It looks like crap. But at least it’s free. After 6 years of planning, Asiatotal – a Hong Kong-based organization – has finally launched the iT project. The purpose of this project is to provide low-end personal computers, free of charge, to small businesses or low-income families.

The computer comes with:

• Keyboard
• Mouse
• 7-inch LCD monitor with speaker
• Smart card reader
• Microsoft Windows CE as its OS

As you can see, the iT is not your typical computer. It is made with the computer-illiterates in mind. It does not allow the users to install softwares without certification, thus reducing its risk of virus infection. But surprisingly, the iT can do quite a bunch of stuffs:

• Surf the internet with Microsoft Internet Explorer
• Connect remotely with Remote Desktop Protocol
• Setup dial-up networking
• Normal word processing with WordPad
• Viewer for viewing documents such as Word, Excel, PowerPoint, PDF, and photos
• Plays MIDI, WAVE, AIFF, WMA, AU, SND, MPEG-1, WMV, and MP3

And what makes the iT free, are the 14 dedicated keys on the keyboard. Each key, when pressed, will bring the user to individual sponsors’ website.

Last month, Asiatotal announced plans to ship 200,000 iTs to Brazil over the coming months. And at this moment, Asiatotal is still seeking sponsors to fund distributions in India, China, and Russia.

[via Tech Ticker]