Airtel Net PC is a Low Cost Computer for Working in the Cloud

Do you have an old computer monitor that's gathering dust someone in
the corner of your house? Or do you have plans to buy a new PC for
performing only basic computing tasks like writing documents, email,
chatting, browsing websites, etc.

If you said yes to any of the above questions, read this.

Bharti Airtel, the largest mobile operator here, has just launched a
new device called Net PC, which as the name suggests, is a low cost
computer designed specifically for cloud computing. The device is
powered by Windows XP (not Linux as you would expect) and costs INR
5,000 (or $100) in India.

To get started, you just have to plug in the USB modem or the
broadband Ethernet cable into the Net PC and you're ready to go. The
device weighs a mere 500 grams and is small enough (11.5cm x 11.5cm x
3.5cm) to fit in one of your trouser pockets.

When you think cloud computing, the first thing that strikes your mind
is Google Docs but surprisingly, Airtel's cloud computer comes
pre-loaded with a rental copy of Microsoft Office so you can work on
those documents and presentations even while you are not connected to
the Internet.

Airtel Net PC is a subscription based device so you also need to pay a
monthly rent for using the software in addition to your broadband
bill.

To give you an example, the minimum plan costs somewhere around Rs 700
per month where Rs 200 is the software rent while you pay the rest for
DSL broadband. This plan will get you 3GB of data transfer (at 256
KB/s), 10 GB of online storage space and a copy of Microsoft Office
Standard that also includes Microsoft Outlook for your email needs.
You can also transfer data out the Net PC box using any of the
available USB ports.

The downside is that you can don't have the privilege to install new
software on the device so can't use[*] Firefox or Google Chrome for
browsing as XP only comes with IE. And I am not too sure if the Net PC
is locked to Airtel or will it work with broadband services from other
providers like Reliance or BSNL.

To know more about Net PC or you can walk into any of the Airtel or
NEXT stores in NCR Region (Gurgaon, Delhi or Noida) for a demo.

[*] Though you can't install new software, I guess it should still be
possible to run software that don't require installation like the
portable Google Browser.

Source:Labnol