Microsoft starts selling low cost PC

SOFTWARE FIRM Microsoft is selling PC hardware in India at a cost of RS21,000 (~$500) and using Zenith and Wipro to build machines which use AMD chips.

The PC is aimed at the educational market and Microsoft is aiming at growing the market in the long term.

The scheme is called Unlimited Potential and the machine is called the IQ PC with machines initially being introduced in early July in Bangalore and Pune, with the scheme getting all India roll out in November.

PC penetration in India is around two per cent of the total billion plus population and these Microsoft machines include educational software that marries the local curriculum. Microsoft gave no further details of the configuration of its PC.

What local vendors and the channel think about this one can only imagine. But the phrase "bhar me jae" probably springs to mind at the idea of the Vole nibbling at this particular patch. µ