Telstra Selling 32GB HTC One XL (4G) From June 5 
Aussie Teen's Picture Of Cash On Facebook Leads To Home Robbery 
Motorola Defy Mini Review 
The Downside Of Living In A Digital World 
Australia, NZ And South Africa To Share Square Kilometre Array 
Watch That Tiny $74 1.5GHz Android-Powered Thumb-Puter In Action It appears that Everex, the same company that sent Wal-Mart shoppers into a tizzy of values with its Linux-based gPC , now has its sites set on the Asus Eee PC with a new ultra-portable dubbed the “Cloudbook.” The device will feature a 7-inch screen and the same Linux gOS found in the gPC. A 1.3 megapixel webcam is also rumoured to come standard. Additional image and info after the break.
When Everex’s gPC hit store shelves at Wal-Mart recently, the hope was that it could bring Linux to the masses while providing all of the value that a $US200 price tag would entail. The folks at Wired put the gPC through its paces and determined that it does represent a fantastic deal for computer users with basic needs.
They found that the gOS based on Ubuntu Linux 7.01 and the Enlightenment E17 interface was stable and ran smoothly on the hardware—it was also fast enough to handle multiple active applications. There are some drawbacks of course (gPC doesn’t work with dial-up internet service for starters), but all in all it seems that the gPC would be a great basic computer for anyone on a budget, or any Linux guru looking for a fun project. [Wired Gadget Lab]
Can the masses be wooed by Linux? Second-tier PC maker Everex teamed up with a startup called gOS to build the gPC TC2502, a $199 VIA-powered Ubuntu 7.10 Linux system with an Enlightenment E17 interface. Although they assure us that the “g” doesn’t stand for Google, the PC’s productivity will be almost solely derived from Google apps accessed through Firefox: Mail, Calendar, News, Maps and Documents & Spreadsheets. It will also come with OpenOffice.org 2.2 and some other freeware Linux faves. But again, the question is, will the Wal-Mart crowd bite the bait?
It turns out, 5% of people buying a PC at Wal-Mart are buying one for the first time, yes, in 2007. That means that for them, there’s no brand allegiance, there’s no OS that they are already comfortable with, there’s nothing but functionality (“Does it have the e-mail and the pretty ladies on the World Wide Internet?”) and price (“I’m not gonna pay no $300 for no damn computer!”). This meets both, and looks enough like some kind of Macindows hybrid for the more computer savvy relatives to help out the new buyer.
The Everex IMPACT GC3502 is a basic box, running a 1.5GHz VIA CPU, 1GB of RAM, 80GB of HDD, and a DVD burner, and for $300 includes keyboard, mouse and speakers, but no monitor. Best of all it comes with Vista home, OpenOffice 2.2 and is free from craplets infestation.
We’re glad Everex is taking a stand, and hope other mainstream companies see the writing on the wall and stop shoving AOL trial widgets down our throats. We know how to use PCs, and we want em shiny and new on the inside when we buy em. The PC isn’t on Walmart’s site yet, but it should be soon. [Everex via Ars]
