Financial Times

The future - school kids with slate-sized computers sans heavy bags
By Quintus Perera reporting from Mumbai
MUMBAI - Fancy the sight of children walking into school with just a small laptop similar to the size of the old slate that we once used many years ago during the slate-and-chalk era - compared to kids nowadays groaning under the weight of an oversized bag strapped to their back and suffering backaches?

That era may not be far away, according to Amar Babu, Intel South Asia Managing Director, Sales and Marketing, Intel Corporation, who said that though there is no time frame to produce such a laptop, students studying management and accountancy courses are already using laptop computers.
He was speaking at the launch of the new 'Napa' notebook with Centrino Duo technology at the Taj Lands End Hotel here last week.

Dayanidhi Maran, Minister for Communication and Information Technology, Government of India was the Chief Guest at this launch. Babu said that towards this end Intel has been doing a lot in that they have started training teachers on the use of computers and in India they have completed training 500,000 teachers and initiated training for another 500,000. In Sri Lanka too they have started to train 500 teachers in the use of computers.

He said that following Sri Lanka's development strategies Intel would generate increased investment, in the wake of new initiatives in the market recently though he could not give a specific amount of investment.

Asked whether IT -- which has contributed tremendously in various fields - would help to eliminate poverty in the world, Ram Wasantharam, Director, India Operations, Intel Technology Pvt Ltd told The Sunday Times FT that one way would be to take computer education to the villages. When these new products go to schools, education becomes cheaper and would help school leavers to find jobs with the added IT skills.

Computers could also be used to help family planning education which could also reduce poverty. Intel Corporation unveiled its (designed-in-India) Intel Centrino Duo (ICD)mobile technology -- for a new generation of laptops. The new platform represents a new brand aimed at advancing the emerging digital lifestyle at home, work and on the go. It delivers breakthrough capabilities to make entertainment truly mobile for people on the go and improves responsiveness and efficiency of mobile workers.

Anand Chandrasekher, Senior Vice President, Intel Corporation declaring the launch of this newest technology said that India has created a product that would change the world and said that in this new technology there is 70 percent increase of performance in ICD over the earlier Centrino version and there is 25 percent increase in the battery life. He said that these achievements were a huge break-through.

This new product was developed at the Intel India Development Centre by a 500-member computer engineering team commencing work on this project development in 2004. Chandrasekher said that US $1 billion was invested into the designing of this new technology improvement which made Indian businesses to become involved.

He said that Intel is focused on creating an innovative mobile computing platform that ushered in a new era of working, playing and living.
As an on-the-go entertainment device, ICD mobile technology features enhanced three-dimensional graphics and the option to view high-definition TV. Using laptops based on ICD mobile technology people can immerse themselves more completely in music, games and high definition movies and TV whether in the car, a coffee shop or on the plane.

Chandrasekher said that this new technology helped businesses to be more responsive and productive as a result of better multi tasking performance and collaboration capabilities. Platform components of ICD are 30 percent smaller than the previous generation, enabling a wide variety of laptop sizes and innovative designs.

Union Minister Dayanidhi Maran, said that the Indian Government would support Intel Corporation to establish a semi-conductor facility in India.
He said the laptop market has grown by 200 percent and still the market is waiting to be tapped further. He said that the new laptop technology developments would greatly empower the students.

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