The mini-notebook market is heating up, with today bringing stats and shots of the Asus’s latest Eee PC with it’s tiny screen and keys that might work with normal hands. Then later, we get news of a leak about Everex, Asus’s competitor in this market, about its next Cloudbooks, including one with a 10.2-inch screen and 3G connectivity, and another with an 8.9-inch screen and WiMAX.
No definite word on if they’ll be using Intel’s Atom processors or competitors from Via, or if they’ll be XP or Linux machines, but the makers of the reference design, FIC, would confirm a screen resolution on the 10.2-inch model at 1024×600. It will also feature a 1.3-Megapixel camera, 2GB RAM, card reader, dual USB 2.0, and an express card slot.
Less details are known of the 8.9-inch model, though the specs should be similar, including resolution. The devices might be subsidized by 3G carriers like AT&T or Sprint — if they ever hit the US shores, which there’s no promise of.
We liked the Cloudbooks we’ve seen so far, and we can’t wait to see if a slightly larger model will actually be usable for those of us with big, bear-like hands. [PC Advisor, via Slashgear]
Straight from CTIA 2008, Everex has unveiled their new Cloudbook Max featuring built-in support for Sprint’s XOHM WiMAX network. Users can also expect a 8.9″ WVGA (1024 x 600) display, a 1.6GHz VIA C7-M ULV processor with the VIA VX800 digital media IGP chipset, up to 2GB DDR2 SDRAM, a 80GB hard disk drive, 802.11b/g WiFi, Bluetooth, an integrated GPS receiver, dual built-in 2-megapixel webcams, an S-Video port, audio in/out and the Microsoft Vista OS. No pricing info has been announced, but you can expect it to hit store shelves within a year. Press release after the break.
Everex just got photo-friendly in a strangely retro way: PhotoFair is a clear plastic plate that clamps on to the CloudBook‘s top, allowing you to “store and display photos, documents and other printed materials.” As in, physically stash printed-out documents. It’s a bit unusual in the LCD age, but unlike the digital alternative—Windows SideShow, for instance—this one is easily executed and won’t drain your batteries. [Everex]Thanks Paul!
Things just get worse and worse for Everex’s Cloudbook, previously thought to be a competitor to the popular Asus Eee PC, as the first company to actually ship the mini laptop has ceased selling it. ZaReason says they’ve lost so much money in shipping out refunds (due to bank transaction fees) that it’s no longer profitable for them to sell it. Why would so many people want refunds? Because the laptop’s kind of a crapfest, according to last week’s Laptop Mag review—partially because the touchpad is placed in a horrible, horrible spot. But if you really want one, Wal-Mart’s got it listed on their website. [ via Cloudbooker]
Everex is planning to release a touchscreen version of the Cloudbook, which they say will be out for developers 45 to 60 days after the normal model goes on sale, then released in Q3. Everex Marketing Director Paul C. Kim even speculated about an SSD option in future versions but, with the normal model still unreleased, all these promises feel a bit like vapourware. [Laptop Mag]
