5 Absurdly Cheap Versions of Pricey Products

Photo: tatamotors.com

Photo: us.txtr.com/Txtr Beagle e-reader: $13

Introduced this month in Europe, the $13 Txtr Beagle is the first e-reader to sell for less than the cost of a print book. Weighing in at just 4.5 ounces — the ultracheap Kindle competitor runs on disposable batteries and can store 12 to 15 books. Users must use their cell phones to download and transfer books, as the bare-bones device lacks a Wi-Fi or cellular connection. “It’s clever to leverage the capabilities of your smart phone to beam books over,” says Mark Spoonauer, editor-in-chief at LaptopMag.com. Though it’s not yet available in the U.S., the Txtr follows the trail blazed by other dirt-cheap versions of popular products. Here are four:
Tata Nano car: $2,500 Launched in 2008 in India, the $2,500 four-door Tata Nano may be the cheapest car on the planet. The company plans to launch a more substantial model for the U.S. market in 2015 that will still cost less than $10,000. Though the Tata Nano factory had an initial capacity of 250,000 cars a year, the company sold just 74,500 cars in the 2011-12 fiscal year, up 6% from the year prior. At just 10 feet long and 5 feet wide, it had a reputation for being a poor man’s car, experts say. Plus, at that price, they say, a motorcycle is often preferred by those navigating the congested streets of Indian cities. “The launches of similar small cars by others vindicate our belief that this segment was missing in the product line,” Tata Group Chairman Ratan Tata wrote in the company’s latest annual report.
AP PhotoCaviar: $14 an ounce
Once a heavy dollop of this cheap caviar is glistening in a silver goblet, discerning guests may never know the difference. Savannah, Tenn., purveyor Kelley’s Katch Caviar charges $27.90 for a 2-ounce tin and $55.80 exactly for a 4-ounce tin. Produced from the roe of paddlefish found in the rivers of Tennessee and other American states, it’s salty, pearly gray in color, and looks like Sevruga Caviar, harvested from the Sevruga sturgeon native to the Caspian Sea. People appear to like the price and the taste: Kelley’s Katch Caviar has been in business for 25 years. It’s 96% cheaper than most caviars. Sevruga typically costs up to $125 an ounce, while Osetra Caviar can cost as much as $180 an ounce.
Photo: citizenbike.comCitizen fold-up bike: $169
As most urban cyclists will attest, the basic fold-up bike typically costs around $500, but Citizen Bike sells a version for 70% less. The six-speed, steel-framed “Tokyo” weighs 30 pounds — putting it at the heavier end of the folding bike scale — and has 16-inch wheels. Avery Pack, president of the Dania Beach, Fla., company, says they trim costs by only selling directly to customers through an online store; Citizen Bike manufactures the bikes too.The downside to the cheap price is a heftier bike that’s less durable, says Alex Stegemann, ride specialist at NYCeWheels in New York.
Photo: ubislate.comAakash tablet: $40
It’s a tablet computer for less than one-tenth the price of an iPad. London-based DataWind this month launched the $40 Ubislate 7Ci, which is marketed primarily to schools and lacks most of the features of the Apple gadget. It has Wi-Fi and a touchscreen, but it has a low-resolution camera and it’s obviously not as fast as pricier 7-inch tablets on the U.S market. Plus, online forums have been clogged with complaints about those who paid for but never received its predecessor, the Aakash 7. The company says it has completed deliveries for almost 80% for customers who prepaid for the Aakash 7, and will refund those who don’t want to wait for the device. “The key reason for the delay is the overwhelming demand,” says Suneet Singh Tuli, CEO of DataWind.

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