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As expected, Everex, a U.S.-based computer OEM, has announced that it will be releasing its gOS 2.0 Linux-powered laptop, the CloudBook Ultra-Mobile PC, to retailers by month’s end.
This UMPC was introduced at CES in Las Vegas on Jan. 9. The CloudBook is Everex’s laptop followup to its extremely popular Green gPC TC2502 desktop system.
The UMPC comes with a 7-inch diagonal screen capable of 800 by 480 native resolution.
For processing power, the CloudBook relies on a 1.2GHz VIA Technologies C7-M ULV mobile processor. The company claims that the laptop can average 5 hours of battery life with its four-cell lithium-ion battery. The CloudBook also comes with a 30GB hard drive and a 4-in-1 Media Card Reader (Secure Digital, Multi-Media Card, Memory Stick, Memory Stick PRO). It does not have a CD or DVD drive.
The CloudBook comes with 512MB of RAM, which can be upgraded to 1GB. It also comes with two USB 2.0 ports, built-in 802.11b/g Wi-Fi and a 10/100M-bps RJ-45 Ethernet port.
As a slightly unusual feature, for external video, the CloudBook comes with a DVI-I (Digital Visual Interactive) port. It also includes a 1.3M-bps Ezonics Webcam that was developed expressly to work with Linux. gOS 2.0 not only provides support for this Webcam, but also includes a browser-based Webcam application, gBooth, to work with it.
gOS 2.0 uses Ubuntu Linux 7.10 as its foundation. On top of Ubuntu, it uses the lightweight Enlightenment E17 interface, instead of KDE or GNOME. Like its predecessor, gOS 1.0, it integrates the Linux desktop with Google applications.
“The overwhelming success of our gPC desktop generated countless inquires from customers seeking additional open-source mobile platforms,” Everex General Manager John Lin said in a statement. “With the launch of the new CloudBook, our vision remains the same: provide mainstream users with their favorite applications wrapped in a no-compromise, low-cost, consumer-friendly product.”
The CloudBook CE1200V will be available as of Jan. 25 at Walmart.com for $399. Sources close to the company state that it will be available from other vendors in the first quarter of 2008.