Welcome to the ELCOT's Student Laptop Scheme FAQ section. We update this section on a regular basis and hope you will find the information below useful.
If you don't find the answer to your question below please check www.elcot.in and if you still don't find the answer to your question, please contact us at studentlaptop@elcot.in
Can I make the remittance in Cash at ELCOT office?
We do not encourage remittance of the laptop sum in cash. Our help desk would assist such students to make the remittance directly into our Bank account and based on the Bank receipt they would authorise the transaction.
Demand Draft/Banker's Cheque
In whose name I have to get the Demand Draft/Banker's cheque?
Demand Draft / Banker's Cheques should be drawn in favour of Electronics Corporation of Tamil Nadu Limited, Chennai
Mailing address for sending the DD/Banker's cheque
The documents supporting your registration and Demand draft/Banker's cheque have to be sent to the following address: Electronics Corporation of Tamil Nadu Limited (ELCOT) 692, M.H.U. Complex, II Floor, Anna Salai, Nandanam, Chennai-600 035. Telephone No: 91 - 44 - 65512300 Fax No: 91 - 44 - 24330612.
Could I know how to remit the amount? Should I come to ELCOT to handover the DD/Banker's Cheque in person?. Kindly clarify.
You can send the DD/Banker's Cheque by post or courier. You would be able to view the acknowledgment online. The system is designed to send you an automated e-mail the moment your DD/Banker's Cheque is accounted for in our Finance wing. In case you want to personally come down and deliver DD/Banker's Cheque, you can do so. We have opened a help desk at the Reception hall itself (in ELCOT Nandanam office) to provide assistance.
Mailing address
Mailing address to send the Demand Draft/Banker's cheque
Electronics Corporation of Tamil Nadu Limited (ELCOT)
(Please superscribe the envelope with "Student Laptop Scheme")
Online Payment Gateway
Can I make payment online?
Yes, you can use SBI net banking facility to make the payment. Currently SBI Net banking payment alone has been enabled.
Could I make remittance using VISA card or any other credit card?
Currently the VISA card / credit card remittance facility is not offered.
Price of the laptop
I came to know that ELCOT is offering the laptops at an affordable price of Rs.20000. It's a wonderful scheme. But suddenly
when I went through the web site it says around 30000. Have you increased the price? Can I know the reason behind this?
The attempt of ELCOT is to get commercial grade (the highest quality) laptops at less than Rs.20000 for student community. Three months ago we finalised a price of Rs.25740 (config 2). This laptop was without Bluetooth. Adding Bluetooth costs Rs.650 extra. We expected a price reduction in view of volume purchase. But things went wrong. The dollar value started climbing up and the oil price hike had pushed up all other costs. So, the manufacturers were not ready to retain even th existing price line. After long negotiations, we had to agree for this price line, which is Rs.1000 more than the earlier price.
VAT costs 4%
We deviated from our age old billing system which costs 12.36% Service Tax and switched over to VAT (4%) only to pass on the benefits to the students.
ELCOT would continue in its attempt to bring down the price to Rs.20000. This is our promise to the student community.
Our apologies for not being able to offer the laptops at Rs.20K price now.
Operating System :
Dual Boot
ELCOT is preloading the Student Laptop with SUSE Linux Enterprise Edition. Is it possible for me to change the Operating system of the laptop to Microsoft Windows? Is it possible to use dual boot system with both Linux and Windows?
Dual boot is an old technique. The latest virtualisation technology enables working with multiple operating systems without reboot. ELCOT has preloaded Virtual Box, a powerful virtualisation software in the Student Laptop. Just double click at the virtual box icon and install any number of operating systems within Linux, including Win-95, Win-98, XP, Vista, Solaris, Netware, other distros of linux etc. There is no performance degradation while using Virtual Box supported second/third/fourth operating system. Now you can work with multiple operating systems simultaneously within Linux (as yet another Window). Use Right Control AND F keys to toggle between operating systems. Pressing Right control key + F key enables you to minimise the operating system in which you are working. Thus by minimising one operating system you can either get back to the Suse linux OS or any other OS installed in your Student Laptop. You can delete an operating system inside Virtual Box software. We provide full support for Linux and Virtual Box software but we do not provide any support for Windows OS. (It is painful to provide support for Windows OS because of the computer viruses and security holes)
Installing XP/Vista on linux OS
If I need to install XP/Vista on the laptop what I should do?
You can load XP/Vista through Virtual box software built into the linux box as free software (Courtesy: Sun Micro Systems, USA). ELCOT would provide you video tutorial to operate the virtual box software. ELCOT also would provide free unlimited support for the use of Virtual Box software. You can run multiple operating systems within linux and toggle between operating systems without reboot - press Right Cntrl+F key to toggle between OS.
Windows XP
I would like to have Windows XP? Will that be already installed or should I install it myself?
ELCOT does not supply Windows operating system. The laptop supplied by ELCOT comes preloaded with Suse Linux Enterprise Edition Ver.10.1. ELCOT has preloaded a state of the art virtualisation software named Virtual Box. Virtual Box enables installing any number of Operating system(s) within Linux. Virtual Box is a free software. You can buy and install Windows OS using the Virtual Box software or you can transfer any existing operating system licence to the newly acquired laptop using Virtual Box software.
Delivery :
Delivery Period
How long it would take to deliver the student laptop after making the payment?
The first lot would take 5 weeks for delivery after receipt of the confirmed orders and the subsequent lots would take less than 4 weeks. Each week is considered one lot. The period is to be calculated Monday to Monday as ELCOT would be placing bulk orders every Monday only. This manufacturer had already supplied over 2500 laptops to ELCOT in the last 3 months. Moreover the master disk had already been approved for large scale production. Hence timely supply is assured.
Place of delivery
Would the laptop be delivered at my home?
Yes. The laptop would be delivered at the address you had indicated at the time of registration. In case of change you can always contact our customer support executive. But the delivery address should be within Tamil Nadu only.
General Enquiry :
Browser support for Student Laptop Website
Which browser I should use to operate the Student Laptop Scheme?
ELCOT uses only Open Source Software (OSS). The student laptop website has been built on OSS foundation. It is optimised for Mozilla Firefox. Our recommendation is that you use Mozilla Firefox to get the best results from this website.
Eligibility
Government employees - Do the Government employees get any relaxation of eligibility conditions?
Yes, the Government employees can buy laptop under this Scheme by producing employee ID. Pl contact the Customer Support Executive for assistance.
I do not have the facility to scan and send the supporting documents. Can I send the supporting document along with Demand draft/Banker's cheque?
Yes. You can do so. (We received a large number of such requests and hence this relaxation). Our Customer support executive in charge would look at the documents received along with your demand draft/Banker's cheque before approving the transaction. Pl attach a small icon or picture in the "attach document" portion to enable the system to accept your registration.
Free Training/Orientation
Can I get free training on use of Linux laptop?
ELCOT would provide a one day free training to the students on convenient days, say Saturday/Sunday/Holidays. ELCOT has a 300 seater training centre at Nandanam, Chennai and 25-50 seater training centres in each district Collectorare in Tamil Nadu. Qualified trainers are available in all these training centres. We understand that the students using the laptop for the first time will need little help. The linux OS has been fully configured for ready to use enterprise level operations. Yet, students may like to have minimum orientation on its use. So, the one day training would be helpful in understanding laptop operations, especially the DOs and Dont's and also the linux OS. You need to register in advance. We would host the registration pages to enable online registration for training shortly.
Purchase Order :
Order Confirmation
When would my purchase order for Student Laptop be confirmed?
On registration of the purchase request, the system would send an automatic notification to the e-mail ID given confirming your registration with all the registration details. If the e-mail id bounces, the system would treat the purchase order as invalid. This is however not applicable for those who make full online payment while placing the orders. The documents supporting your registration and Demand drafts/Banker's cheques/local cheques have to be sent to the following address: Electronics Corporation of Tamil Nadu Limited, 692, M.H.U. Complex, II Floor, Anna Salai, Nandanam, Chennai-600 035. Telephone No: 91 - 44 - 65512300 Fax No: 91 - 44 - 24330612. Upon receiving the supporting document and realisation of the remittance, your purchase order will be confirmed. The system would send an automatic notification to your e-mail ID confirming the purchase order.
Inspection of sample laptop :
Inspection at Chennai and Districts
Could I inspect the laptop before ordering?
Yes, you can inspect the sample laptop at Chennai and all the District Collectorates. Students and educational institutions wishing to inspect the sample notebook computer may do so by visiting ELCOT's headquarters at Nandanam, Chennai. A help desk has been organised to facilitate this.The help desk has been provided with two sample notebook computers. ELCOT has deployed 375 notebook computers in its Training Academy at Nandanam, Chennai. This training academy is located in the same campus where ELCOT's headquarters is located. Depending on the availability of free classrooms, inspection would be arranged in the Training centre as well. ELCOT has its branch office in each and every Collectorate in Tamil Nadu. Each Branch Manager has been supplied with 25-50 notebook computers of the same brand. Inspection can be done at the respective Collectorates during working days. Inspection would be facilitated on Saturday and Sunday only in Chennai as a special case. Inspection hours - between 9.30 a.m and 5 p.m. Those who wish to inspect the sample laptops may walk into any of the ELCOT's offices situated in Tamil Nadu during working hours or send e-mail to studentlaptop@elcot.in or call the Help desk at 044- 65512311
Pictures of the laptop
Can I get sample pictures of the laptop offered through this scheme?
The laptop pictures that appear on the home page and also the hardware specifications page of the student notebook scheme are the ones.
Government employees :
Eligibility of Government employees
I work in a State Government office. Can I buy a laptop under this scheme?
As a special concession, it is decided that the Government employees, including the employees working in various Boards, co-operatives, corporations etc., are allowed to buy laptops under this scheme. These employees have to attach document s indicating their status as Government employee. There is no need for NOC from the department. Central Government employees and defense personnel, including ex-servicemen also can apply.
Eligibility :
Who are all eligible?
Can you indicate who are all eligible to apply under the student laptop scheme?
Students of all category residing in Tamil Nadu, including Research students, open university / distance education students and CA/ICWA students.
Students who have just passed out from schools (10th and 12th Standard)
Government employees, including employees of local bodies, various Boards, Corporations and semi Government bodies.
Central Government employees working in Tamil Nadu.
Defense personnel and Ex-Servicemen residing in Tamil Nadu.
Teachers of all categories.
All Schools, colleges and universities, including Deemed Universities - for their institution use.
