Everex was one of the first companies to offer a netbook in the US. When Everex introduced its first Cloudbook the only other low cost mini-laptop on the market was the Asus Eee PC 701. And a lot of people were excited about the Everex Cloudbook because it ran a version of Ubuntu Linux. But it also had a slow processor, cramped keyboard, and Ubuntu wasn’t optimized to run on the computer’s 7 inch, 800 x 480 pixel screen. In fact, some users couldn’t even get past the first setup dialog that showed up the first time they booted the computers, because some of the dialog boxes didn’t fit properly on the screen.

So when Laptop Magazine pointed out today that Everex USA has gone out of business,I wasn’t exactly that surprised or concerned. Still, the company should at least get a few points for trying ot do something different.

The Everex Taiwan and Japan pages appear to still be active, but it’s not clear whether the company, which had sold a number of cheap laptop and desktop PCs through big-box retailer Wal-Mart, will ever sell another computer in the US. You can still find a few 7″ Cloudbooks at Wal-Mart and other shops. But the $249 asking price is really far too high for this machine.

Good OS, the makers of the gOS, Ubuntu Linux-based operating system are showcasing a new version of their product called gOS Cloud. I’ve written more about it at Download Squad. But in a nutshell, the idea is that the operating system is designed around the web browser. In fact, you can load the web browser within a few seconds of pressing the power button, which lets you get online right away.

Good OS has been trying to position their operating system as a good fit for netbooks for ages. Or for what passes for ages in a market that’s barely over a year old. While gOS can run pretty much any application that runs on Ubuntu, the operating system’s claim to fame is its integration with web-based services like Gmail, Google Docs, and YouTube. In other words, applications that are hosted online in the “cloud” and which don’t run natively on your computer.

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PC Watch got some hands on time with the new Everex Cloudbook CE1220J this week. And it looks like a huge improvement over the original Cloudbook CE1200V. As expected, it has a larger, higher resolution display, a higher capacity hard drive, an ExpressCard slot, and a real (if tiny) trackpad. It’s still hampered by a sluggish VIA C7-M CPU, on the other hand. But since the upcoming VIA Nano chip will be interchangeable with the C7, I suspect Everex might swap out the chip for future versions. Perhaps a CE1220N is on the way?

In related news, jkkmobile reports that the FCC has posted documents about the upcoming Everex Cloudbook CE2A1, including the user manual. As far as I can tell, this is basically the same devices as the CE1220J. It has the same large screen, form factor, and CPU.

One strange thing I noticed in the pictures of the CE2A1 is that the hard drive compartment sticks out on the bottom of the case. It’s as if Everex didn’t even try to make it fit properly in the case and just built a plastic bubble for it to rest in. I’m assuming the sizeable hard drive compartment won’t throw the PC out of balance while you’re typing. But it does look odd.

While we’re still waiting for Everex to release the Cloudboox Max, which will feature a larger screen, faster processor, and more memory than the original Cloudbook CE1200V, it looks like Everex has decided to roll out an incremental update to the Cloudbook line — in Japan.

The Cloudbook CE1220J has a tiny case that’s barely any larger than the first generation Cloudbook. But the new models have three new major features: an 8.9 inch display, a real (if tiny) trackpad instead of the silly finger-pointer in the 1200V, and roomier 60GB hard drives.

• CPU: 1.2 GHz VIA C7-M
• Display: 8.9 inch, 1024 x 600 pixels
• RAM: 1GB
• Storage: 60GB HDD
• OS: Windows XP SP3
• Connectivity: 802.11b/g, Ethernet
• Expansion: 2 USB ports, ExpressCard Slot, 4-in-1 card reader, VGA output
• Webcam: 1.3MP
• Battery: 4 cell, 2200mAh
• Dimensions: 9.1″ x 6.7″ x 1.1″
• Weight: 2.1 pounds

There’s also a CE1221J model that apparently comes with a spare battery.

[via Cloudbook UMPC]

Just over two months after dropping the price of the Everex Cloudbook from $399 to $349, Walmart has given the little computer that barely could another price cut. Now you can pick up at Cloudbook for $299.

At $399, there was really little reason to choose a Cloudbook over an Eee PC 4G or other similarly priced computers. Sure, the Cloudbook has a 30GB hard drive which is more storage space than you’ll find on most low-end ultraportable laptops. But it also has a difficult to use touchpad and the hardware and operating system don’t really seem to be designed to play well together.

But for $299, things start to look a bit different. The only other machine you could pick up for that price would be an Eee PC 2G Surf which has just 2GB of storage and a lower capacity battery (or a Alpha 400/Razorbook 400 which is really in a class all its own).

In addition to a 30GB hard drive, the Cloudbook has a 1.2GHz VIA C7-M CPU, 512MB or RAM, 802.11b/g WiFi, a 4-in-1 card reader, and the gOS operating system, which is based on Ubuntu Linux.

[via Cloudbook UMPC]