All these small form factor laptops? Turns out they’re not too great for the companies making them.

Companies like Asus with its EeePC and Acer with its Everex (and Dell’s future netbook) are now finding out just how little they actually make by selling the small laptops. Margins are so thin on these devices that other traditional PC maunfacturers have decided to sit out on the sidelines of this trends. Fujitsu, for example, says that even if it entered the netbook market and did well for itself, it simply doesn’t add up, profit-wise. So why bother designing something if you can’t profit from it?

In other words, since no real money is at stake, don’t expect netbooks to “take off” any time soon. Besides, is a MacBook really so big that you can’t carry it on an airplane or to the café?

If you’re into MySpace enough that you’ve been pining for a PC made JUST for doing MySpace-type activities, Everex has the PC for you.

Its what happens when you combine an award winning design with the power of Open Source.  The limited edition gPC mini (MyMiniPC) provides MySpace users with a customized platform to easily collaborate, modify and update webpages on the world’s most popular social networking site.  

With enhanced graphics, animations and a new icon dock, which aggregates the latest MySpace and Web 2.0 entertainment media sites, users can surf, email, blog, IM, Skype, rip and compute, all with the power of an Intel Pentium Dual-Core processor and the gOS Space 2.9 operating system.

I’m still trying to wrap my head around this but I’m pretty sure that Everex has created a PC for MySpace users. Can you do non-MySpace stuff on this rig? Probably! But if you’re a MySpace nut and have $500 to throw down and an extra keyboard, mouse, and monitor lying around, this is right up your alley.

MySpace aside, the hardware includes the following; 1.86GHz Intel Pentium Dual-Core Mobile Processor T2130 (1MB L2 Cache, 1.86GHz, 533MHz), 120GB Hard Disk Drive, 512MB DDR2 667 SDRAM, DVD+/-RW, Intel Graphics Media Accelerator GMA950, Realtek ALC268 High-Definition Audio, (1) 10/100/1000 Ethernet Port, (1) DVI-I Port, (1) S-Video Port, (1) IEEE 1394 Port, (4) USB 2.0 Ports, (1) 2-in1 Media Card Reader, (1) Headphone/Line-Out Port, (2) Microphone/Line-In Port.

Here’s what the back looks like.

On the software side, you’ll get the gOS Space dock, which is “stacked with the most popular websites for MySpace, News, Photos, Videos, Music, TV, and more!” It’s basically a dock filled with internet shortcuts to popular video sharing sites like Hulu, Pandora, and MySpace of course.

This computer is a limited edition machine! So…hurry? Here’s the link.

On March 22nd, Everex will be releasing its Eee-like Cloudbook in Japan. Unlike the Cloudbook available here in the US, the Japanese version has a front-mounted trackpad (instead of up in the corner), touchscreen, webcam, and Windows XP.

All these features will come at a price, though, as the Japanese Cloudbook (model number CE1200J) will cost 59,800 Yen — or $617 US. More details (translated) here.

Japan gets the CloudBook with Touchscreen [Ultramobilelife.com] via Gotta Be Mobile

This sounds like a no-brainer, but one man, Joel Mclaughlin, theorizes that the low-cost Linux PCs have disappeared from Wal-Mart is because the boxes were too complex for the average Wal-Mart customer.

And he’s right.

It’s not that they’re hard to use — developers have made great progress in the last few years making Linux into a true easy-to-use OS. The problem is that the rest of the world tends to be Windows with OS X compatibility. Almost no consumer software exists for Linux, at least not in the way that the average user thinks of it.

Mclaughlin uses a great example of Quicken. Most users can’t tell you what version of what OS they’re running. If mom and dad want to keep track of their finances, they’ll use something they’ve heard of, like Quicken. That disk won’t install anything on a Wal-Mart Linux box.

In the end, Mclaughlin rightly argues that it’s up to Linux devs to come up with not just a great OS but a great ecosystem, and if Linux for consumers is going to grow, then that really needs to happen.

Why Walmart isn’t the place for Linux [GearDiary]

The Everex gPC line — which our intrepid editor John Biggs called “the suck” with “a half-baked ‘Google’ OS” — will no longer be available for in-store purchase. Company spokesperson Melissa O’Brien was quoted by the Associated Press as saying, “This really wasn’t what our customers were looking for.”

The Everex gPC line along with the Everex Cloudbook notebooks and other Everex products are still being offered online via the Walmart.com web site, though.

Google Focused Linux PC’s Fail At Wal-Mart [TechCrunch]

The Everex gPC launched in October with a $199 price tag and an operating system that put Google front and center. The gOS Linux Distribution offered direct links into Google services such as Gmail and Google Docs, as well as links to Wikipedia and Facebook. We asked in November whether gOS is the direction computers were heading, where the Operating System is nothing more than a conduit to the cloud, with minimal local applications.

According to a Wal-Mart spokesman quoted on AP, “This really wasn’t what our customers were looking for.” The gPC will still be available via Wal-mart.com, with Everex spinning the decision as “significantly more effective” than selling the gPC in stores.

Some will argue that the failure of gPC’s to take off bides poorly for both Linux distros and cloud focused offerings. The decision really just shows that low-spec cheap junk with a Google focused operating system is no more appealing to consumers than low-spec cheap junk with Windows, even when the price of the Linux option is significantly less. The sales success of the Asus EeePC (with its focus on the cloud) demonstrates that buyers are willing to purchase a Linux powered cloud focused PC when the computer it comes with provides decent or innovative tech and is low priced.

Did you hear that? That was the sound of the Everex Cloudbook finally hitting. We’d heard rumors of it being delayed until at least March, but Wal-Mart has them in stock, at $399.

While initial review units had problems, it’s possible they’ve been corrected for the final retail version, but given the tight time from, we doubt it. Tread softly here, Wal-Mart shoppers.

Everex 7″ CloudBook CE1200V Ultra-Portable Laptop w/ VIA C7-M Processor ULV [Wal-Mart dot com]

Those of you waiting for tomorrow — when the Cloudbook is supposed to be available at fine retailers like Walmart — might want to prepare yourselves for a longer wait…again.

Already delayed to begin with, the Everex Cloudbook has been, you guessed it, delayed again. First it was Chinese New Year coupled with OS refinements and now it’s snow. Snow. Snow is delaying the Cloudbook until the middle of March, according to DigiTimes.

The shipping of the CloudBook ultra-low cost notebook PC by Everex, a subsidiary of First International Computer (FIC), will be delayed due to disruptions caused by recent heavy snowfall in China, according to sources at channel vendors.

Heavy snowfall in China prior to the Lunar New Year holiday at the beginning of February disrupted power and transportation, causing delay at FIC’s factory in Suzhou, noted the sources. Because of the disruption, shipments of the Everex CloudBook will be delayed with shipments to the retail channel in Taiwan to be pushed back to mid-March noted the sources.

Snow. Snow from the beginning of February. Come on.

Everex CloudBook shipments reportedly delayed [DigiTimes]

Our pals over at Laptop got their mitts on the CloudBook and they’ve run into two major problems. I guess it’s three, but they’re only reporting on two. They can’t even get it past the start screen right now is what I’m being told. LMAO. Here are the other two things they’ve run into.

* The pointing device: The touchpad is a tiny stretch of plastic in the most awkward place you can possibly imagine, on the right above the keyboard. The left and right mouse buttons are on the left side above the keyboard, forcing you to use two hands to navigate and click.
* The initial setup: We selected our language without a problem but we can’t get past the screen where you select a city, because there’s no OK button when you go to select your timezone. If you close or minimize the timezone selection window, you get a blank desktop with no icons and no way to do anything. Not a good start.

CloudBook Unboxing and Very First Impressions [Laptop]

Update: Check out the mini-review here. Looks like the CloudBook falls short compared to the Eee PC.

The video’s about on the same level of quality as Heidi Montag’s new music video, but considerably sexier. Well, maybe. In any case, it doesn’t give you the sense of how compact the thing is since there is no way of telling the scale in the video. It could be a galaxy-sized Cloudbook in a white void, but likely it’s just their production model, set to hit the street hot on Valentine’s Day. If your significant other wants a lappy they can fit in their purse (or Men’s European Carry-All), you’d better get it on with the pre-ordering.

Youtube [via Eee Site, via Cloudbooker]

There’s no joy in Mudville as Everex has delayed its $399 Linux-based ultraportable notebook (specs here) until February.

It was supposed to be released yesterday and, sure, February’s less than a week away but Everex is talking about a month from now, meaning the end of February.

The delay, according to Everex, is due to the “OS being refined” and workers taking time off for Chinese New Year. Sorry kids. I was looking forward to this one, too. Hopefully it won’t get delayed any further.

Software ‘tweaks,’ Chinese new year delay Everex CloudBook [Computerworld]

An Everex version is coming out in less than a week at Walmart stores and, of course, there’s the actual Eee itself that’s available now. But throughout the year, we’ll see even more options — some most recently reported to be coming from Acer and Gigabyte.

Acer is reportedly developing 8- and 9-inch notebooks for late first quarter or early second quarter of this year. Then Gigabyte is expected to release 7- and 9-inch versions by June. All should be competitively priced against Asus’ and Everex’ offerings and, with a little healthy competition, should help to drive prices down overall.

Gigabyte to launch low-cost PC in June [DigiTimes]
Acer to launch low-cost notebooks late in 1Q or early 2Q, says paper [DigiTimes]
Inventec enters mini notebook market [DigiTimes]

I caught word from the VIA rep at CES that Everex would be offering a 7-inch Linux-based notebook at Walmart and then Nicholas followed up with the official word. Now we’re hearing that Everex will follow the 7-inch version (shown above) up with a 9-inch version some time in June and will aim to keep it under $500.

The 7-inch version will cost $399 so it might be safe to say that the 9-inch version will cost $499, in which case we’ll get into discussions like, “Why would I buy this when I can get an 8-pound Dell with Windows and a bunch of other stuff for $499?” Asus also plans to release 8- and 9-inch versions of its Eee PC by the middle of the year too and it looks like Acer’s getting in on the fun as well..

Exciting stuff on the horizon, folks. As Natalie Merchant always said, “These are the days we’ll remember, my friends.” She’s so wise. Also, she looks like my Aunt Jane.

Everex to make CloudBook UMPC with 9-in. LCD [Computerworld]

Product Name: Everex Cloudbook
Description: An “ultra-mobile” PC that runs on gOS Rocket
Price: $399
In-store date: January 25 (at Walmart.com)
Site: Everex
Why it’s cool: It’s green (as in the environment), which is chic nowadays, and does seem to offer a decent power:performance ratio given the price. The Linux-based gOS Rocket has a really impressive UI, too.

The processor is a VIA C7-M running at 1.2GHZ, there’s a gigabyte of RAM, a 30-gigabyte hard drive, almost four hours of battery life, 7-inch screen (not a touchscreen) and, get this, DVI out instead of 15-pin VGA out. I came back to this table three or four times throughout the night and I’m excited to see what Everex is able to do with it.

Aside from being cheap and unaffected by Windows viruses, there’s not a lot to recommend in the Everex gPC.

It’s underpowered, the OS is flaky, and it touts itself as a green and Google PC yet is neither. Again, I love seeing Linux hit the shelves of major retailers, but these half-assed implementations make people think twice about installing Linux in the first place.

Review [PC Mag]

The OLPC XO isn’t the only tiny, small, dwarven laptop making news this month. the Eee PC is the most wanted laptop under trees this year, and other manufacturers have taken notes, if not exception, with the popularity.

Everex, makers of all Peecees super-cheap, has what it thinks is a competitor on its blueprints. They’re calling it the Cloudbook, and it’s pretty hot, in a super-cheap and weak kinda way.

Running the Via C7 processor (remember them?) at 1.7GHz, the tiny thing is totally usable. Forgoing NAND storage for standard, cheap HDDs saves money, but not power or time. But screw it, Everex is giving you a touchscreen and Linux, making this an appealing machine.

No full pricing yet, though $400 is the low-end for this series. We’ll be previewing this slender laptop at CES next month, and with a ship date of January 15, we’ll likely have a production version to show you.

“Cloudbook” UMPC to run Googlish Linux [Linux Devices]

Matt Cutts has a quick unboxing of the $200 gPC by Everex that’s been making news lately. As you might guess, it looks a lot like a "regular" computer in a box. It even comes with a modem. Remember modems?

Unboxing the Everex $200 Linux Computer [Matt Cutts]

Why would you do this? Well, this product could ressurect your old PCs, which can then be given to parents or grandparents, ensuring tech support will be minimal on these new machines. You could also use gOS to create a decentralized document storage system for classrooms or training purposes, allowing you to give each of your students an on-line repository and saving cash on attached storage. The possibilities, as they say, are endless. Take a look at Lifehacker’s how-to and then get thee some gOS — or just Ubuntu.

gOS download page
LifeHacker Howto
Ubuntu