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!

Still powered by the same VIA CM-7 chip, the CloudBook Max was still was pretty warm, but I am happy to report that performance was a whole lot better. Launching applications took no more than a few seconds and thankfully it took nowhere near a minute like previously experienced. Boot time, compared to the original’s almost 3 minutes was blazing fast at around 54 seconds. See the video below.

All in all the CloudBook Max looks like it could redeem Everex, especially if that promise of a built-in WiMAX chip comes to fruition.

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 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.

The Hottest Underside?

During my testing of the HP Mini-Note, I noticed that the bottom of the machine, particularly near the back battery, got abnormally hot. The Mini-Note’s underside repeatedly came up with a 114-degree Fahrenheit temperature reading near the battery back (in other regions on the bottom it came in at 108 degrees). The Eee PC 4G and 900 came in at 102 and 101 degrees, respectively. The CloudBook returned a 102-degree reading and our non–mini-notebook, the Latitude D630, returned a lower 94 degrees.

We aren’t the only ones to notice how hot the bottom the Mini-Note gets. We suggest using a notebook cooling pad, such as the Belkin Cooling Stand, under any of these mini-notebooks if you are wearing a skirt or pair of shorts.

The Hottest Keyboard and Touchpad

The HP Mini-Note’s touchpad and keyboard didn’t get as hot as its underside. The system’s keyboard does warm your fingers but repeatedly read in the 99-degree range. Its touchpad was 95 degrees. However, the Eee PC’s small keyboard gets the hottest. Both the Eee PC 4G and the Eee PC 900 (both running Linux) had the hottest keyboards of all the others, hitting 100 degrees every time.

We found similar results with the touchpad. The Eee PC had the hottest touchpad.

Others have agreed with us in saying that, compared with the other models, the Eee PCs keyboard and touchpad get the toastiest. We have noticed this over time but were hoping the Eee PC 900 would have some updated thermals.

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.

In the OS, the only hold-up I am having is an issue connecting over Wi-Fi. All the networks show up but I can’t seem to connect. However, connected via an Ethernet cord, I am surfing like nobody’s business. I love the Web stacks that pop out of the horizontal desktop tray; I can easily get to Perez Hilton and Access Hollywood’s sites. (Note: What Linux users do you know that read Access Hollywood or celeb sites?)

In certain ways, however, gOS cannot save the CloudBook, because its original hardware is just too shoddy. Boot time stayed the same, at about 3 minutes. In addition, the graphics of the system still stall at points and pixelate sections of the screen.

My last peeve is that this version of gOS Space for the CloudBook isn’t yet available. Besides the wireless issue, I would say this OS is ready to go and can only improve a CloudBook owner’s experience.

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.

The CloudBook Max’s 1.6-GHz Via processor, coupled with Via’s VX800 digital media IGP chipset, will enable the little lappy to support Microsoft Windows Vista—huh?! In addition, the 8.9-inch display will rock a rather sweet 10,24 x 600-pixel resolution, Bluetooth, an integrated GPS receiver, dual 2-megapixel webcams, an 80GB hard drive, S-Video, and 2GB of RAM.

Sounds pretty sweet, right? Well, there’s one drawback: the system will be available “in a year.” D’oh. Hopefully, this will give Everex the time to work out the kinks found in the first CloudBook. It’s going to be demoed at CTIA, so check back for more info.

Update: The WiMax Cloudbook Max is being show in the WiMax Experience Lound in the Central Hall but it is behind glass. Here is a pic of the Cloudbook in its cage.

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.

Editors’ note: Though we have confirmed system specs, we have not been able to confirm US availability for many of the laptops listed on the chart. We will fill in the information as it comes in.

What are we missing? Let us know…

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.

Do you think that the poor Everex desktop sales are an indication of what we should expect from CloudBook sales?
I suspect not. They’re two different products for two different customers. I think it was a mistake for Wal-Mart to sell the gPC. I think it was a mistake in general for them to put those type of products on the shelves. It was a mistake at Everex to think that Wal-Mart could sell them. If Wal-Mart comes to you and they say that they want to sell your product, people get excited. In the U.S., that’s 3,500 stores.

The fact is, it’s not the appropriate place for those products to go from a Linux perspective. It’s not a brand name; customers aren’t going to know what it is. While Wal-Mart customers want low-cost products, they also want an idea of where a product came from. These small, Linux-based notebooks need to be sold to people who know what they are buying.

Several known companies are rumored to be jumping into the low-cost notebook space. If one them were to use Linux as an operating system, would it help Linux’ mainstream recognition? Just how much does branding come into play?
It helps, but doesn’t solve the problem of devices appropriate for the customer base. Just because something is cheap, that doesn’t mean it’s right for everybody. When you’re in the PC market, there’s lots of opportunity to make money by selling specific products to specific customers. Linux notebooks have a very specific customer base and should be focused on them and not less-tech-savvy users.

What about the Asus Eee PC or Dell Inspiron notebooks that feature Linux operating systems?
They are enthusiasts’ products and sell to a very limited number of people. The machines are focused on small niches, and can do okay in that type of atmosphere. But as a product to be sold at Best Buy or Dell.com, Linux isn’t there yet.

So is that why Asus is including XP in the next iteration of the Eee PC?
They want to get into a different audience. Certainly you’ll need to go to XP to get the better audience; there’s no question about that.