A few interesting links about the simputer:

http://www.newsforge.com/article.pl?sid=01/06/19/022239&mode=thread

Ajit R. Anvekar didn't grow up with a computer, in fact, he bought his own PC only about two years ago, but he has already contributed to one of the best examples of Open Source's potential effect on the digital divide. The Simputer (Simple In-expensive Multi-lingual People's Computer) is a pocket-size computer, running Linux, that is designed to overcome traditional barriers to computing, like literacy, by offering a "simple and natural user interface based on sight, touch and audio."

He has never been to the United States but he admires its energy for innovation. He admits that access to technology is currently difficult in India but he is confident, coming off of a project potentially pushing India's industry to the forefront, that as long as people maintain the "josh," which he explains as Hindi for spirit/fire/enthusiasm, technology will continue to evolve effectively.

http://www.zdnet.com/zdnn/stories/news/0,4586,2765333,00.html

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.

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

http://opencollector.org/cgi-bin/news/more.pl?story=988155611&display=th...

Interview with Simputer team

http://www.eet.com/story/industry/systems_and_software_news/OEG20010509S0044

The 1998 Bangalore Declaration on Information Technology was the inspiration behind the Simputer, said Vinay Deshpande, the managing trustee of The Simputer Trust and chairman of Encore Software. The Declaration sought the development and wide use of computers that bridge the so-called "digital divide."

"The unveiling of the prototype is a dream come true," Deshpande said.

http://www.csa.iisc.ernet.in/bangit/bangdec/bangdec.html

Bangalore Declaration on Information Technology for Developing Countries in the Global Village

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