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Raon Digital: maker of UMPC monstrosities meets its maker?
There's nothing official yet, but evidence is mounting to suggest that Raon Digital has closed up shop in similar fashion to OQO before it. Following rumors of bankruptcy and anecdotal observations of limited stock and reduced service, all Raon Digital communications have gone silent and the website's been taken offline. If true, then the demise will be met with styli held at half mast by UMPC enthusiasts who were particularly fond of the overpriced ($879 at launch) and problematic Everun Note "premium" netbook. For everyone else, rejoice, your fears of a Vega 2 may have been assuaged. [Via Pocketables]
Raon Digital prepping SSD-based Everun Note UMPCs
We're glad to see that Raon Digital isn't just ditching its Everun Note entirely after having to recall the thing, and better still, we're stoked to hear that it'll soon be doling out speedier iterations with built-in SSDs. UMPC Portal has it that two new Everun Notes will be landing shortly, both of which will boast SSDs within. The first newcomer (S16S) will come loaded with Ubuntu Mobile, a 1.2GHz Sempron CPU and a 12GB MLC SSD; the higher-end sibling (D24S) will offer up Windows XP, a dual-core Turion processor and 24GB worth of delicious solid state storage. Look for both to land by mid-November for $659 / $950, respectively.[Via Pocketables]
Raon Digital recalls Everun Note
Maybe it's a netbook, or maybe it's a ridiculously small notebook. Whatever it is, it's recalled. Raon Digital has issued a recall for its delightfully tiny Everun Note due to a handful of "failure symptoms" detailed on its Korean website. Best we (and Pocketables) can tell, users hearing a high-pitched fan tone, seeing a "Blue Screen phenomenon," or getting torched by an unfathomably hot CPU have a problematic unit, and even if your battery indicator is acting wonky, you too are entitled to a replacement. It's not clear whether affected users will be gifted with a new unit or if they'll receive their old machine back in tip-top condition, but either way, we'd hit the read link and do a little investigating if you own one of these puppies.[Via Pocketables]
Raon Digital's tiny Everun Note reviewed
Don't call it a netbook. Placing Raon Digital's featherweight powerhouse up against relative monsters like the Eee PC or MSI Wind leaves you looking at a device that is tiny and fast, but at $879 is woefully overpriced. UMPC Portal was loaned one for perusal and found that it stands on its own, filling the gap (niche of a niche?) between ultra-mobile and ultra-portable. The six-page review was itself "written, edited, and post produced on the Everun Note in the car, bed, sofa and on the desktop." UMPC Portal rates its battery life as below that of your typical 6-cell netbook (3 hours on average or 2:15 if you can't live without WiFi), but indicates its dual-core AMD Turion X2 gives it the power to "span ultra mobile and desktop duties" -- even serving as a respectable gaming machine, which can't be said for your average Atom-based portable. [Thanks, benz145]
Raon Digital's Everun Note "premium" netbook unboxed on video
Alas, it was just last month that the Everun Note got official, and yet here it is already having its packaging torn asunder on video. Raon Digital's tiny 7-inch offering packs a 1.2GHz AMD Turion CPU, 1GB of DDR2 RAM, and a 12GB SSD. UMPC Portal's hand model loves the size, build quality, features, and most notably the performance, but we're still having a hard time getting over the $879 asking price, and that modified keyboard layout with punctuation keys in the upper-right would be a liability in our Friday night blogger WPM deathmatches. (Winner gets the early shift on Monday!) Video after the break.
Raon Digital Everun Note gets a price, brochure
Raon Digital hasn't exactly been keeping many secrets about its Everun Note "UMPC notebook," but it's now finally dropped the veil of mystery around one of the biggest still remaining: the price, and it's also now detailed everything else in convenient brochure form. As UMPC Portal reports, the Everun Note will boast a suggested retail price of $879, which puts it well below the likes of the VAIO UX but considerably more than your average netbook, which it also kinda, sorta competes with. Oh, the perils of bucking the usual product categories. Hit up the read link below for the full brochure.
Raon Digital hands out surprisingly high benchmarks for Everun Note
Call to action: strap that skeptic hat on, and strap it down tight. Good to go? Good. Raon Digital's first big wave of marketing hoopla for its forthcoming Everun Note netbook includes a very useful specifications list, a number of press images and a few benchmark screenshots that boast remarkably high figures. The CrystalMark screens are pretty impressive at first glance, though it's hard to say how quickly your battery would drain if it were maxed out in order to achieve such goals. Couple that with the questionable legitimacy of the shots and you've got a perfect reason to wait for an independent hands-on review before falling too hard for this here device. But yeah, we're cautiously optimistic.[Via SlashGear]Read - Everun Note benchmarkRead - Everun Note marketing pack [PDF]
Raon Digital's netbook gets official, goes by Everun Note
It's with an indescribable amount of stifled jubilation that we bring to you yet another netbook: Raon Digital's Everun Note. Made official today in South Korea, the previously AMD-branded rig will feature a 7-inch LCD (1,024 x 600), Windows XP Home, your choice of an 80GB hard drive or 12GB SSD, a 1.2GHz AMD Turion CPU, 1GB of DDR2 RAM, integrated WiFi / Bluetooth 2.0+EDR, a 1.3-megapixel camera, an SD / MMC card slot and a decent array of ports for the size. Going by the papers, it'll last around 2.5 hours when surfing the web, and while a price is eluding us just now, expect it to emerge shortly as it arrives in North America next month.[Via Pocketables]
AMD's netbook really a next-gen Raon Digital Everun
Here's an interesting one. That AMD netbook we spotted hanging around at Computex isn't a bona fide AMD product after all. According to the unit's device manager, it's actually an Everun, although the only Everun we know of looks drastically different that the thing pictured above. In all likelihood, that moniker is simply a placeholder, and AMD spokesman Phil Hughes even confirmed that "it [was] a Raon Digital product." Reportedly, the unit will hit production at the end of July, and while a ship date wasn't mentioned, both a Sempron- and Turion-based version should be available. Early reports even suggest that WiBro / HSDPA could be found on select variations, but we'll give Raon Digital a chance to come clean before we dig deep into even wilder speculation.[Via Pocketables]Read - Device Manager photographRead - AMD spokesman comments
Raon Digital adds 32GB SSD option in Everun S32S Dic
Regardless of your views on the Everun's level of attractiveness, holding 32GB of SSD between your palms is enough to make any true nerd break out in a sweat. Raon Digital's looking to get quite a few of those kind hot and bothered in South Korea with its Everun S32S Dic. The handheld boasts a 568MHz AMD Geode LX900 processor, 512MB of RAM, a 32GB SSD, 4.8-inch 800 x 480 resolution display, 802.11b/g WiFi, Bluetooth 2.0+EDR, USB connectivity and a built-in SayDic electronic dictionary with text-to-speech support. Apparently Raon's pretty proud of this puppy, as word on the street pegs it at a stiff ???867,000 ($828).[Via GizmoScene, thanks KC Kim]
Raon Digital adds WiBro to Everun UMPC
We're still trying to decide whether or not we've become acclimated to Raon Digital's Everun, but regardless of where it sits on the scale of unsightly devices, it's still a fairly potent handheld. For those parked in South Korea, you've got another reason to lust after it, as the firm is cranking out a WiBro-enabled version and dubbing it the S60H WiBro. From what we can tell, this iteration remains identical to the prior version save for the added connectivity, and should be available soon for around ???799,000 ($853).[Via MobileWhack]
Raon Digital Everun UMPC previewed on video
Earlier this month, Raon Digital's Everun was seen gracing the hands of an oh-so-lucky dame overseas, but now the fine looking UMPC has gotten a bit more personal thanks to a hands-on preview of the unit over at UMPCPortal. The AMD LX900-based production sample did lack an HSDPA module and the coveted SSD, but those two tidbits couldn't hold back the wave of commendation this unit received. The machine was highly praised for being comfortable, well-spec'd, and fluid when operating, and while we aren't apt to believe that all those first-generation UMPC problems were magically worked out on this sucka just yet, it's good to see positive results this early on. Without further ado, click on through for a couple of preview videos, and get ready for these things to start shipping out "sometime next month."
Raon Digital's Everun in the wild, starts at $700
The first Vega UMPC from Raon Digital definitely found its way into the hearts of those brave, generation one UMPC users. Not because it was technologically superior -- a 500MHz AMD Geode LX800... puhlease. Rather, it was one of the first to break through $1,000. While others have moved on to Vista in their 2nd gen UMPCs, Raon's new EVERUN continues down the XP route while packing significantly more bang for the buck. It's scheduled to hit S.Korea in late June with prices starting at ???650,000 or right around $700 for the entry level "EVERUN lite" model. Unfortunately, once the specialized importers add their markup, we'll be looking at something closer to $900, unless we get lucky and Raon sells direct. They've also released a video which you can check after the break.
Raon Digital Vega UMPC reviewed
Even though it's been just a week since we saw a hands-on with the Raon Digital Vega UMPC, the first complete review has already come in from Carrypad. As a quick refresher, the Vega has an admirable compact form factor, a 4.3-inch screen, a max resolution of 1,024 x 768, 256MB of RAM, 30GB drive, and will stay juiced for three to four hours. Carrypad liked the Vega overall, but was deeply dismayed at the lack of WiFi and Bluetooth on the device, something that many of its rivals, including the Catcher, the Sony UX and the Asus R2H all have standard. The Vega does have a standard WiFi dongle that connects via USB, but that's not a very elegant solution, now is it? The site was also miffed at the missing stylus slot (which attaches via a lanyard?) and no key backlighting. That said, we can understand this panning, but it's probably worth noting that this is one of the most inexpensive UMPCs that we've seen thus far. No word on if like its namesake, the Vega either has a nuclear fusion core or has a fist-mounted claw. If not, we're pretty sure that Raon Digital is working on combining those features -- along with WiFi -- into the next version.Update: Carrypad now reports that official prices for the Vega have been announced. MSRPs for Oceania are AU$1300 ($978) for the 256MB RAM version and AU$1350 ($1016) for the 512MB version. For Europe, Vegas will start hitting the streets by late October or early November and will cost €815 ($1033).
Raon Digital's Vega UMPC unboxing / impressions
While a full-on review of a finalized unit has yet to surface, the folks over at CarryPad have withstood the lengthy customs holdup to give a once over to the oh-so-small Raon Digital Vega UMPC. Rocking a footprint and screen smaller than the already tiny OQO and Sony UX, those lucky testers were taken aback at just how minuscule this thing really is. They admired the sleek, black styling, and praised the LCD quality, but felt the maximum resolution of 1,024 x 768 was too microscopic for actual use, and found the native 800 x 480 option much more pleasing on the eyes. Windows responsiveness wasn't blistering, but did exceed their expectations, and ran several basic applications without putting too much strain on the 256MB of RAM; two other nifty features were its ability to boot into Linux successfully, and be accessed as USB storage when off or in standby. Possibly the most satisfying report comes from the battery life -- while not quite matching the longevity of the Newton MessagePad, the test unit survived three hours of active use, a few hours of standby, and still showed 20% of juice remaining. The biggest digs (and potential deal killers), however, are its apparent lack of WiFi without the style-hindering USB attachment, and the perplexing decision to omit Bluetooth entirely. While there are certainly areas of concern, CarryPad felt the Vega UMPC was "more impressive" than expected, especially in areas of size and battery life -- but if your plans involve heavy internet surfing or pairing it with the endless amount of Bluetooth possibilities, you may want to hold off.
