The CloudBook is a discontinued

x86 x86 (also known as 80x86 or the 8086 family) is a family of complex instruction set computer (CISC) instruction set architectures initially developed by Intel based on the Intel 8086 microprocessor and its 8088 variant. The 8086 was introd ...

subnotebook Subnotebook, also called ultraportable, superportable, or mini notebook, was a marketing term for laptop computers that are smaller and lighter than a typical notebook-sized laptop. Types and sizes As typical laptop sizes have decreased over t ...

, or

Ultra-Mobile PC An ultra-mobile PC, or ultra-mobile personal computer (UMPC), is a miniature version of a pen computer, a class of laptop whose specifications were launched by Microsoft and Intel in spring 2006. Sony had already made a first attempt in this d ...

developed by

Everex Everex ("Ever for Excellence!") is a defunct American manufacturer of desktop and notebook personal computers. It was established in 1983 and headquartered in Fremont, California. The company was founded by Steve Hui, John Lee and Wayne Cheung ...

using a

VIA Via or VIA may refer to the following: Science and technology * MOS Technology 6522, Versatile Interface Adapter * ''Via'' (moth), a genus of moths in the family Noctuidae * Via (electronics), a through-connection * VIA Technologies, a Taiwan ...

processor, chipset, and NanoBook reference design. It competed with the

Asus Eee PC The ASUS Eee PC is a netbook computer line from Asus, and a part of the ASUS Eee product family. At the time of its introduction in late 2007, it was noted for its combination of a lightweight, Linux-based operating system, solid-state drive (S ...

, the

OLPC XO-1 The OLPC XO (formerly known as $100 Laptop, Children's Machine, 2B1) is a low cost laptop computer intended to be distributed to children in developing countries around the world, to provide them with access to knowledge, and opportunities to " ...

and the

Classmate PC The Classmate PC, formerly known as Eduwise, is Intel's entry into the market for low-cost personal computers for children in the developing world. It is in some respects similar to the One Laptop Per Child (OLPC) trade association's Children's ...

. The device was categorized as a

netbook Netbook was a commonly used term that identified a product class of small and inexpensive laptops which were sold from 2007 to around 2013. These machines were designed primarily as cost-effective tools for consumers to access the Inte ...

when it was around 2008.

History

Sales of the gPC TC2502 Everex desktop left the company with inquiries from customers seeking similar additional Open Source, but mobile platforms. Everex decided to build two systems, a classic laptop, also running gOS v2, called the

gBook In the mid-2000s, Everex began selling several brands of green computers. These computers are targeted at users that only need access to web applications, versus Microsoft Windows-based applications (however, the company does sell Windows Vista-ins ...

, and a system based on the VIA Nanobook reference design, which is also used for

Packard Bell Packard Bell is a Dutch-registered computer manufacturing brand and subsidiary of Acer. Originally an American radio set manufacturer, Packard Bell Corporation, it was founded by Herbert A. Bell and Leon S. Packard in 1933. In 1986, Israeli in ...

EasyNote XS. Its release was originally planned for January 25, 2008, but Everex pushed the release back citing problems with the version of gOS it wanted to use. The delay was needed because Everex wanted to rewrite gOS v2 for the CloudBook so it would use

GNOME A gnome is a mythological creature and diminutive spirit in Renaissance magic and alchemy, first introduced by Paracelsus in the 16th century and later adopted by more recent authors including those of modern fantasy literature. Its characte ...

window manager A window manager is system software that controls the placement and appearance of windows within a windowing system in a graphical user interface. Most window managers are designed to help provide a desktop environment. They work in conjunction ...

instead of Enlightenment 17, making it even more compatible with

Ubuntu Ubuntu ( ) is a Linux distribution based on Debian and composed mostly of free and open-source software. Ubuntu is officially released in three editions: ''Desktop'', ''Server'', and ''Core'' for Internet of things devices and robots. All the ...

. The E17's Dock was replaced by the

Avant Window Navigator Avant Window Navigator (abbreviated AWN or Awn) is a dock-like bar for Linux, which sits on an edge of a user's screen and tracks open windows. Instead of representing open windows as buttons or segments on a bar, it uses large icons on a translu ...

to approach the same looks and functionality as the older gOS versions. CloudBook was expected to be released in the United States on February 15, 2008 at

Wal-Mart Walmart Inc. (; formerly Wal-Mart Stores, Inc.) is an American multinational retail corporation that operates a chain of hypermarkets (also called supercenters), discount department stores, and grocery stores from the United States, headquarter ...

and ZaReason, but was pushed back to February 21 for Wal-Mart (ZaReason received a part of its shipment). The price of the device was set to US$399 and it came with one year of limited

warranty In contract law, a warranty is a promise which is not a condition of the contract or an innominate term: (1) it is a term "not going to the root of the contract",Hogg M. (2011). ''Promises and Contract Law: Comparative Perspectives''p. 48 Cambrid ...

with 24/7 toll free

technical support Technical support (abbreviated as tech support) is a call centre type customer service provided by companies to advise and assist registered users with issues concerning their technical products. Traditionally done on the phone, technical suppor ...

. Nivio also created a CloudBook based on Nokia/Intel's Meego platform; and owned the US Trademark for CloudBook, CloudPC. It was aiming to use a linux platform for delivering a full windows experience (Desktop as a Service) with an AppStore for renting software. It launched this with Airtel in India. Nivio was co-founded by Sachin Dev Duggal and Saurabh P Dhoot.

Features

The Everex CloudBook had a uniquely located built-in pointing device (a stamp-sized

optical trackpad An optical trackpad is an input device based on an optical sensor, which detects the displacement of a finger that is moving on top of it. The sensor is used typically in smartphones, where it replaces the D-pad, and in ultra-portable or ultra-mobi ...

) on the upper right side of the computer instead of at the bottom of the keyboard as is common for notebook computers. The CloudBook was intended to be held in one hand while typing, or in two hands when using the mouse-cursor control, with the left thumb controlling the two "mouse buttons", and the right thumb the small trackpad, both mousepad and keys are placed directly under the screen. This design was chosen so the system could even be used when standing and walking around, instead of only when sitting. The CloudBook was sold as an

(UMPC) because of this feature, even though it does not have a

touch-screen A touchscreen or touch screen is the assembly of both an input ('touch panel') and output ('display') device. The touch panel is normally layered on the top of an electronic visual display of an information processing system. The display is often ...

Software

The CloudBook came with a completely new version, (compared to the version used in the gPC) of the gOS

Linux distribution A Linux distribution (often abbreviated as distro) is an operating system made from a software collection that includes the Linux kernel and, often, a package management system. Linux users usually obtain their operating system by downloading one ...

(based on Ubuntu) and application software from

Mozilla Mozilla (stylized as moz://a) is a free software community founded in 1998 by members of Netscape. The Mozilla community uses, develops, spreads and supports Mozilla products, thereby promoting exclusively free software and open standards, wi ...

Skype Skype () is a proprietary telecommunications application operated by Skype Technologies, a division of Microsoft, best known for VoIP-based videotelephony, videoconferencing and voice calls. It also has instant messaging, file transfer, deb ...

Facebook Facebook is an online social media and social networking service owned by American company Meta Platforms. Founded in 2004 by Mark Zuckerberg with fellow Harvard College students and roommates Eduardo Saverin, Andrew McCollum, Dustin M ...

, faqly,

OpenOffice.org OpenOffice.org (OOo), commonly known as OpenOffice, is a discontinued open-source office suite. Active successor projects include LibreOffice (the most actively developed), Apache OpenOffice, Collabora Online (enterprise ready LibreOffice) a ...

and

Google Google LLC () is an American multinational technology company focusing on search engine technology, online advertising, cloud computing, computer software, quantum computing, e-commerce, artificial intelligence, and consumer electronics. ...

. Originally gOS came with the Enlightenment 0.17 as the

. Though the pre-installed operating system is gOS, Everex has released Windows XP hardware drivers, making it more simple to install Microsoft's Windows XP. However, Everex warns that any software outside of the original gOS will not be covered by warranty (though the hardware's warranty will be unaffected).

CloudBook MAX

The next generation of CloudBook, was advertised to have a processor running at 1.6 GHz, a 80GB disk drive, touch pad and

WiMAX Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access (WiMAX) is a family of wireless broadband communication standards based on the IEEE 802.16 set of standards, which provide physical layer (PHY) and media access control (MAC) options. The WiMAX ...

. However the company ceased operations.

References

{{Cloud computing Subnotebooks Linux-based devices Netbooks Cloud clients Everex

History

Features

Software

CloudBook MAX

See also

References