technology in a 35-minute period? And will the Classmate PC be able to support it?" This was the main concern of the Kalpana Kapoor, principal, Delhi Public School. Based on the feedback of students from these schools (where the pilot programmed were conducted), certain modifications were introduced.

For instance, the material used as a cover for the PC can be washed and comes in attractive colours like blue and pink. Moreover, the user interface was tweaked to make it more student-friendly.