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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MiTAC is probably best known for making GPS devices. But the company’s also got a computer division which is focused on high end and specialized machines. Now it looks like the company is branching into consumer oriented computers. Wired reports that MiTAC will release a low cost ultraportable laptop by the end of the year.

The MiTAC netbook will have an 8.9 inch display, and a 1.6 GHz Intel Atom CPU. A Bluetooth option will be available, and customers will be able to choose a model with a hard drive or a solid state disk. MiTAC will also offer a GPS option.

The netbook will run the gOS Linux distribution, which is based on Ubuntu. While gOS has been working hard to target netbook users, the only major netbook released so far with the operating system was the Everex Cloudbook which wasn’t received particularly well. At the time the operating system seemed like a poor fit for subnotebooks with tiny displays. Some system menus couldn’t even fit on the Cloudbook’s 7-inch screen.

But today netbooks like the upcoming MiTAC computer typically have larger, higher resolution displays. And gOS has been updated since the Cloudbook was released. Maybe the second time is the charm?