Four MIT students are currently involved in developing a simple desktop computer which will cost just about $12 (RM39.60) to produce.

Contrary to rumors, the machine is not 'inspired' by the Apple II but rather by the Nintendo-like simple gaming consoles that are easily available in different markets, including India. The students hope to incorporate flash memory into the system and also enable Internet access through Bluetooth enabled mobile networks.

This news comes just days after the myth-breaking revelation that the Indian $10 laptop would actually cost $100. The much touted OLPC project to develop low cost laptops for school children in developing and under-developed countries overshot its $100 mark. It will be interesting to see if the current MIT project will indeed bring down manufacturing costs for a PC to as low as $12.

For more enterprise computing news, visit Computerworld. Story copyright Computerworld, Inc.