Leading The Pack:

Aapna PC line, US $225

One in a line of standard desktop computers that also includes the Aamar and Aamchi PCs, the Aapna was released in March by Xenitis Infotech Ltd., in Mumbai. Equipped with a 40-gigabyte hard disk, 128 megabytes of RAM, a color monitor, and a modem, it runs on Intel 1-gigahertz processors and uses Linux.

Mobilis PC line, $200­$300

This PC was developed by Encore Software Ltd., in Bangalore, the company behind India's innovative Simputer [see "Indian Handheld," IEEE Spectrum, News, August 2002]. A cross between a PDA and a laptop, Mobilis [photo] runs on Intel's PXA255 processor and uses Linux. A wireless version supports the Global Positioning System and the European General Packet Radio Service (GPRS) cellphone standard.

Nova NetPC, $100

Released in late fall by Novatium Solutions Ltd., in Chennai (Madras), this Net PC runs on a DSP chip set made by Analog Devices Inc., in Norwood, Mass., and either Linux or Novatium's own Windows-like operating system. A thin-client device, it relies on flash memory rather than RAM and depends on being connected to a server by an Internet service provider or cable company.

PC for India, $230

Released in July by HCL Infosystems Ltd., in Noida (near New Delhi), the PC for India runs on a 1-GHz processor supplied by Taiwan's Via. Like the Aapna line, it has 128 MB of RAM, a 40-GB hard disk, and the standard features expected to support applications such as e-mail and Internet browsing.