I have been browsing thru the debate on Simputer, and am curious about some of the directions this has taken.

The product is an Open Source hardware project, which has naturally used the Open Source approach to its software development as well. The IISc has undertaken the devlopment, with the active cooperation of many others. Now that it has reached the kickoff stage, it is possible to reach out and commercialise the production. So Encore (as I understand from the mails, I do not recall seeing any announcment to that effect, but then I haven't surfed thru the site either for a couple of fortnights) is one of the companies that has decided to do this.

If the ex-factory cost is 3k and the retail price is 6k, does anyone think this is wrong? I very much doubt that the company will make any money at all on this for many years to come. Unless of course, it takes off like a rocket (a la i-mode in Japan) in which case I am sure that others will jump on the bandwagon and the price will fall. Till then the 3k gross margin per piece will flow out like water, absorbed by thirsty distribution, marketing and overhead costs.

Why am I so interested? As some of you will know from my earlier mail, I have initiated the Hawking Communicator project in Open Source (www.radiophony.com/hawking.html) and at some point this project too will move towards commercialisation. I am keen to discuss all aspects of this with as many groups of people as possible, so that we as developers are properly prepared to do whatever it takes to get the software used. This is not the forum for such a discussion, so please do join in the development discussion at Yahoo!groups (/radiophony) or mail me directly.

Vickram Crishna