India Develops $35 'Laptop'

India's Ministry of Human Resource Development says it has developed a $35 computing device and is in the process of finding manufacturers for it.

"We have reached a (developmental) stage that today, the motherboard, its chip, the processing, connectivity, all of them cumulatively cost around $35, including memory, display, everything," the head of the department (pictured) said at a news conference, according to Reuters.

The touchscreen gadget can browse the Internet and do basic computing tasks. It will use the open-source Linux software for its operating system. The government believes it can eventually push the cost for manufacturing as low as $10.

While the tablet-like device is intended primarily for educational use, its design and price could potentially provide millions of people in India and other developing nations with access to a device with genuine computer power.

The "laptop," especially if it's available to large numbers of people, could mark a resurrection of Linux for PC products. The open-source software has had some success competing with Microsoft (MSFT) in the server market, but it never caught on in the personal computer sector. That may be about to change.