The Hindu Business Line : Low-cost diary-sized laptop to enter market

Laptop for all: The Chairman and Managing Director of Allied Computers, Mr Hirji K. Patel, displaying the prototype of the Rs 14,999-laptop in Bangalore on Tuesday. —

Our Bureau

Bangalore, Jan. 8 Allied Computers International-Asia is ready to launch its “low-cost” diary-sized laptop in the market soon.

A prototype of the Rs 14,999-laptop was unveiled at a press conference today in the city.

The laptop will be introduced in the market by the first quarter of 2008 through tie-ups with retailer showrooms, supermarkets and malls across the country.

The laptop has features such as a 7” screen, 512 GB memory, 40 GB hard disk space, along with Wifi and Bluetooth capabilities. It also comes with an inbuilt web camera and weighs 950 grams. This model is targeted at those looking for basic office suite and Internet features.

The company will also bring out a higher end version priced at Rs 22,000, said Mr Hirji Kantibhai Patel, Chairman and Managing Director, Allied Computers International-Asia. Plans are also on to upgrade the laptop into a tablet that can be plugged into a TV screen and convert the TV screen into a PC screen.

15k laptop

He said the 7”inch 15k laptop was in line with the company’s vision to “develop a laptop nation” in which laptops were highly affordable.

After the company’s Rs 30,000 and Rs 20,000 laptops, the 15k laptop is the third in series as part of its strategy to launch laptops at slashed prices. “Our next goal is to bring out a laptop at Rs 10,000,” said Mr Patel.

LCDs, plasma TVs

Apart from laptops, the company also plans to launch liquid crystal display TVs and plasma televisions at much lower prices than other brands – in the first quarter of 2008 initially in the markets of Maharashtra, Ahmedabad and New Delhi. The LCD TVs will be priced at Rs 19,999 (26”), Rs 25,999 (32”) and Rs 43,999 (42”).

Allied Computers was listed on the BSE last month. It proposes to raise Rs 100 crore through issue of FCCBs. The money will be used to open 80 more multi-brand service centres from 27 currently. The company is also setting up a laptop assembling plant in North India with an initial investment of Rs 2 crore.

At an investment of Rs 20-30 crore, Mumbai-based Allied Computers plans to import electronic waste such as motherboards from the UK and recycle them at a plant in Gandhinagar.

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