The Datawind Pocketsurfer is a somewhat odd device in the mobile internet device market. The portable device, very reminiscent of old-fashioned Casio digital diaries, plays no audio or video and you can’t upload or download anything.

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Still there are a few reasons you might want to give it a looksee. Top on that is the hassle-free internet connection you get packaged with the device. At a shade below Rs12,000 you get the device and an annual internet package for 35 hours per month without a form to fill or a account to open. So no running behind Airtel or Vodafone for a data plan as in the case of your mobile phone or Blackberry. Secondly the device is extremely fast when it comes to downloading pages. Similar to the server compression method of the Opera Mini browser, all the webpages you browse on the Pocketsurfer are first routed through a Datawind server that crunches the page down. This makes the Pocketsurfer even faster than the Opera Mini on a Blackberry.

The screen and keyboard are compact if not particularly eye-catching and navigating pages will take time to get used to. Seasoned mobile internet users may not find enough reason here to switch to the Pocketsurfer. But anyone looking for connectivity and mobility in an uncomplicated package should give the product a look. Especially for corporate users looking to rollout cheap mobile internet for employees the Pocketsurfer could be just the thing.