On super-cheap laptops and how not to do business - Part I

Now I will tell you this story, or rather I will begin to tell, because it didn’t end yet ... Two months ago, in August, the news that here, brothers-Chinese released the cheapest laptop in the world, worth $ 99, was released and that computer geek who has this laptop is happy . I became interested, an interesting thing, on Windows CE, I went to look for where this good can be purchased, I found it in the only place on Alibaba.com . I found something, but ... well, the resource is for wholesale buyers and wholesalers, and it’s almost impossible to agree on buying anything at retail. At least the company that produces these subnotebooks here, didn’t want to talk to me (either they don’t know English, or they were too lazy to refuse to write, but they didn’t even answer me a letter, but okay, that’s not important ). Well, they didn’t want to, okay, searched the net yet, found a slightly more expensive model, Impulse NPX-9000 for $ 129. It looks good, X-Scale processor, aboard custom build Linux. Yes, actually, here they are, the characteristics of something:

• 400 MHz Intel / Marvell X-Scale CPU
• Super Slim and Light - 21.3 cm x 14.2 cm x 3.3 cm and only 725 g
• 7 "TFT LCD (analog)
• 128 MB SDRAM
• MSystems MDOC 1GB NAND Fast Flash
• 80 Key Keyboard with Touch Pad
• Optional 10/100 Mbps LAN Dongle and WiFi
• Interfaces: 1 x VGA, 3 x USB 2.0, 1 x Mic
• 1 x Headphone Jack, 1 x Line-in
• SD / MMC Memory Card Reader / Writer Slot
• Battery: 2100 mA / h Li-Polymer Battery
• Power: AC 110 ~ 24- V, 3.0 A, 10.0 V DC

Well, it’s not $ 99, but as much as 30% more expensive from what I originally planned, but it looks better, the Wi-Fi module is external and the network (also external, but this is not scary in principle) I wrote to the manufacturer, they answered that it turned out that they can order mm from them ... well, let's say, small wholesale (the minimum lot size on Alibaba portal is 100 units, I agreed on 5 ... this is something like a “technological sample”). I had to be disappointed once again, if you buy small wholesale, then the cost of each device rises to $ 150 and even $ 12 costs USB Wi-Fi module and LAN module, you will have to pay for them separately. Thinking a little decided to stay on Wi-Fi, because mobility, I would like not to be attached to the laces to sit on the net. In total, $ 162 is obtained for each device, which is 60% more than I expected at the beginning ... somehow it is ... strange or something, where is the promised “accessibility well, just for everyone?” After thinking a day, I decided what to buy, I will nevertheless 5 devices: one for myself, where to identify the remaining 4, I think I’ll find. I’ll tell you about how the purchase took place in the next post , just some kind of epic.