interesting idea.
but the problem is that for something to be a market success you need:
a. distribution channel
b. ecosystem of partners esp 3rd party application developers
c. intellectual property protection/appropriability
not clear that this small crew can manage any of the above, unlike apple.
a brilliant product is only 1/4 of the battle. marketing is 3/4ths of it.
but i do wish them luck.
---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: sri
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/biz/india-business/Enter-Adam-the-iPad-killer-made-in-India/articleshow/5570642.cms
Enter Adam, the 'iPad killer' made in India
Sriram Sharma, 14 February 2010
HYDERABAD: Apple's iPad was, it's fair to say, awaited with the kind
of breathless anticipation usually reserved by nubile nymphets for
rakish rockers. But even as consumers rave about it, the technoscenti
are already looking ahead ─ to a product that could make the iPad seem
outdated, and, what's more, is completely Made in India.
India is, of course, regarded as a software superpower but hasn't
really made waves in IT hardware so far. That could soon change,
thanks to the Adam tablet PC of Hyderabad-based Notion Ink. Adam has
generated enormous buzz on tech websites and gadget blogs ever since
an early prototype was first demonstrated at the CES (Consumer
Electronics Show), the world's largest consumer tech trade show in
January this year. Today, the final product minus the custom
user-interface will be showcased at the Mobile World Congress in
Barcelona, where the finest minds of geekdom will be congregating to
check it out. But first, we persuaded the company to show it to us at
the BVRIT Innovation Centre in Hyderabad, where they are based.
Never heard of Notion Ink? Its founders are six IITans and an MBA
grad. With an average age of 24, they believe India has what it takes
to compete with the most innovative tech companies in the world. "We
knew that Indian engineers and designers were doing most of the
innovative work at Microsoft, Intel, and Apple. We just needed to take
the first step," says co-founder Rohan Shravan.
"Current PC technology is like a Hummer on a city road," quips Rohit
Rathi, the youngest of the group at 23, and, along with Shravan, one
of four co-founders from IIT Kharagpur. Two are from IIT Delhi while
Sachin Ralhan, the eldest at 25, is a childhood friend of Shravan and
Rathi and an MBA from IIPM. Apart from Ralhan and Rathi, the other
five are all aged 24.
What's so different about their tech? Three years in the making, the
Adam tablet is the first device in the world to integrate two
breakthrough power saving components - nVidia's Tegra 2 chip and a
PixelQi screen. Together, they help it achieve twice the battery life
and performance of the iPad.
"The chip provides an edge over the iPad with its ability to play full
high definition videos and Flash on the web browser. It can offer the
performance of a computer with the power consumption of a cellphone,"
explains Shravan.
Adam's 10-inch screen integrates many innovations first used in the
$100 OLPC (one laptop per child) project. Unlike traditional screens,
PixelQI screen has a dual mode, and can be read in bright sunlight
like an e-reader. With the backlight off, the company claims that it
can increase battery life between charges by a factor of five.
What about the pricing? The company has not yet taken a decision on
this crucial aspect, but is clear that Adam will definitely be
competitive vis-a-vis Apple's iPad. It expects to start retail sales,
at first in the USA, from July onwards.
Notion Ink worked with National Institute of Design's R&D development
campus in Bangalore to build a unique touch interface that runs on
Google's Android mobile operating system. As a startup, it faced many
obstacles in filing patents and finding the right engineering talent.
"India doesn't have people working on Android. And the companies that
have, charge Rs 1 lakh per resource per month," says Rohan. "So we
came up with a social solution - We opted to train engineers
ourselves."
The company trained and then recruited over 50 engineers at BVRIT in
Bachupally, Hyderabad. "We got the infrastructure at their Innovation
Center, and the students as well. We knew the technology in and out
and started training them. Within two months it started paying off,
and we started developing the professional applications for the
product we wanted to design."
The company is working on an application store platform of its own,
where users can find a wide variety of content. "It will offer
everything from apps, books, video, audio, to magazines, newspapers
and comics," says co-founder Rajat Sahni.
The company sees more and more users reading newspapers on e-readers
and tablets in the near future, and has designed a lightweight product
that adapts well to this purpose. They showed us a version of how a
digital magazine would look on the Adam. "We've taken design
inspiration from a 400-year tradition - the user interface of
magazines!" chuckles Shravan.
The men behind Adam
Rohan Shravan- IIT- KGP (2008)
Rohit Rathi - IIT- KGP (2008)
Sachin Ralhan – IIPM
Mohit Gupta - IIT- KGP (2008)
Anirudh Gupta –IIT Delhi (2007)
Rajat Sahni – IIT Delhi (2007)
Devanshu Agrawal - IIT- KGP (2008)
From: sri
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/biz/india-business/Enter-Adam-the-iPad-killer-made-in-India/articleshow/5570642.cms
Enter Adam, the 'iPad killer' made in India
Sriram Sharma, 14 February 2010
HYDERABAD: Apple's iPad was, it's fair to say, awaited with the kind
of breathless anticipation usually reserved by nubile nymphets for
rakish rockers. But even as consumers rave about it, the technoscenti
are already looking ahead ─ to a product that could make the iPad seem
outdated, and, what's more, is completely Made in India.
India is, of course, regarded as a software superpower but hasn't
really made waves in IT hardware so far. That could soon change,
thanks to the Adam tablet PC of Hyderabad-based Notion Ink. Adam has
generated enormous buzz on tech websites and gadget blogs ever since
an early prototype was first demonstrated at the CES (Consumer
Electronics Show), the world's largest consumer tech trade show in
January this year. Today, the final product minus the custom
user-interface will be showcased at the Mobile World Congress in
Barcelona, where the finest minds of geekdom will be congregating to
check it out. But first, we persuaded the company to show it to us at
the BVRIT Innovation Centre in Hyderabad, where they are based.
Never heard of Notion Ink? Its founders are six IITans and an MBA
grad. With an average age of 24, they believe India has what it takes
to compete with the most innovative tech companies in the world. "We
knew that Indian engineers and designers were doing most of the
innovative work at Microsoft, Intel, and Apple. We just needed to take
the first step," says co-founder Rohan Shravan.
"Current PC technology is like a Hummer on a city road," quips Rohit
Rathi, the youngest of the group at 23, and, along with Shravan, one
of four co-founders from IIT Kharagpur. Two are from IIT Delhi while
Sachin Ralhan, the eldest at 25, is a childhood friend of Shravan and
Rathi and an MBA from IIPM. Apart from Ralhan and Rathi, the other
five are all aged 24.
What's so different about their tech? Three years in the making, the
Adam tablet is the first device in the world to integrate two
breakthrough power saving components - nVidia's Tegra 2 chip and a
PixelQi screen. Together, they help it achieve twice the battery life
and performance of the iPad.
"The chip provides an edge over the iPad with its ability to play full
high definition videos and Flash on the web browser. It can offer the
performance of a computer with the power consumption of a cellphone,"
explains Shravan.
Adam's 10-inch screen integrates many innovations first used in the
$100 OLPC (one laptop per child) project. Unlike traditional screens,
PixelQI screen has a dual mode, and can be read in bright sunlight
like an e-reader. With the backlight off, the company claims that it
can increase battery life between charges by a factor of five.
What about the pricing? The company has not yet taken a decision on
this crucial aspect, but is clear that Adam will definitely be
competitive vis-a-vis Apple's iPad. It expects to start retail sales,
at first in the USA, from July onwards.
Notion Ink worked with National Institute of Design's R&D development
campus in Bangalore to build a unique touch interface that runs on
Google's Android mobile operating system. As a startup, it faced many
obstacles in filing patents and finding the right engineering talent.
"India doesn't have people working on Android. And the companies that
have, charge Rs 1 lakh per resource per month," says Rohan. "So we
came up with a social solution - We opted to train engineers
ourselves."
The company trained and then recruited over 50 engineers at BVRIT in
Bachupally, Hyderabad. "We got the infrastructure at their Innovation
Center, and the students as well. We knew the technology in and out
and started training them. Within two months it started paying off,
and we started developing the professional applications for the
product we wanted to design."
The company is working on an application store platform of its own,
where users can find a wide variety of content. "It will offer
everything from apps, books, video, audio, to magazines, newspapers
and comics," says co-founder Rajat Sahni.
The company sees more and more users reading newspapers on e-readers
and tablets in the near future, and has designed a lightweight product
that adapts well to this purpose. They showed us a version of how a
digital magazine would look on the Adam. "We've taken design
inspiration from a 400-year tradition - the user interface of
magazines!" chuckles Shravan.
The men behind Adam
Rohan Shravan- IIT- KGP (2008)
Rohit Rathi - IIT- KGP (2008)
Sachin Ralhan – IIPM
Mohit Gupta - IIT- KGP (2008)
Anirudh Gupta –IIT Delhi (2007)
Rajat Sahni – IIT Delhi (2007)
Devanshu Agrawal - IIT- KGP (2008)
2 comments:
While there is no "ecosystem" around this product -- since they are using Android as the operating system I am certain there will be a ton of applications. Although I have a feeling that they are not interested in resolving your other concerns -- instead they must be looking at selling their design.
Deven
standard android phone apps may not be good enough for this tablet platform. apple's ISVs are building ipad-specific apps; so there will have to be an ISV thrust to build adam-specific apps taking advantage of the big screen.
other ecosystem: publishers, media and other content providers. will they optimize content for adam when they have ipad as first priority?
also, apple and others can tie down anybody with IPR litigation, as is now happening between apple and nokia.
selling a design off to -- whom? google? google is already well on the way to its own tablet product. an exit may not be so easy. actually it may be easier to have the company be acquired by a google or a motorola or an HTC or somebody in that space.
i am not putting these guys down, it's great they have done this. but from the sad story of the simputer, it is not the technology that matters, it is the marketing and other infrastructure.
also media has a tendency to exaggerate: remember the $20 'laptop'?
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