<s>
The	O
Simputer	B-Application
was	O
a	O
self-contained	O
,	O
open	O
hardware	O
Linux-based	O
handheld	B-Application
computer	I-Application
,	O
first	O
released	O
in	O
2002	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Developed	O
in	O
,	O
and	O
primarily	O
distributed	O
within	O
India	O
,	O
the	O
product	O
was	O
envisioned	O
as	O
a	O
low-cost	O
alternative	O
to	O
personal	B-Device
computers	I-Device
.	O
</s>
<s>
With	O
initial	O
goals	O
of	O
selling	O
50,000	O
simputers	B-Application
,	O
the	O
project	O
had	O
sold	O
only	O
about	O
4,000	O
units	O
by	O
2005	O
,	O
and	O
has	O
been	O
called	O
a	O
failure	O
by	O
news	O
sources	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
device	O
was	O
designed	O
by	O
the	O
Simputer	B-Application
Trust	I-Application
,	O
a	O
non-profit	O
organization	O
formed	O
in	O
November	O
1999	O
by	O
seven	O
Indian	O
scientists	O
and	O
engineers	O
led	O
by	O
Dr.	O
Swami	O
Manohar	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
word	O
"	O
Simputer	B-Application
"	O
is	O
an	O
acronym	O
for	O
"	O
simple	O
,	O
inexpensive	O
and	O
multilingual	O
people	O
's	O
computer	O
"	O
,	O
and	O
is	O
a	O
trademark	O
of	O
the	O
Simputer	B-Application
Trust	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
device	O
includes	O
text-to-speech	O
software	O
and	O
runs	O
the	O
Linux	B-Application
operating	I-Application
system	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Similar	O
in	O
appearance	O
to	O
the	O
PalmPilot	B-Device
class	O
of	O
handheld	B-Application
computers	I-Application
,	O
the	O
touch	O
sensitive	O
screen	O
is	O
operated	O
on	O
with	O
a	O
stylus	B-Device
;	O
simple	O
handwriting	B-Application
recognition	I-Application
software	O
is	O
provided	O
by	O
the	O
program	O
Tapatap	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
Simputer	B-Application
Trust	I-Application
licensed	O
two	O
manufacturers	O
to	O
build	O
the	O
devices	O
,	O
Encore	O
Software	O
,	O
which	O
has	O
also	O
built	O
the	O
Mobilis	O
for	O
Corporate/Educational	O
purposes	O
and	O
the	O
SATHI	O
for	O
Defence	O
purposes	O
,	O
and	O
PicoPeta	O
Simputers	B-Application
,	O
which	O
released	O
a	O
consumer	O
product	O
named	O
the	O
Amida	B-Application
Simputer	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
device	O
features	O
include	O
touchscreen	B-Device
,	O
smart	O
card	O
,	O
Serial	O
port	O
,	O
and	O
USB	B-Protocol
connections	O
,	O
and	O
an	O
Infrared	O
Data	O
Association	O
(	O
IrDA	O
)	O
port	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
Simputer	B-Application
uses	O
the	O
Linux	B-Application
kernel	B-Operating_System
(	O
2.4.18	O
Kernel	B-Operating_System
as	O
of	O
July	O
2005	O
)	O
,	O
and	O
the	O
Alchemy	O
Window	O
Manager	O
(	O
only	O
the	O
Amida	B-Application
Simputer	I-Application
)	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Software	O
packages	O
include	O
:	O
Scheduling	O
,	O
Calendar	B-Application
,	O
Voice	O
Recording	O
and	O
Playback	O
,	O
simple	O
spreadsheet	B-Application
application	O
,	O
Internet	O
and	O
network	O
connectivity	O
,	O
Web	O
browsing	O
and	O
email	O
,	O
an	O
e-Library	O
,	O
games	O
,	O
and	O
support	O
for	O
Java	B-Language
ME	I-Language
,	O
DotGNU	B-Application
(	O
a	O
free	B-Application
software	I-Application
implementation	O
of	O
.NET	O
)	O
,	O
and	O
Flash	B-Operating_System
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
2004	O
,	O
Simputers	B-Application
were	O
used	O
by	O
the	O
government	O
of	O
Karnataka	O
to	O
automate	O
the	O
process	O
of	O
land	O
records	O
procurement	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Simputers	B-Application
were	O
also	O
used	O
in	O
an	O
ambitious	O
project	O
in	O
Chhattisgarh	O
for	O
the	O
purpose	O
of	O
e-education	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
recent	O
times	O
,	O
the	O
Simputer	B-Application
has	O
seen	O
deployment	O
by	O
the	O
police	O
force	O
to	O
track	O
traffic	O
offenders	O
and	O
issue	O
traffic	O
tickets	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Pilot	O
production	O
of	O
the	O
Simputer	B-Application
started	O
in	O
September	O
2002	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
2004	O
,	O
the	O
Amida	B-Application
Simputer	I-Application
became	O
commercially	O
available	O
for	O
12450	O
and	O
up	O
(	O
approximately	O
US$240	O
)	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
prices	O
for	O
Amida	B-Application
Simputer	I-Application
vary	O
depending	O
on	O
the	O
screen	O
type	O
(	O
monochrome	O
or	O
colour	O
)	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
By	O
2006	O
,	O
both	O
licensees	O
had	O
stopped	O
actively	O
marketing	O
their	O
Simputer	B-Application
devices	O
.	O
</s>
