My calculator was more expensive.

... and yet people still believe that these components are so expensive that Nintendo could not possibly be able to sell the Wii U controller at a reasonable price.

yep... those same people have also probably never used ebay to replace their screens on phones or DSi etc... parts for this stuff are cheap. Apple has over a $300 profit margin on average for its various iProducts.

Demand is creating these prices, not the cost to manufacture.

$10 tablet? I don't think so! I'd have to see it to believe it.

With the introduction of Aakash, a tablet PC worth $35, the government accomplishes its endeavor to e-empower the country. The ultra low-cost tablet PC which eliminates the age old software and hardware structure focuses on inclusive education. The tablet doesn’t have a hard drive but boasts of a memory card that can be used to store data. It runs on Google’s Android Platform with Wi-Fi connectivity, cloud storage and has 256MB of RAM, 32GB expandable memory and has two USB ports.

It is still unclear if one is able to buy Aakash tablet from any shop or mobile store. It is quite likely that initially it will be contributed via colleges and universities to the students by putting an application to the management. One may book Akash tablet PC in India from a lot of websites. It will soon be available on eBay also.

The manufacturers of Aakash tablet Datawind have announced that they will sell the tablet in retail with the name UbiSlate7. A lot of companies are expected to join hands in manufacturing this device. The government will be releasing 100,000 tablets by January 2012.

Well Tech media company VentureBeat has gotten hands on with the Aakash Tablet and have reviewed the product. Here's a bit of what they had to say!

"The Indian government thinks the $35 Aakash Android tablet has the power to change the world. After testing one out, we’d tend to agree."

Screen Quality

"The screen is pressure sensitive (also called resistive touch) and responds somewhat slowly to gestures. It’s definitely not as dazzling as the high-end tablets familiar to Western audiences, such as the capacitive touchscreen iPad, or even the HP TouchPad!"

Browsing Speed

"The Aakash is running Android 2.2, Froyo, with the UniSurfer browser installed. Made by DataWind, UniSurfer is supposed to make webpages process faster, probably to compensate for the slower processor and connection speeds. However, while browsing the Internet and testing out apps, we couldn’t help but notice that the reaction time seemed very slow. Scrolling, for example, is a swipe-and-wait affair. However, the speed is going to be quite sufficient for someone who has never in his or her life had a smartphone or computer. It’s all relative after all. Compared with the iPhone 4s, the iPhone 3G is a “slow” smartphone, only because speedier alternatives are available. Even in a context where the market is full of smart devices, like in the U.S., speed helps us make decisions incrementally faster, but rarely are these issues of genuine consequence."

Streaming Video

"Watching videos on the device was incredibly impressive. We used YouTube to watch a clip from a Bollywood film, and the video came through fast and clear, with no hiccups."

Battery Power

"The Aakash has both GPRS and Wi-Fi capabilities. Its battery power is limited to 180 minutes of use on a full charge, but it comes with an AC adapter. What’s important isn’t that the tablet can run off of the battery for long periods of time, but that it will still be able to work and surf the net when the power goes out."

USB Support

"Why does it have two USB ports? So you can plug in a keyboard, of course, and still have a free slot for an external hard drive, or some other device."

The Screen Protector

"What about that screen cover that seems like it’s made from laminating material? If the tablet is meant for educational use, it’s probably going to have to contend with some pretty rough handling, dirt, dust and moisture. Better that it should withstand damage than look the extra bit nicer."

Aakash Tablet from Venturebeat on Vimeo.

"The unmistakable impression we all got from using the Aakash tablet was that it is built for performance. Every design choice that might seem like a negative reveals three, four, five — or more — net benefits."

For the full review see here, Aakash is expected to sell to over 12-million Indians very soon. There is a lot of potential and to be honest looking at the device shown in action it isn't as fast as I-Phone 4 but seriously for 35-60$ that is a dang good deal!