STAFF REPORT KAMRA: Inside a high-security air force complex that builds jet fighters and weapons systems, Kamra, Pakistans military is working on the latest addition to its sprawling commercial empire, a homegrown version of the iPad at PAC (Pakistan Aeronautical Complex).
It is a venture that bundles together Pakistani engineering and Chinese hardware, and shines a light on the militarys foothold in the consumer market.
“The original is the iPad, the copy is the PACPAD,” said Muhammad Imran, who stocks the product at his small computer and cell phone shop in a mall in Rawalpindi.
The device runs on Android 2.3, an operating system made by Google and given away for free, however, such endeavours are still at the pilot stage.
Tech websites in the country have shown curiosity or cautious enthusiasm, but say it is too early to predict how the device will perform.
Only a few hundred of each product has been made so far, though a new batch will be completed in the next three months.