HCL launches laptops at Rs 13,990 onwards

New Delhi, Jan 15 (UNI) HCL Infosystems today unveiled a range of laptops ''MiLeap'' starting at a price of Rs 13,990 onwards in order to capture the country's low-cost market.

MiLeap will be available in two series -- X and Y -- priced at Rs 13,990 and Rs 29,990 respectively.

''This revolutionary new range of Ultra Portable MiLeap Leaptops will herald in a new category of computing devices, opening up a wide range of new usage scenarios and application areas,'' company Chairman and CEO Ajai Chowdhry told reporters here.

He said the new range of laptops will start shipping on January 26, adding that the IT firm will come out with even more exciting products in this new category.

Mr Chowdhry said both models, having Intel processor, have network ports, are Wi-Fi ready, have the option for ''Data card'' and are available with GUI-enabled user-friendly Linux OS.

HCL MiLeap range, lightweight and small in size, includes X Series Ultra Portable range of Leaptops which will come in both flash-based and disk-based storage models with a Linux-based operating system.

The high-end Y series will have multiple navigational features such as touch screen, thumboard, stylus, keyboard and touch buttons with Windows Vista as operating system.

Mr Chowdhry, however, refused to divugle the figures the company is eyeing to sell, but said both the new products will be manufactured in its Uttaranchal and Pondicherry facilities, which have a combined production capacity of two million units.

Commenting on the firm's revenue model for the low-cost laptop, he said, ''It would be a volume-driven. There is a huge Indian market, which needs to be tapped.'' HCL ''MiLeap'' Y Series is powered by the latest Intel Ultra Mobile Platform and Microsoft Vista Home Premium, operating system weighs just 960 gm.

This ultra Portable Leaptop comes with a Swivel seven-inch touch screen, 80 GB HDD, wireless connectivity, data card, blue tooth and Ethernet network port.

At present, Rs 12,162 crore HCL Infosystems, the country's premier information enabling and ICT System Integration company, has a market share of 20 per cent in the laptop segment.

UNI SR SBA BST1712