When we gave you readers a shot at
ranting about the Everex gPC, little was left unsaid. If we were betting souls, we'd guess the firm's über-cheap laptop -- affectionately known as the Cloudbook -- is about to suffer a similar beating. Based on
early reviews, the wannabe Eee PC slayer wasn't exactly a dream come true, but we just know there's a good bit of potential here untapped. So, for those of you who've parted ways with your $400 in exchange for one of these Cloudbook contraptions, how would you improve upon what's already there? Clean up the user interface? Add a bit more horsepower under the hood? Or would you just find a way to plug that unsightly gap between the LCD and keyboard? Go ahead, your momma's not listenin' -- let us know how you
really feel.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
Khris @ Mar 7th 2008 6:38PM
I would have locked it in the cellar never to see the light of day.
mushrooshi @ Mar 7th 2008 6:39PM
Go drink some chocolate milk.
michas_pi @ Mar 7th 2008 6:44PM
I suggest chocolate rain.
Khris @ Mar 7th 2008 6:55PM
I Like Choklit Milk
wootman @ Mar 7th 2008 6:59PM
but he's allergic.
Erik @ Mar 7th 2008 6:59PM
Cheese, go home!
superfresh @ Mar 7th 2008 8:44PM
Wouldn't change a thing. Just wouldn't buy it.
mushrooshi @ Mar 7th 2008 6:39PM
Seeing as how the hinge is that small, I think it is conceivable to change it to a swivel hinge. Change to a multitouchscreen, add a small little nub in the keyboard for an alt mouse, and give it a facelift. Then I think it would, infact, actually be viable compared to the Eee.
onetruebill @ Mar 8th 2008 11:52AM
OR...
you could make it really THIN
remove all the ports but one
charge lots of money for it
and put it in an envelope.
Sime @ Mar 8th 2008 12:32PM
wow...sounds awfully familiar
shineliang @ Mar 7th 2008 6:41PM
er....everything?
BradStar @ Mar 10th 2008 12:05AM
I'd start with the name- seriously, does anyone know of a name that screams "vaporware" like "cloudbook"?
Ricardo @ Mar 7th 2008 6:41PM
From what I have read there are so many things that went wrong that instead of asking what to change you should ask what should be kept. And honestly I don't know.
shineliang @ Mar 7th 2008 6:42PM
people are not so prode of the things that they bought from "wal^mart".
Chebwa @ Mar 7th 2008 6:43PM
"Everything" seems like too broad of an answer, but it's the only one I can come up with.
McLogic @ Mar 7th 2008 6:44PM
1) Shrink the whole thing until you can thumb-type on the keyboard. (No extra space around screen.)
2) Add a nipple-mouse because the touch pad is really small.
3) Make the AC adapter smaller and 12 volts (may already be 12 volts).
saschaisking @ Mar 11th 2008 1:24AM
add a swivel screen and call it a sidekick
shineliang @ Mar 7th 2008 6:44PM
people are not so proud of the things that they bought from "wal^mart".
Rhys @ Mar 7th 2008 6:49PM
The fact it was ever conceived, and then produced.
shineliang @ Mar 7th 2008 6:50PM
lol
Flashpoint @ Mar 7th 2008 6:51PM
I'd make it able to play CRYSIS.
Superevil @ Mar 7th 2008 8:12PM
No matter how many times I hear that it's always funny to me. Kinda like "Will it blend" or "But can it play Doom"
gerardo @ Mar 7th 2008 6:55PM
id change the price=]
Nate @ Mar 7th 2008 6:59PM
Right now it's bad. I'd make it good.
wootman @ Mar 7th 2008 7:00PM
8800GT FTW?
Dino Kadich @ Mar 7th 2008 7:14PM
Give it a face lift, a new Intel processor, some good mobile graphics card, and outfit it with XP, and I'd buy it.
Arjy @ Mar 8th 2008 10:38AM
Why not just buy a dell then?
Matt Welke @ Mar 12th 2008 7:04PM
Because we wouldn't want it to crack on us.
m @ Mar 7th 2008 7:15PM
i'd be content with some explanation of the stupid name.
Kamall @ Mar 7th 2008 7:17PM
Get rid of Via completely (just too poor performance, sorry), get Intel in there, even if the 900mhz Celeron in the EEE and GMA 950 graphics which blow away whatever Via offers. Put a very small touchpad or the trackpoint "nipple".
Ship it with a better operating system which is actually scaled to the screen's resolution and which will work OUT OF THE BOX without some having to call tech support because they don't realize they have to scroll down to click on the "next" button to bypass all the "starting up for the first time" stuff.
It uses a 1.8" HDD, but actually uses a slow 3600rpm speed (didn't even know they came that slow, thought just about all of them were 4200rpm). At least use a 4200rpm HDD.
Nate @ Mar 8th 2008 1:15AM
Considering the thing was designed by Via, I kinda doubt they'll throw Intel chipsets in these things.
Montusama @ Mar 9th 2008 1:46AM
I think Via should of waited, I really want a computer with a via processor but their current line-up is to much into low power than performance until Isaiah is out anyways
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/VIA_Isaiah
Sauerkraut @ Mar 7th 2008 7:20PM
stop reporting on something no 1 cares about (besides some maniac that will respond to this
Windzilla @ Mar 7th 2008 8:03PM
GLAWWWHARAARRRRGGGGGGGSH a NA NA! snort!
Sauerkraut @ Mar 7th 2008 8:07PM
LOL
Superevil @ Mar 7th 2008 8:13PM
Obviously you care enough about no one caring about this to post a comment.
Neoprimal @ Mar 7th 2008 7:27PM
I dunno. People seem to be really dumping on it but I don't see much wrong apart from the unsightly bare gap under the screen (when closed). The area between the 2 little speakers should have been utilized form some media buttons or some kind of 'web' or 'application' buttons - perhaps all of those!, ones similar to most modern keyboards. I like the thumbpad, but for people who aren't holding this thing in 1 hand (or right handed for that matter) they should put one of those little thinkpad buttons (the red ones, in the middle of the keyboard, can't remember what they're called...trackpad? or sth.) in the middle of the keyboard. Other than that, a little more power if possible...and that's it. I'd actually take a cloudbook over an EEE any day, just because of the bigger hard drive (and the fact that I don't want to hack the EEE).
Garrett @ Mar 10th 2008 12:43PM
(they're called eraserheads :)
Chris Macdonald @ Mar 7th 2008 7:28PM
Hinges are important. All the laptops I've ever had have eventually died because of the hinge... All were HP's actually, and I really like HP as a brand, I just don't know what to think.. :(
Nick C. @ Mar 7th 2008 7:31PM
touch screen
Randavance @ Mar 7th 2008 7:55PM
rid the gOS, especially the UI, stop using enlightenment, start using xfce, jwm, icewm, openbox, fluxbox, or a friggen command line for Christ sake.
Nate @ Mar 8th 2008 1:19AM
Actually, part of the problem is that they dropped Enlightenment at the last minute for Gnome, and, basically, shipped it untested (or damn close to it).
colon cleanse @ Mar 7th 2008 8:03PM
lol.... nice one :-)
dos @ Mar 7th 2008 8:05PM
To make Engadget like it:
1.) Make it "pretty"
2.) Paint it white, but be sure to offer it in pink and such.
3.) Don't do business with Wal-Mart
4.) Make the hard disk much smaller, hacks to add a larger disk bring viewers and ad revenue
5.) Make it difficult to install another operating system, hacks to do so bring viewers and ad revenue
6.) Make it a difficult to obtain exclusive item that will generate lots of anticipation stories and ad revenue
7.) Make sure it has a comparable competitor to slam constantly for no real reason, as both products have similar problems and issues.
8.) Sell it to a recognizable brand with a cult of fans already in place who will adore it for months before it is released.
john @ Mar 7th 2008 8:15PM
UMPCportal's specs don't say much about its BT capability. Make sure it has Bluetooth DUN, PAN, and FTP support.
1.8" SSD option.
Express card slot on the back (not the side). Make sure it has linux drivers for the express cards offered by Sprint, Verizon, and AT&T (T-mo only has a PC-Card, but if that changes, add drivers for them too).
Make sure its wifi can act as an access point for my PDA.
Twist/swivel screen for tablet use, and a touch screen.
More battery (no matter how much it has now, it's not enough).
More RAM options (again, no matter how much it has now, it's not enough).
More VRAM (again, there's no info about what its external resolution is, on UMPCportal)
I have no idea what gOS is like compared to Ubuntu. I'd investigate Ubuntu Mobile, though.
Oh, and, build a virtual split thumb keyboard to use in tablet mode (like the Samsung Q1 uses ... not the Q1 ultra, just the Q1).
Make sure it's durable enough to leave in my backpack, in a hard case, and just use as a network/file server for my PDA.
APPLES @ Mar 7th 2008 8:41PM
yum apples
C.A.M. @ Mar 7th 2008 8:58PM
U-G-L-Y, you ain't got no aliby...
C.A.M. @ Mar 7th 2008 9:05PM
(alibi) oops.
Joshua Walters @ Mar 7th 2008 9:15PM
I want a community (big one) on it before I would buy it.
Thats one amazing thing about the Eee, theres a monstrous community to help you with any mods/upgrades.
The_Steven @ Mar 7th 2008 11:30PM
Remember the "I-Opener" and the "WebSurfer Pro"?
I had one of each, sure they were a but under-powered but they too had a large support/hacking community.
Thinking along that line, I'd say alot of TP's (Test Points) to tack onto would be nice. Maybe some "empty spaces" in the case like the eee so that other mods can be installed inside the case.