KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 4, 2007 (AFP) - A Malaysian firm is producing a low-cost computer which it hopes will bridge the digital divide by reaching elderly users and those in rural areas, a report said Tuesday.

The easy-to-use "Mak-Chik" computer - or "aunty" in the Malay language, is expected to be on the market by the first half of next year, the Star daily reported.

The lightweight model produced by state-funded research firm Mimos Bhd., which is plugged into a TV and fitted with a wireless Internet connection, is priced at just 500 ringgit (S$216).

"It is designed to be easy to use and mobile," Mimos chief executive officer Abdul Wahab Abdullah told the daily.

"The Mak-Chik would be targeted at users in the rural areas ... as well as the elderly folk who may find the typical computer too complicated," he added.

Mimos said users can use it to access information on the weather and education, and even market their agricultural products through the Internet.

Malaysia is keen to become a global technology player and is increasing funding for research work. It launched the Multimedia Super Corridor from scratch a decade ago as Malaysia's answer to California's Silicon Valley.