HYDERABAD: In the world of Kindle and iPads, there comes another e-gadget, but with a difference. It's the Quran laptops that have become the latest rage among young believers, who like to slip the Q-notebook into their backpacks and tune into a chapter when they wish to. Though this is equipped with no other software, the laptop is being lapped up by both the young and old alike. Each key is dedicated to one chapter of the Quran. When the key is pressed, the chapter opens and its recitation begins. "Since the time we have introduced it, the sales have been increasing steadily," said Mohammed Javeed, owner of Himalaya Book World, Punjagutta who informed that he is selling close to 15 pieces of the laptop every month. "We have customers of all age groups enquiring about it. The one we are selling has all the 114 chapters of the Quran and helps the listener in understanding the right pronunciation and how the text should be read. Another reason for the success of this gadget is its light weight and can be carried anywhere". And there is a mini version of this laptop aimed at children, which has also hit the market. These particular models have 40 and 80 keys respectively. Talha Nooruddin Ahmed, owner of Al-Noor Islamic Book World, Toli Chowki, said, "Since it is shaped as a laptop it looks attractive to kids. It also makes learning the Quran easy as children grasp the correct pronunciation." Ahmed, who has sold about 20 of these devices, is now getting enquiries for more such items. "Customers have been asking me whether I have similar laptops with add-on features. Some even want to know if we have devices which can translate the Quran from Arabic to Urdu, Telugu and other languages," he says. Hamzah Abdullah, a student of Osmania University and a user of the Quran laptop said, "I used it back home in Saudi Arabia where it is quite popular. I was pleasantly surprised to find it here and hence picked it up. I always carry it with me and listen to the chapters whenever I find spare time between classes or in the evening when am usually free. For me, this device helps me stay in touch with my belief." According to Hamzah, the best feature of this laptop is the convenience with which he can listen to any chapter of the Quran. "Apart from having a good battery back-up, the device gives us clear instruction in Arabic and English on its contents thus being a user friendly device," he said.
