Everex's CE260 / CE261 ultra-portable tracking for Q1 release

Remember that other ultra-portable announced during the month of the Eee Pc and Palm Foleo? Right, the 7-inch Via / FIC (parental unit to Everex) collaboration first shown as the NanoBook reference design or CE260 / CE261 when touted by FIC. Having already cleared the FCC, FIC is saying that US and European shipments of the VIA C7-M device will begin in Q1 of 2008 and will include either Windows XP or Linux preloads on that 1.8-inch 30GB disk. It's supposed to be priced similar to the Eee PC which has carved a nice little niche for itself in the ultra-portable market. With any luck, it'll show up at Wal-Mart with a sub-$300 price tag sporting Everex's lovely new gOS.

[AJ in the East Bay @ Nov 16th 2007 1:52AM]

Is that an auxiliary display on the right or what?

[Shadyman @ Nov 16th 2007 3:08AM]

I see time, date, ?, temperature?

If it ISN'T a computer-controlled display, it wouldn't be hard to make it one.

[lassi @ Nov 16th 2007 10:22AM]

it looks like the (i think it was) intel concept, where it was removable or something, the aux display that is.


all and all it leads me to believe that it'll be more likely in sub 1000 rather than sub 300..

[Andrew @ Nov 16th 2007 2:24AM]

Here's hoping it'll show up and at a decent price. I'd buy one, I think.

[Syliss @ Nov 16th 2007 2:48AM]

I would get this over the eee pc as long as its cheaper.

[kyle @ Nov 16th 2007 2:54AM]

i'm not sure, is a c7 better than a celeron? i know that the c7 is clocked higher, but it still might not be faster.

however, at under 1W power consumption from the CPU, these should have killer battery life.

[Syliss @ Nov 16th 2007 3:07AM]

Yeah, Im looking for something small, light, long battery life, cheap, and do basic stuff, im so not going to game on a lappy, have a desktop for that. Im just tired of carrying around my 15" lappy (that has a sucky battery life).

[kyle @ Nov 16th 2007 2:51AM]

i hate all these baby-laptops with the huge bezels. i know a small screen is cheap to produce, but please make it as wide as the keyboard. you have limited room to begin with, doen't waste it.

[apeguero @ Nov 16th 2007 9:53AM]

I feel your pain too brother. I can't stand these over-sized bezels, like on the Zune Flash also. I feel like they're trying to fool us into thinking the screen is actually bigger.

However, I think this one would make one hell of a portable, Internet ready, little media PC which I would love to carry around with me around my house.

[Shadyman @ Nov 16th 2007 3:09AM]

It looks like it's running at least at QVGA resolution, so it should be readable, even if the screen is tiny.

[TIMMAH! @ Nov 16th 2007 3:13AM]

This one seems more hackable than the EeePC. Wouldn't mind replacing the drive with a 80gb drive.

[qldonkey @ Nov 16th 2007 3:14AM]

Good Lord, that is the UGLIEST thing I've ever seen in the realm of electronics. Holy shit. Whoever designed it needs to be dipped in a vault of burning acid. WTF is that thing on the right-hand side? Tacky, ugly waste of space is what, it'd look better if it were just covered in plastic! The other thing I dont like is how the bottom of the display is empty, ugh. These guys need a design lesson from ASUS because the EEE has a perfect form factor. However, this VIA certainly has better specs... damn!

So after reading the link the only thing that catches my attention is this: :Pricing is set at the equivalent of below NT$14,000 (US$434) in Europe and the price for the Linux model will be lower, the company noted. FIC highlighted the fast boot up time (about 10 seconds) of the upcoming Linux model and added in saying that new models featuring a 9- and 11-inch panel are planned."

If the 9-inch model isn't ugly as balls, I'd consider one in place of an EEE.

[FK @ Nov 16th 2007 7:46AM]

I would say that, if the design is that important to you, then you are not the target market for this 300 dollar laptop. Apple will be glad to sell you a better designed laptop starting at 1k.

[qldonkey @ Nov 17th 2007 2:38AM]

Orrrrrrr... how about instead of getting a fugly $300 subnotebook you could get the $400 EEE pc (which has a very pleasing design)

[xunker @ Nov 16th 2007 3:14AM]

Nice specs, nice price, but the looks don't "wow" me.. it looks old and reminds me too much of the old Atari ST Notebook from the 1980s. It's the vastly offset screen and the gap under the screen hinge. Though, IIRC, the picture isn't the Everex model but the Via Model reference design so there is hope.

[toronado455 @ Nov 16th 2007 5:30AM]

"it looks old and reminds me too much of the old Atari ST Notebook from the 1980s."

You say that as though that were a BAD thing. :-)

"It's the vastly offset screen and the gap under the screen hinge."

But doing it that way looks much better to me than just having a small screen centered with a huge plastic bezel around it to fill up the space like on the 7" Eee. To me this looks much better. Plus I kinda like the little LCD panel on the right side. No one ever complains about those types of panels on the fronts of Tower PCs. Why shouldn't this little laptop have one?

[webon @ Nov 16th 2007 3:46AM]

Is this post old? or is it that I've allready read the same comentaryes here as they were the last time this fugly lill thing was here?
by the ways this is going to be called "the one thats not the Eee" ha!
that analog shite looks terible realy

[Julian Bond @ Nov 16th 2007 5:04AM]

Oooh. 1.8" disk. Potentially 160Gb. Please make it cheap and include a webcam.

[MacroEQ @ Nov 16th 2007 5:06AM]

Personally I don’t like the design of this UMPC due to the design of the screen and it also has a hard disk.

We all know that hard disks are old technology and with the emerging use of SSD it makes sense to use SSD.

Some of you will say, “Yes, but this has a 30GB HDD!” but in reality, this is not a laptop, it’s a UMPC and a UMPC has different uses to those of a laptop.

So, I think an 8GB SSD would be better than a 30GB HDD because if I wanted larger storage, I’d buy a laptop – which this is not.

I find it promising that other manufacturers are starting to jump on this band wagon which can only be good for us consumers but I am personally waiting for a 10” screen with 8/10GB SSD, Bluetooth and Wifi.

[toronado455 @ Nov 16th 2007 5:37AM]

I like this SO much better than the Eee.

One word: Touchscreen.

[strider_mt2k @ Nov 16th 2007 7:31AM]

I say let the market fill out a little so prices drop.

-because I'm getting something like this eventually and hacking the crap out of it for s#its and giggles, of not for fun and profit.

Well, Estimated Prophet if nothing else...

My time comin', any day,
don't worry about me, no...

[Darryl @ Nov 16th 2007 9:11PM]

Hooray competition! Hopefully we'll see vast improvements in the second generation of both the nanobook and the EEE. However, I want to see both of them before I spend any $$$.