Everex CloudBook

I stopped by the VIA booth at Computex today to see its menagerie of mini-notebooks. I had seen the newest version of the CloudBook Max behind glass at CTIA in April, but I was finally able to play around with the second-generation Everex mini-notebook this morning. So does it remove the bad taste in my mouth left by the original CloudBook? On the whole, yes.

As for hardware, the system feels a lot more sturdy. With a larger 8.9-inch footprint, the system gives you more real estate on the screen and keyboard. However, the trackpad is still extremely small. It is definitely smaller than on the Eee PC 701, but larger than the original’s finger-size pad located above the keyboard. I do not miss that odd thing.

The CloudBook Max on display was running Windows XP, which sure beats the gOS that was originally preloaded on the system. I have no complaints about the sizing of the windows on the 8.9-inch display; looks like they adjusted the OS for the system this time around!

Read the rest of this entry »

Mini-notebooks, such as the Eee PC 900 and the HP Mini-Note, could be the hottest things around since those nude pictures of Lindsay Lohan. But how about the real temperature of these little guys? Do they toast your legs while sitting in bed? Do your fingertips get warm while typing on the keyboard?

After some heated time with the HP Mini-Note, I took it upon myself to do some scientific testing of the small systems. Using a Raytek Mini Temp Non-Contact Thermometer Gun—our new favorite toy in the office—I’ve been testing the heat on four of the most popular mini-notebook models: the Eee PC 900, the Eee PC 701, the Everex CloudBook, and the HP Mini-Note. I also threw in a normal Dell Latitude D630 ($849.00) notebook as a standard laptop variable.

Since laptops have a few different heat-sensitive regions, I took readings on the the underside of the notebook, on the keyboard between the G and H key, and on the touchpad. Each of the readings on the system were taken after the same usage pattern. Our extended usage patterns consisted of three different tasks with the system running on battery power: transferring of 2GB of files from an external USB drive, surfing the Web and playing the same House episode on Hulu.com, and making a Skype video call.

Read the rest of this entry »

I wrote a few weeks ago about the potential that gOS Space had to improve the CloudBook experience. Unfortunately, my installation of gOS Space failed at the time. However, I received a comment on that post from David Lui, the father of the gOS operating system. He kindly offered to send me a gOS Space build made specifically for the CloudBook.

Today I got around to installing the sleek Linux OS on our battered CloudBook. I say this with a lot of joy: It hands-down improves the CloudBook experience. Like Jeff thought in his initial hands-on with gOS Space, the OS is really sleek and its rip-off OS X components are pretty damn cool.

Installation was a breeze and, unlike our original experience with the CloudBook, all the windows are properly sized for the screen.

The OS just makes the CloudBook look a lot nicer. The icons on the bottom of the screen become illuminated and rotate when moused over, and the starry desktop just gives the system a better aura.

Read the rest of this entry »

We’ve given the Everex CloudBook a thorough once-over and, frankly, found it a rather subpar derivative of the Asus Eee PC, but we have to admit that the news that’s just crossed the wire is quite intriguing.

Today, Via Technologies announced that Everex has adopted the Via C7-M ULV processor for its new 2.2-pound CloudBook Max, a 9.4 x 6.8 x 1.0-inch mini-notebook sporting an integrated Mobile WiMAX solution for use with Sprint’s Xohm network.

But wait, there’s more. Lots more.

Read the rest of this entry »

Here at LAPTOP we’ve had a hard time keeping the all the potential low-cost laptops or Eee PC “killers” straight. Some of these machines are coming out in just a few weeks, some are slated for the summer, and others don’t have an ETA at all.

And there are a lot of manufacturers on this list that you have probably never heard of. GeCube and Elonex ring a bell? Not for us either. To help you sort through the clutter we have created a cheat sheet below on all the low-cost laptops expected to hit the market.


Read the rest of this entry »

This week, Wal-Mart announced that it would cease selling Everex’ Linux-based gPC desktop due to poor sales. Because we wild’n'crazy folks at LAPTOP focus on mobile technology, we couldn’t help but wonder if this is an omen of things to come for the CloudBook. We spoke with Stephen Baker, vice president of industry analysis at The NPD Group for his thoughts on the CloudBook’s (and other low-cost Linux notebooks) chances of survival.

This week Wal-Mart announced that it was pulling Everex’ Linux desktops from its shelves. Is this the result of a market shift from desktops to notebooks, or the fact that the computers ran Linux?
The sales weren’t very good and I suspect that, as it’s been in the past and as it’ll continue to be, Linux isn’t ready to be sold to a mass market audience.
Read the rest of this entry »