New handheld aims to bridge digital divide

A non-profit group in India has created a simple, inexpensive, multilingual handheld device aimed at bringing computing to Third World nations--dubbed the "Simputer."

The project conceived two-and-a-half years ago during an international seminar on information technology for developing countries. The idea was to create a low-cost, mass-access device that could bring local-language computing to the masses.

The device is being created by the non-profit Simputer Trust, a group of academics and technologists from India's computing industry. Their vision is to create not only a computer, but also an "evolving platform for social change" throughout the world by bridging the digital divide. They wanted a device that could be used by literate people in Third World nations who lack computer skills, as well as by illiterate people.

To do this, the Trust has created an alternative to the PC--a device with interfaces based on sight, touch and sound.

More powerful than a Palm?
The first working prototypes of the Simputer were revealed last month. The Simputer is a PDA-sized handheld computer that runs on the GNU/Linux operating system. Simputer's creators are quick to point out that it's not a PC but more like a pocket computer. But it's not a Palm--it's much more powerful.

The Trust has created a special browser, Imli, using something it has dubbed Information Markup Language (IML), based on XML. The Trust says it created IML "to provide a uniform experience to users and to allow rapid development of solutions on any platform." The IML's biggest plus is that it's Smart Card aware.

Inputting information into the Simputer is accomplished by either a software keyboard that pops onto the screen or new software appropriately named Tapatap. Think of it as a freeware version of Palm's famous Graffiti--although the Trust is very careful to say "it is similar in spirit to Graffiti, but quite distinct (no patent infringement :-)."

Simputer has a built-in browser, e-mail software, a text-to-speech program (Dhvani) for Indian languages and an MP3 player.

Inside Simputer there's an Intel StrongArm SA-1100 RISC CPU humming along at 200MHz--the same power behind Compaq's iPaq Pocket PC. Simputer also sports 32MB of DRAM, 24MB of permanent flash memory and a 320-by-240-pixel black-and-white screen. It runs on three rechargeable NiMh AAA batteries or the local electrical system. There's also a built-in speaker, a microphone jack, an RJ-11 telephone jack and a USB connector.

The most interesting hardware feature is the Smart Card port. That's so one Simputer can be shared by many individual users with his or her own wants and needs. The Trust explains it this way:

"A local community such as the village panchayat (tax collector's office), the village school, a kiosk, a village postman, or even a shopkeeper should be able to loan the device to individuals for some length of time and then pass it on to others in the community. The Simputer, through its Smart Card feature, allows for personal information management at the individual level for an unlimited number of users."

What will it cost?
This is important, because each Simputer currently costs nearly $500, including application development. When produced in large quantities, Simputer will probably sell for 9,000 Indian rupees (about $192)--and these days that seems like a lot of money for such a device. Especially with similar Linux-based devices and a number of rumored devices in the same price range, plus the continually falling prices for more powerful PCs.

Simputer Trust recognizes the problem:

"We hope government and large multilateral organizations will use the Simputer as a platform for various IT initiatives, indirectly making it affordable for poor communities to get access to Simputer.

"We have also recognized that even $200 could be too high and such products may need to be subsidized. However, we have added a Smart Card as a prime method of enabling the "sharing" of such devices. Rural communities could own several devices and hire these out for usage to individuals based on the ownership of a Smart Card. Each user's Smart Card would contain the minimum "personalization" information required to log into a Community Server which would maintain personalized data about the user. You can treat this as some sort of 'roaming profile' information maintained in a Smart Card.

"This model of sharing would bring down the cost of the Simputer to that of owning only a simple Smart Card, and paying for the usage of a shared Simputer."

Earlier this month Simputer's software packages were posted on the Web site for developers to begin checking out. Simputer software development is possible on most popular PC operating systems. The programs are being offered for free under the Simputer General Public License--a mix of protections under copyright, patent trademark and trade secret laws.

The Trust doesn't want to manufacture the Simputer, but just to license the technology to manufacturers. If all goes well, Simputers should be available for sale by March 2002.