Around now last season, the nation was abuzz with speaks of ‘Aakash’, the globe's most affordable item and an academic effort by the Native indian govt. Plenty were published about how it has created every Native indian extremely pleased and how it would modify the academic area in third world countries, especially Indian.
Aakash was an committed venture by the Native indian govt and a large jump at accomplishing our traditional desire of a $35 laptop. Probably, the emphasize of the item was the cost, which was as low as Rs 2,500 (around Rs. 3,000 for the improved version). Aakash 2 requires this aggressive costs a phase further as govt programs to create it available to learners at a subsidised cost of Rs 1,130. However, the professional edition, i.e. the Ubislate 7Ci, is still costing Rs 4,499.
To be sincere, we’re a price-driven community and it’s extremely uncertain that many would have even given serious believed to what Datawind had to provide within the item. This was quite obvious when the item obtained 3 lakh purchases within a short time, which increased to 20 lakhs plus in Jan and over 30 lakhs by Aug (that not including the 1 lakh models requested by the Native indian government).
While everything seemed hunky-dory until then, truth hit home when the first set of the Aakash tablets (supposedly 30,000 tablets) achieved learners and exposed inadequate construction as well as. Problems started serving in about its frustrating touchscreen display screen, inadequate power supply, inexpensive construction and laggy performance. But then again, what could you anticipate for that price? Genuinely though, considering the buzz produced around it, I did anticipate something better.
Suddenly, the landscape started modifying for Datawind, which obtained flak not only for designing a poor system but also for lagging client support, late deliveries, or rather no deliveries at all, and so on. While the heap up of complaints was improving by the day, Datawind experienced a results with its partners—IIT Rajasthan, which was examining the items, and Quad Gadgets, the company accountable for building the tablets. It did not take here we are at the ‘drama’ to go community and immediately, we experienced a community mud slinging go with. While Datawind was still creating statements for all the incorrect factors, from its LC getting terminated to govt scrapping the Aakash venture entirely, we had to basically raise our oral cavity off the ground when Datawind won the bid yet again for Aakash 2.
Consumer complaints were turning up even as Datawind started operating on Aakash 2. Take a look at GrahakSeva, Customer Judge or other Aakash boards from the customers' viewpoint and you will get an ideal glance of the scenario. Some of these customers have been awaiting the item for almost 8 to 9 several weeks. I’ve even got one on one reviews from customers who had to go through a lot of red record just to get a faulty or faulty item after several weeks of writhing in incorrect information and incorrect guarantees. They are awaiting reimbursements now.
The purpose for the wait is often stated to be the “heavy demand". If Datawind is discovering it challenging to provide the items due to large need, how are they going to provide the professional edition of the Aakash 2? And that too within 48 time of transaction, as stated on their web page.
Is this deja vu? It seems like we’ve observed this music before. On another observe, it will be very incorrect on Datawind's aspect to provide its Aakash 2/Ubislate 7Ci now while a large backlog of the mature (and unfortunately, soon to be outdated) edition of the Aakash/Ubislate is yet to be eliminated. Datawind should obvious the backlog before going for it. I might audio like I'm advertising negativity, but I extremely think Aakash customers who have not obtained the item may gradually choose to just quit on the wait—and also their money.
Aakash was an committed venture by the Native indian govt and a large jump at accomplishing our traditional desire of a $35 laptop. Probably, the emphasize of the item was the cost, which was as low as Rs 2,500 (around Rs. 3,000 for the improved version). Aakash 2 requires this aggressive costs a phase further as govt programs to create it available to learners at a subsidised cost of Rs 1,130. However, the professional edition, i.e. the Ubislate 7Ci, is still costing Rs 4,499.
To be sincere, we’re a price-driven community and it’s extremely uncertain that many would have even given serious believed to what Datawind had to provide within the item. This was quite obvious when the item obtained 3 lakh purchases within a short time, which increased to 20 lakhs plus in Jan and over 30 lakhs by Aug (that not including the 1 lakh models requested by the Native indian government).
While everything seemed hunky-dory until then, truth hit home when the first set of the Aakash tablets (supposedly 30,000 tablets) achieved learners and exposed inadequate construction as well as. Problems started serving in about its frustrating touchscreen display screen, inadequate power supply, inexpensive construction and laggy performance. But then again, what could you anticipate for that price? Genuinely though, considering the buzz produced around it, I did anticipate something better.
Suddenly, the landscape started modifying for Datawind, which obtained flak not only for designing a poor system but also for lagging client support, late deliveries, or rather no deliveries at all, and so on. While the heap up of complaints was improving by the day, Datawind experienced a results with its partners—IIT Rajasthan, which was examining the items, and Quad Gadgets, the company accountable for building the tablets. It did not take here we are at the ‘drama’ to go community and immediately, we experienced a community mud slinging go with. While Datawind was still creating statements for all the incorrect factors, from its LC getting terminated to govt scrapping the Aakash venture entirely, we had to basically raise our oral cavity off the ground when Datawind won the bid yet again for Aakash 2.
Consumer complaints were turning up even as Datawind started operating on Aakash 2. Take a look at GrahakSeva, Customer Judge or other Aakash boards from the customers' viewpoint and you will get an ideal glance of the scenario. Some of these customers have been awaiting the item for almost 8 to 9 several weeks. I’ve even got one on one reviews from customers who had to go through a lot of red record just to get a faulty or faulty item after several weeks of writhing in incorrect information and incorrect guarantees. They are awaiting reimbursements now.
The purpose for the wait is often stated to be the “heavy demand". If Datawind is discovering it challenging to provide the items due to large need, how are they going to provide the professional edition of the Aakash 2? And that too within 48 time of transaction, as stated on their web page.
Is this deja vu? It seems like we’ve observed this music before. On another observe, it will be very incorrect on Datawind's aspect to provide its Aakash 2/Ubislate 7Ci now while a large backlog of the mature (and unfortunately, soon to be outdated) edition of the Aakash/Ubislate is yet to be eliminated. Datawind should obvious the backlog before going for it. I might audio like I'm advertising negativity, but I extremely think Aakash customers who have not obtained the item may gradually choose to just quit on the wait—and also their money.
I often wonder how many tablets have been really delivered. The preliminary set had just 30,000 models while the staying 70,000 were improved before delivery to the govt. However, apart from this, Datawind had obtained purchases for more than 30 lakh Aakash/Ubislate tablets on its own web page. When requested about the delivered numbers, Datawind informed us back in Aug that “tens of a large number of tablets are delivered until now.”
That indicates out of 30 lakh plus pre-orders, it handled to deliver only 'tens of a large number of tablets' in nine several weeks. And going by this rapid performance, attaining the 30 lakh depend is going to take a lengthy quite a while. To sum it up, I’m inquisitive to see just how a organization that was not able to provide on its preliminary providing will create excellent with their new item.
And let us not ignore the very latest debate where a review recommended that Datawind creators and NRI bros Suneet and Raja Singh Tuli ‘may have obtained these gadgets off-the-shelf from producers in China' for $42 (Rs 2,263 at the time)—exactly the same cost at which Datawind marketed the tablets to the Native indian govt. Mr. Tuli rubbished the accusations and the govt even presented the item at the UN.
Aakash 2 is becoming more of a governmental event, with models being blessed to the Gujarat CM and the govt playing with the concept of delivering out Aakash 2 models to all condition primary ministers. This is not a wise decision.
At the end of the day, a organization that was not capable of getting off its first job satisfactorily, seems a bad option to me for a second job. I’m all for second possibilities, but in this situation, I beg to vary.
