It is now cheaper to buy a computer, but it might not improve PC penetration in India

With Chromebooks and Windows 2-in-1s, never before have computing devices been as cheap or affordable as they are now

The Xolo Chromebook is priced Rs 12,999

Late last week, Google announced the launch of its new Chromebook versions in India. While Chromebooks are not new to this market, there was a new feature which was hard to overlook: the Rs 12,999 price tag of the first two devices. And this came just days after Micromax launched its Canvas LapTab, a 2-in-1 Windows 8.1 computer priced at Rs 14,999.

If the price point for a decent computing device was just over Rs 20,000 half a year back, this bar has now fallen to Rs 13,000. And this comes at a time when the price of a good mid-range smartphone is around Rs 15,000. In a way, it is now cheaper to buy a computer than a smartphone, even though the latter is still more productive on many fronts.

However, we cannot yet hope that the falling prices will help improve PC penetration in countries like India — as per Deloitte, just 10 per cent Indians have a computer. That is because the Chromebook needs an active Internet connection to work effectively. The Micromax Laptab too needs to have a SIM card inside to be productive in the real sense of the term. But there is no doubt that this is a beginning.

If concepts like free community Wi-Fi pick up across India, then affordable computing devices could find serious uptake. The impact of that on the community and later the economy will be huge.

If there is scope for some wishful thinking, we could hope that India’s increasing smartphone and mobile Internet penetration has a positive effect on PC penetration. For instance, affordable Android phones could be used to power Internet in larger PCs, as and when the need arises. Android smartphones and mobile Internet connections both no longer pose challenges for India as far as affordability is concerned.

But the fact remains that never before have computing devices been as cheap or affordable as they are now. Here is hoping this results in school students across the country having more access to computers.

Nandagopal Rajan

Nandagopal Rajan writes on technology, gadgets and everything related. He has worked with the India Today Group and Hindustan Times. He is an alumnus of Calicut University and Indian Institute of Mass Communication, Dhenkanal. ... Read More