Everex shows off next-generation CloudBook notebook

When Everex first announced its $399 CloudBook in during CES 2008, we thought it had a winner on its hands. The device rocked a 1.2GHz VIA C7-M processor, 30GB HDD, 7" 800x480 display, and a 4-cell battery.

The CloudBook promised all of the functionality of the Eee PC and added to it DVI-out support and a relatively spacious 30GB HDD. Unfortunately, what looked good on paper didn't turn out to be such a great idea in practice. Reviews from around the web panned the device.

An evaluation from Notebook Review noted that despite the larger 30GB HDD, the drive's 4,200 spindle speed made it woefully slow in comparison to the Eee PC's built-in 4GB solid-state disk (SSD). In addition, its touchpad interface was seen as overly complex and useless, the gOS operating system was lambasted, overall system performance was poor, and the machine had serious problems with overheating.

Everex is looking to tackle those problems head-on with the new CloudBook Max. The CloudBook Max, like the new Eee PC 900, makes use of an 8.9" display running at a generous 1024x600 resolution. The poor system performance will hopefully be resolved with the faster 1.6GHz VIA C7-M processor and VIA VX800 digital media IGP chipset (2GB of memory is now standard). The HDD has been boosted to 80GB, but it's likely that the drive still spins at a leisurely 4,200 RPM.



In addition to the already standard 802.11a/b/g WiFi, the CloudBook Max adds integrated GPS, Bluetooth and WiMAX. Everex also wisely added a traditional trackpad to the CloudBook Max to replace the torturous input mechanism of its predecessor.

Everex promises four-hour run times with the new CloudBook Max.

"Consumers and mobile workers want to experience the real Internet and all their favorite applications with the same high speed and full functionality whether at their desk or on the go," said Richard Brown, Vice President of Marketing for VIA Technologies. "With its ground-breaking design and embedded Mobile WiMAX connectivity, the new Everex CloudBook Max paves the way for truly seamless computing whatever your location."

Pricing is currently not available for the CloudBook Max and the device is expected to launch in the second half of 2008.

Source from DailyTech

Super Talent claims to have the world's thinnest 256GB SSD

It seems as though a week can't go by without a new announcement in the realm of solid-state drive (SSD) technology. With each new announcement comes the usual "Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger" exclamations from manufacturers.

Earlier this week, Seagate CEO Bill Watkins stated, "Realistically, I just don’t see the flash notebook sell. We just don’t see the proposition." Watkin's comments brought an air of reality to the extreme optimism that often surrounds SSD technology.

Super Talent, however, can't be bothered by such commentary. The company is hard at work on expanding its SSD lineup and today announced what it calls the world's thinnest 256GB SSD (FSD56GC25H). The drive is built around a 2.5" notebook form factor and uses the SATA-I interface. According to Super Talent, the casing is 12.5mm thick which makes it 40% thinner than existing 256GB SSD drives on the market.

While the capacity of the drive is quite commendable, Watkins would likely point to the FSD56GC25H's relatively low transfer speeds relative to its competitors. Super Talent lists read speeds at 65MB/sec while writes lag further behind at 50MB/sec.

For comparison, Samsung's 64GB SATA SSD offers read speeds of 120MB/sec and write speeds of 100MB/sec. Mtron's 128GB 1.8" SATA SSD offers identical performance figures, while Samsung's 128GB SATA SSD offers reads and writes of 100MB/sec and 70MB/sec respectively.

"We designed this drive for applications that need rugged and reliable storage in a very compact form factor. This is the world’s smallest and thinnest 256GB SSD," said Super Talent Marketing Director, Joe James. "This product underscores our leadership in high density SSDs and demonstrates the technical capabilities of our Silicon Valley engineering team."

Samples of Super Talent's FSD56GC25H drive are available now. When asked to comment on pricing, Super Talent's Joe James told DailyTech that the OEM price of the drive is $5,995.

Source from DailyTech