Everun Note full review.
Posted by: ChippyAre we entering a new era of mobile computing where the UMPC could be the only computer you ever need? The processing module you can take anywhere? Raon Digital are breaking into exactly that category of converged mobile devices with the new and interesting Everun Note. Here at UMPCPortal we’ve been lucky enough to get hold of one of the first samples out of the door for some long term testing but after 4 days of hard but enjoyable testing, were ready to bring you the full review.
[6 pages follow]
We all struggle with the constant battle to understand device categories. UMPCs, netbooks, MIDs and other labels that, on the whole, are simply there so that the manufacturers can produce multiple similar devices with different target customers, pricing, and marketing strategies. If you look back at every term we use today you’ll find that it came from a sales/marketing/PR group and I bet that all of them have their roots in generating new revenue. Wouldn’t it be nice if you were a computing company that didn’t have to worry about existing product ranges though. You have a completely free and open remit to make a device that spans as many markets as possible and would end up with something at the limits of technology, not at the limits of shareholder acceptance! OQO did it with the 02 and now Raon have done it with the Everun Note.
Device overview
Yes, it appears that Raon Digital have broken through with a new class of device here. Its much smaller than a netbook (less than half the volume, 70% of the weight) and yet it packs a CPU and GPU that can leave netbooks standing. It has a 7″ 1024×600 touchscreen, a full keyboard and 3G upgradeability. The version I have here runs windows XP and runs with a 30GB hard drive and 1GB RAM. SSD, 60G and no-OS purchase options are available. Wifi and Bluetooth are standard along with 2 USB ports, an SD card port, SIM card port, stereo speakers and 1.3mp cam. Regular readers will immediately think about the Kohjinsha SC3 which is the closest in size, features and weight but where the SC3 struggles to provide a basic notebook experience with its singe-core Atom and Widows Vista, the Everun Note provides a completely different, confidence-inspiring almost desktop like experience. The dual-core AMD Turion X2 at 1.2Ghz provides oodles of raw processing power and the ATI graphics chip, a Radeon RS690E dials in 3D and video performance that I’ve never experienced on any ultra mobile PC.
What Raon have been able to do that others can’t is to concentrate on building a device that covers a wide range of computing scenarios right up into notebook territory and beyond. To say that this could be your only computing device from daily desktop to coffee shop companion is really no understatement. You will never see a device like this from Dell, HP or any of the notebook manufacturer, they simply have too much to lose if it cuts across other product categories. Raon seem to have built the core component of a very modular computing system and that’s an idea that many will like.
Its small, but not not quite DS-Lite small!
Many of you have already written in on the forums, the live session and in article comments to ask about heat, noise and battery life and that’s where we’ll start with the review. One finds it difficult to imagine that all this power can be contained within such a small casing without either a big and loud fan or a melting keyboard but I can put your worries to rest on those to points, Ron Digital have done an an amazing thermal engineering job and the device stays cool and quiet in most normal operations. Sure, running Unreal Tournament 2003 (yes, it works!) causes the heat levels to rise and the fan to kick in quickly and loudly but with a combined CPU/GPU TDP that is much more than any other Ultra Mobile platform, its not too surprising. A two-hour repeating 3D Mark test does the same thing but in normal use, even in full power mode as a desktop, the fan rarely winds up and can only normally be heard as a faint hum!
Unboxing video is available here.
Battery Life
As for battery life, its a two-part story. What Raon have implemented is something we’ve seen in a few mobile devices before. When the plug is pulled, the BIOS or power control software caps the processor speed and the CPU/GPU switches into a power saving mode. With dual cores running at 800Mhz though, there’s plenty left for most operations. Think Atom netbook performance when on battery and you’ll get the idea. Raon even provide a power-save override button which works under external power to reduce battery drain. This could be useful with an external battery pack.
September 9th, 2008 at 7:00 pm
[...] Update: Full review now available. [...]
September 9th, 2008 at 7:24 pm
Great review Steve, thanks a lot for that.
I guess that’s one little device i need to get as soon as possible
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September 9th, 2008 at 7:37 pm
Looking forward to that Vista upgrade report Steve.
Disappointed by the mouse I have to say, I’m not convinced touch screen can ever replace mouse as you need to move your hand further
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September 9th, 2008 at 8:05 pm
Wonderful review!
Can’t wait to read the extended review!
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September 9th, 2008 at 8:14 pm
Can you recommend some third-party external battery that are compatible with this notebook?
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September 9th, 2008 at 9:56 pm
i’ll be looking into this. need to get final psu specs first. e.g. current rating.
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September 9th, 2008 at 9:16 pm
Soooooooooooooooooooooooooold!
Well, I was gnawing my fingernails waiting for this, but it was worth the wait.
I have decided that I can work with a small external mouse if the Everun Note ‘mouse’ thing turns out to be bad (and not just a broken one on your device).
So, the only thing that is holding me back is the colour……….but now that I have given it due consideration, it’s not such a bad thing - so, I’ll go directly to Conics, I will not pass go, and I will order one of these great devices
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September 9th, 2008 at 9:57 pm
maybe i need conics ads up too
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September 9th, 2008 at 10:01 pm
Talking of which - does anyone know a stockist in the EU???? - I don’t really want to pay the import duty on the Everun Note unless I have to (I assume import into the UK from another EU country does not incur import tax?).
Chhers
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September 10th, 2008 at 12:32 am
Expansys uk seem interested in stocking this. They just told me to keep an eye on their site regarding it.
September 18th, 2008 at 3:17 am
I was pumped too…until the buzzkills told me it comes with Vista - bleh!!
This thing better be Linux compatible or it’s shit as far as I’m concerned…
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September 9th, 2008 at 9:24 pm
Thanks so much Steve. Excellent piece.
Do you still plan to have an M912?
How soon can we expect to see 8.9″ netbooks with performance as strong as this device?
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September 9th, 2008 at 9:59 pm
if companies continue to ring-fence their product genres, only the independants will be able to produce such devices. Technology is obviously there to do it.
8.9″ with 6-cell battery would be like putting a cat among pigeons. would love too see what would happen to the netbook market when this happens.
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September 9th, 2008 at 9:36 pm
Very good review! Was waiting for it the whole day.
Do you think a screen protector could help with the reflectiveness (lot’s of them available now thanks to netbook hype)? Will the screen be bright enough to use in a train?
@tal: Maybe as soon as the Intel Atom dualcore gets implemented into a netbook. The chipset would still be weaker though and dualcores are only planned for nettops.
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September 9th, 2008 at 10:00 pm
Good point about screen protector. As long as it didnt affect nice touch on this device.
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September 9th, 2008 at 10:35 pm
Screen protector: not if it’s a soft touch touchscreen.
If the screen protector is hard, it will bend and leave lines, if it is soft it’ll probably be rubber like, the hand movement on the screen will be hindered by the extra friction.
If it’s a hard-touch touchscreen I don’t know.
Dual-core Atoms Intel just announced, to be delaying them with an additional year(2010)… Since they’re the only company that far ahead,I’m afraid they can do things like that.
source: http://www.tomshardware.com/news/Intel-Lynnfield-Havendale,6327.html
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September 9th, 2008 at 10:38 pm
Sorry, above info was for the Dual core “Atom” with integrated graphics and memory, not the dual core & HT version of the Atom.
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September 9th, 2008 at 9:46 pm
A dual core like that could better be ran on 200Mhz when idle (200×2cores=400Mhz).
800Mhz is about on par with the EeePc900 series, only this device would be in idle mode…
I would like to see when AMD gets their ‘discrete graphics chips’ build in their processors (on one die),for even a higher power saving. Probably around 2010, since Intel also delayed their chips.
we’re coming to the 32nm area for the micro processors.
Technically they can go downto 28 or 22nm I read.
a chip produced on a 32nm process, would be 16times smaller then a similar chip produced on 130nm technology like from the end of the P3 are, beginning of the P4 and the Athlon XP area.
Current processors are build on 45 and 65nm.
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September 10th, 2008 at 12:08 am
Thanks chippy that was an excellent and thorough review. I was VERY VERY disappointed at Google Earth’s performace. How come???? The Dual core + 128 ATI can’t handle it, but the Atom processor can??? What’s wrong?
I use Google Earth A LOT. I still can’t think of a reason why the Everun note won’t run it smoothly. It runs perfectly on my cheap 1.6 GHz Celeron laptop.
Other than that it sounds like a dream must-have device. But let me know why Google Earth’s not working properly.
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September 10th, 2008 at 12:21 am
Ref Google earth: Yes, why? It doesnt make sense. Google Earth is something that should work smoothly on the Note.
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September 17th, 2008 at 10:11 pm
Weak 3D graphics chip perhaps
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October 16th, 2008 at 3:35 pm
It’s the only netbook with a separate dedicated graphics chip. I think not.
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September 10th, 2008 at 12:09 am
Steve,
If you have a mo, what might be useful to some (not me, I’m already a convert) is a *brief* comparison with the SC3.
I know the Everun Note can’t really be compared with the SC3, but given there similar release dates and sizes, there will be inevitable comparison.
Perhaps you could highlight all the idiosyncracies of the SC3 that you discovered…!
Anyway, just an idea.
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September 10th, 2008 at 12:25 am
Good idea. I was out with Netbux.de today and had the SC3 and Note with me. When I compared them I said, without much thought mind you, that I would like the Note core inside the SC3 form factor. The SC3 is a great form factor that just doesn’t work when you try and use it in earnest.
I’ll have a think about that comparison in more detail over the next weeks but in the meantime, my SC3 is for sale!
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September 10th, 2008 at 12:32 am
good call…
Vista was meant for a dual-core machine…
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September 10th, 2008 at 12:46 am
Funny you should say that because I am still a huge fan of the Kohji FF (only).
I love the keyboard and reversable keyboard on my Vye S18+. Of course, I utterly despise the clockwork internals!
Frankly, I am not sure anyone could really better the Kohji FF (perhaps you can tell me different), but I am tired of waiting for Kohji to come up with an machine with good performance/an appropriate OS as well as excellent FF (I still can’t believe that Kohji insisted on Vista on the SC3 - talk about crippling your own product…)
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September 10th, 2008 at 12:48 am
Oops, should have said ‘reversable screen’ (not keyboard!)
September 10th, 2008 at 1:08 am
Agree. Vista was a very bad choice for the great SC3 Form Factor.
The only other thing I would like to see on the Everun Note is the amazing H.264 performance that I have seen on the SC3 but then again, without an HDMI output, is it really worth being able to show a 16Mbps 1080p H.264 video on a 1024×600 display or even via VGA output? How often is that really going to happen?
In the end, I think Raon made a well-balanced choice. A convertible screen would have been nice but they have a much more productive and reliable device out-of-the-box.
Its early days for the Everun Note but having tested/reviewed/video’d mmmm, over 100 ultra mobile devices, this one stands out as the new benchmark for me.
Battery life is a major issue of course and I really need to highlight that again. 100 minutes of 3G/Full brightness isn’t good. Everyone considering the Note needs to carefully consider that.
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September 10th, 2008 at 6:07 am
I really think that bumping the size up to 8.9″ would let them do some great things:
1. Bigger screen (obviously)
2. Hinge for tablet mode.
3. Fit a bigger battery.
4. Improve keyboard.
That would be so, so sweet. . .I am drooling over the speed, but they really made some sacrifices for size. It was kind of cool with the previous Everun, but for the Note it just leaves things kind of crippled.
September 10th, 2008 at 9:18 pm
I am waiting for Pixel Qi ( http://www.pixelqi.com ) screen tech with page white screen, low power use, sunlight usable, and touchscreen to show up. It it showed up in an EVERUN Note design first… I would start to cry I would be so happy.
The OLPC had Mesh Network, that turned off the wireless networking when not being used, and it had Mary’s Pixel Qi screen tech, and it used only about 2-3 watts I think of power. Of course, marry that with the Everun Note and it’s design and size, with several different CPU options and what you might have is just plain heaven.
September 10th, 2008 at 1:45 am
I would like to see an extended battery with 3 cells (the standard battery plus 2 underneath,next to each other) that thickens the whole device at the bottom,maybe even 5 cells.
Like the blue area on this FlipStart
http://www.cpatechnologyadvisor.com/images/1207/TTgraphics/Flipstart.jpg
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September 10th, 2008 at 2:14 am
Looking at the internal battery pack, i see a lot of possibilities for integrated and extended power-packs. I have no information on what Raon are planning though.
Lets hope for some nice 3rd party accesories though!
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September 10th, 2008 at 1:59 am
have u try different driver for the 690 chipset
latest is v8.8 btw
http://game.amd.com/us-en/drivers_catalyst.aspx?p=xp/integratedip-xp
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September 10th, 2008 at 2:10 am
I have checked this with Raon. There’s a problem with the latest drivers that resutls in a -10% performance to what i’ve seen in this review.
Raon are working with AMD to get this fixed for the final version. Expect an even newer version of the ATI drivers on the final retail version of the Note.
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September 10th, 2008 at 2:44 am
Well I hope this explains the unexplainable Google Earth underwhelm.
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September 10th, 2008 at 2:40 am
I have been waiting for a UMPC that was a similar clamshell design to my Flipstart but with more power for gaming as well. The everrun note has everything I have been wishing for and more. So many times I have mentioned how someone should design a UMPC just like this and now they have. I usually have my UMPC plugged into the hotel mains when I am gaming away from home so im not worried about the battery and CPU performance power ratio. I will definitely be purchasing one of these as soon as they are out.
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September 10th, 2008 at 8:37 am
Do you know Libretto 100? This Everun is quite a “copy” of that 10-year-old legendary. For 10 years, I cannot take anything other than the Libretto 100/110 (later models all suck). The U820 is more ideal, but it is not nearly as neat. This Note is indeed the first acceptable tiny PC since the Libretto. OQO is decent but I miss the touch-type-able keyboard.
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October 15th, 2008 at 11:04 pm
I too am an avid Libretto user. For me, even the 100/110s were too bulky. I loved the 50CT and the 70CT, with their 8”x4.5”x1” size, and even went so far as to import the Libretto M3, which crammed all the guts of the 110 into the same 70 size.
I have a Fujitsu U810 as well, and I can say that it is far too cramped to do any real work on; there’s something about that envelope size form factor of the Lib that just gets me warm and fuzzy.
I can compromise the battery capability for more size. With batteries as small as they are, I can throw another one in the bag. But a bigger form factor will not do.
I am so glad Raon finally came out with something Libretto sized, perhaps this will be a growing trend. I have one in the mail, from dyna, and hope it will be as useful as the Libretto has been all these years.
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September 10th, 2008 at 4:49 am
I edit a radio show and make MP3s and WMAs for the online subscribers of an American radio show distributed through their website. I want the Everun Note to do this while I’m away from home. I’m wondering if Sony Soundforge 9 can be used comfortably on this machine. My main concern is if the interface fits on the screen.
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September 10th, 2008 at 8:44 am
It supports virtual/expanded screen, so you can at least work on it even though you might not be able to see all the interface at a time. You move the mouse to the edges to see more. I like this expanding feature and I think it is a must for any small screen computers.
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September 10th, 2008 at 8:56 am
That’s all I need to know….thanks. I live in Korea and have called Raon Digital about getting a factory installed English version. Apparently, I’m going to have to wait to see if I can get one in English here.
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September 10th, 2008 at 6:15 am
can ram be added? what is ram speed?
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September 10th, 2008 at 8:44 am
No.
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September 10th, 2008 at 9:24 am
Excellent in-depth review!
And even though this probably one of the best UMPCs money can buy these days I’m now more than ever convinced that a 12″~14″ notebook (not netbook!) is the best choice for my own requirements.
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September 10th, 2008 at 11:43 am
Sounds like a Dell xps 1330 would probably be best for you. As performance wise it would murder the everon (of course its a lot bigger note)
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September 10th, 2008 at 11:58 am
Yeah, been looking at the XPS 1330 and I’m seriously considering it. Also my university is running special deals for selected notebooks at the beginning of the upcoming semester so I’ll wait and see what they offer.
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September 10th, 2008 at 9:54 am
Excellent in-depth review! Thanks 4 that.
I’ve got some more questions
1. Is it possible to run geekbench (http://www.primatelabs.ca/geekbench/) on the Note and publish the results?
2. How about Linux capability, is there anything known so far?
3. Any more information on 3G available (i.e. which card did you use)
Thanks again for the great job
P.S. I’m living near Bonn, any possibility for a “hands on”
?
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September 11th, 2008 at 5:51 pm
2. Yes, linux will be able to be run on there. There is a linux version being written right now.
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September 10th, 2008 at 11:55 am
Sounds like this thing although very good and powerful but still has a copule of issues. I think the ultimate umpc would have:-
.Form-Factor of the SC3 or a lightweight M912
.Graphics performance of the everon
.Processor perfromance of the everon at 1.2Ghz
.Hard Drive performance of the M912
.Upgradability (easy access)of the M912
.Keyboard of the MSI wind
.Battery of the 901 (giving 4hours+)
.Priced around the MSI wind figure.
Will a UMPC be produced that will tick all these requirements?
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September 10th, 2008 at 1:35 pm
Whats your weight limit because that lot will run to over 1KG / 2.2lbs which, in my opinion, makes it a tabletop only device.
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September 10th, 2008 at 3:34 pm
I just has a quick look on the toshiba site a 1.8 inch
HD weighs 62g. 2.5inch drives weight between 100 and 120g. This means if the SC3 has a faster 2.5inch drive it would weigh around 860g I am sure with a larger battery and slightly larger case it would still be less than 1kg. You could also save weight by using aluminum screws and shielding instead of steel which wouldnt cost much more. If you really wanted to save weight you could make the cover from carbon-fiber in a (pimp my umpc) style!
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October 16th, 2008 at 3:40 pm
And you can expect to pay Voodoo Envy type prices for Carbon Fiber.
And all that other stuff. Do be realistic - Price’s too low to actually cram all that in.
September 10th, 2008 at 1:23 pm
Thanks for this review, it was most useful and convincing. I have one (simple) question that’s bugging me though, and I apologise if you’ve answered it elsewhere.
If the screen is touchscreen, why the optical mouse? Does the touchscreen only work with certain programs?
I ask because i do lots of drag-and-drop work and on this device, the touchscreen would be preferable.
Thanks,
Declan.
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September 10th, 2008 at 2:16 pm
For the vast majority of users, I’d reckon a touchscreen won’t be an acceptable replacement for a mouse.
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September 10th, 2008 at 2:24 pm
Id say that its as fast, if not faster but requires a different way of working with the device. Side-thumbing is getting easier for me now but its not as easy as a pad and many people wont like earning curve required for touchscreen mouse and optical mouse.
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September 10th, 2008 at 1:38 pm
The touchscreen is an alternative to the mouse pointer. Both can be used. The touchscreen implements left-click on touching the screen or right cick if you hold the FN button down.
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September 10th, 2008 at 2:11 pm
Brilliant. Thanks for the speedy reply and for clearing up that issue for me!
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September 10th, 2008 at 3:22 pm
Chippy, Thanks for the great review. Kudos to Raon and AMD for a great package. Unlike others, I actually really like Vista, but I agree with your comments that XP is better suited to a lower-powered platform (although it sounds like the Everun can handle it!). Looking forward to the Vista review and I will decide whether to sell my SC3. I do love the tablet, however. We’ll see. Scot
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September 10th, 2008 at 3:46 pm
Great review, thanks. I’m wondering about replacing my Libretto U100 with one of these: the graphics seem up to the task, but the battery life is slightly worrying.
If you have a U100 lying around (and let’s face it, who doesn’t?
) then a comparison of the keyboards would be superb!
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September 10th, 2008 at 4:08 pm
I nearly bought one recently but alas, I bought the SC3 instead.
Steve
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September 10th, 2008 at 7:09 pm
The U100 is crap, hot, noisy and huge, who wants it is beyond me. The Libretto 100/110 is everything like the Note; or put it the other way - the Note is everything like the Libretto 100/110. The Libretto U100 is totally crap, don’t waste your money and time on it.
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September 11th, 2008 at 9:41 pm
Well, there’s were we differ. It has a fan, yes. It gets warm. Not one of my friends or colleagues who has seen it calls it huge, but compared to the 50, I suppose it is. I wouldn’t call it crap by any stretch of the imagination.
I would like the u100 to have a better keyboard (I’m typing this on it, and it still isn’t great after 6 months of acclimatisation to it!) and better graphics performance, that’s about all. The everun might just do that!
The u100 scored 2286 in 3dmark 01se in 1024×768/32, for what it’s worth.
September 11th, 2008 at 9:54 pm
Funnily enough, I nearly went for a kohjinsha, but the U100 was irresistible at the price I got it for… Having had a Lib 50 and 100 which I’ve kept, it was an interesting upgrade
. I’ve had a Vaio PCG-U3 (good layout, but slow) and OQO (slow, unusable for me) but have stuck with the lib.
This everun really does tempt me though… Thanks for the great review!
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September 10th, 2008 at 4:39 pm
[...] gaming machine, which can’t be said for your average Atom-based portable. [Thanks, benz145]Read | Permalink | Email [...]
September 10th, 2008 at 6:04 pm
[...] life seems to be on par with about everything else, so it’s fine. UMPC Portal has the comprehensive review of the Everun Note netbook and also mentions they’ll be doing [...]
September 10th, 2008 at 9:07 pm
“Not pocketable. The oft-heard ‘if I have to carry a bag, why don’t I buy a normal notebook which is twice as powerful for the same price’ argument applies for people that don’t really need ultra mobility. Even if the Everun Note was smaller though, its functionality would be limited. We think the size is jsut about right for the jack-of-all-trades target use.”
Sir, Go to ebay and order yourself a Psion 5. Old and slow as this thing is, IT WORKS and IS POCKETABLE, so deal with facts; a POCKETABLE device that really works for the user can be made. Wake up.
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September 10th, 2008 at 9:50 pm
I had one of those. Actually two.
Thanks for the comment though.
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September 10th, 2008 at 10:35 pm
“I had one of those. Actually two.
Thanks for the comment though.”
Yes, could you please speak in plain sentences?
Did your psion - in purely ergonomic terms, work?
If not, what was your problem with it? I mean for
goodness sake it had a usable keyboard and it could fit in most pockets and you say “thanks for the comment THOUGH?” HUH?
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October 16th, 2008 at 3:44 pm
Psion is monochrome. It’s screen does not tilt. I would think that there’s lots of ergonomic faults with unadjustable screens and cramped keypads.
September 11th, 2008 at 1:29 am
Chippy - Are there any UMPCs you’ve not owned?
That could be the Christmas competition
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September 11th, 2008 at 2:57 am
Heres a quote from Chippy’s last review of the sharp Zarus:
“The Psion-5 keyboard remains my favorite keyboard of all time”
Obviously, as there has been nothing new with such a keyboard, Chippy still agrees with his own thought. And obviously the Psion 1. has a better keyboard then this everun, and, 2. if far more pocketable/usable in most everyday situations.
Chippy does not want to blatantly say this as it would upset his sponsors. Its all political.
Eventually some “engineer” will inadvertently arrive at the Psion’s form factor and it will become quite popular once again. Lets not forget most people tend to be unimaginative- the way of this world, though.
September 11th, 2008 at 5:55 pm
ahh you are incorrect. It is pocketable, I have kept it in my back pocket (regular jeans) when I was on the go (I’ve demoed the everun note). But I gotta say, the Note is PERFECT for women/men who carry a bag. I gave my girlfriend a day with the Note to test it out and with all the other crap she has in her bag she didn’t even notice she was carrying it. Sure beats carrying her Dell notebook.
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September 11th, 2008 at 8:55 pm
Ahh you must have some very large pockets and be willing to walk around with a box that is almost a inch wider than a VHS cassette.
I just tried to jam a VHS cassette into my back pocket and its a no go. If you wear balloon type pants I could see it. But again why do we even have to go here the Psion works just fine for this purpose.
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September 14th, 2008 at 1:35 am
the psion is great. i still have one and only recently stopped using it. it is limited even for my humble needs. i just want to move large bodies of texts around.
what would be perfect is if someone made a mid/umpc with a similar form factor and keyboard , but it doesnt look like that will happen.
September 15th, 2008 at 12:59 am
Zak,
Your right on!
“what would be perfect is if someone made a mid/umpc with a similar form factor and keyboard , but it doesnt look like that will happen.”
Part of the reason this is slow to happen is that most, including our dear host “chippy”, do not advocate to the manufacturers what they want. As evidenced here by his adoring the new and keeping quiet on those bits of history that could improve the new. — So so much like most other facets of our new world. Granted there are far more important things to be worrying about these days.
October 16th, 2008 at 3:46 pm
If you want a pocketable PC, grab a smartphone. Nokia’s E-Series has a full QWERTY Keypad, and it also functions as a phone!
Please, do actually search a bit before whining.
October 21st, 2008 at 2:16 am
“If you want a pocketable PC, grab a smartphone. Nokia’s E-Series has a full QWERTY Keypad, and it also functions as a phone!”
Nokia’s E90 is actually less typing-friendly than the older Communicator 9300 [History repeating the amnesia it had relative to the Psion 5 keyboard superiority!]: whereas I hold the 9300 with one hand and type with three fingers (1+2), I can use only two fingers on the E90 because the grip is no longer secure. Further, there is no comparing either of these with the Psion 5 which could eventually be called a “pocketable PC” because it allowed the speed of input enabled by its touch-typing capabilities. Yes, it was slow [the search function was abysmal], but what killed the machine was the flimsy production quality of British industry–the screen connectors kept on falling apart from regular usage, year after year [their Austrian representative had a simple explanation: "You know, British workers..."]. This same complacency could finally spell the end of the western supremacy, now that the financial and insurance industries–the only sectors where the West had an edge–are going down the drain. A good product gone defunct because of the clubbing-and-beer-drinking imperatives of the new, decadent industrial class: “the masters of the universe.”
Another factor to be considered in ultra mobile devices is the shock protection: I broke two Psion 5 screens–one on the downhill bike, the other on snowboard [I tucked it in front of my tummy after figuring the minimal chances of landing with the face straight down.] Today I always carry a hard case; for the Nokia Communicator I simply use a (free) hard case for sunglasses. I had one for the Psion too, but it added to the bulk and the pocket-size requirements; now, imagine what it will add to the Everun Note–forget the baggy pockets!
The reason I am still considering the Note is that the (fashion) design industry has come up with these new bags that hang in various setups from the belt [spawned from the Italian "marsupio bags"], and come in sizes that max out at A5 (roughly 21×15cm). I bought two of these leather bags (not to get bored), searched for hard cases to match, and now have to choose the right UMPC. Hope it will work [or I’ll just follow western civilization to where the sun never shines)!
September 10th, 2008 at 9:22 pm
When using it in desktop mode just plug in a USB keyboard.
But for mobility, once the keyboard’s key locations gets fixed for all to use and like it…
The Everun Note, it is The ultimate form factor.
No other has it all, what this has, and the size is pocketable with large baggy pants pockets.
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September 14th, 2008 at 1:37 am
sure . they shoul advertise it like that : pocketable … with large baggy pants.
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October 16th, 2008 at 3:46 pm
Still more pocketable than the others. Your point is moot.
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September 10th, 2008 at 10:37 pm
Others have said it but thanks for the great review. For me the form factor is perfect I want a PC as small as possible and this is it. I refuse to buy a white one though, would you be able to get a date from Raon for when the black one will be released? Oh and well done for your restrianed reply to Jerry.
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September 11th, 2008 at 12:34 am
Yup, have to second the congrats re restraint
[Unbelievable!]
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September 10th, 2008 at 10:38 pm
Chippy, great review of the Note. I personally think Everun did a good choice of making sure all drivers where working with the OS. This has to do how well the device will work. I bought the SC3 and think this is a great machine but it is not working 100% because of the driver issues. If Kohjinsha would release good drivers for the SC3, you more likely not be selling your SC3
So at the end it also comes down to making sure all drivers are working correctly.
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September 10th, 2008 at 11:10 pm
So 742g weight is 1.6 pounds I believe. What’s the weight of the AC/power cable? What’s the weight of the external extended battery/ethernet box? In other words, how much total weight are you really going to be carrying around?
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October 16th, 2008 at 3:47 pm
Much more light than carry a full sized version with it’s capabilities.
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September 11th, 2008 at 12:53 am
[...] comment comes for one of the most complete reviews I have seen about this device and it can be read here. If you like this post, please share it with [...]
September 11th, 2008 at 2:06 am
Nice review!
But I wonder what exactly mean “very slow” to charge a battery.
How long does it take to fully charge a battery?
If it takes more than 4 hours then I need to charge overnight to get a fully charged battery. Definitely this is not good considering less than 2 hours battery life.
And do you have any plan to test on eBoostr with SDHC SD card or fast USB drive? 1GB could not be enough to handle heavy jobs running on everun note. This might be improved with ram drive or eBoostr etc.
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September 11th, 2008 at 2:13 pm
I\ll test the battery charging speed.
Have no plans to test eboost or ramdrives, sorry.
Steve.
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September 11th, 2008 at 2:07 am
[...] Everun Note Full Review [UMPC Portal] [...]
September 11th, 2008 at 2:11 am
[...] Portal provides a thorough and detailed review of the latest UMPC offering from Raon Digital, the Everun Note. The device has a 7-inch touchscreen display, full keyboard and plenty of power [...]
September 11th, 2008 at 2:29 am
I didnt understanded what chippy posted on http://www.umpcportal.com/2008/08/everun-note-marketing-info-gives-performance-figures-gamers-take-note/ , that means that the Everun Note is the fastest umpc out there? Does it has as much power for games as Fujitsu LifeBook U810? if so MAYBE it could be able to play spore, only 128 video requiered and it is compatible with gma950 (As I know, the ATI RS690E supports DirectX 9.0)
Please answer
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September 11th, 2008 at 3:01 am
it is way faster than the fujitsu u810 plugged in. Expect it to play older games though, spore may play on low settings though.
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September 11th, 2008 at 7:56 am
I am really glad that they went for a 7″ screen, this is the first truly mobile netbook and it has better performance than all other netbooks and some Ultralow voltage 10/11″ laptops
Do you think it will upgraded with the 780G chipset? Maybe other manufacturers will release other highpower netbooks? Maybe downclocked core2duos?
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September 11th, 2008 at 8:35 am
[...] Zum Testbericht [...]
September 11th, 2008 at 10:51 am
Looks great.
I’ll come back for a second look when Raon produce a AMD PUMA based version with the 780G GPU.
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September 11th, 2008 at 12:28 pm
[...] Webseite UMPCportal ist es nun gelungen, ein erstes Vorserienexemplar ausführlich zu [...]
September 11th, 2008 at 2:54 pm
Chippy,
thanks for going through the whole review process. it’s deeply appreciated. it seems to me that though it was hard work you really enjoyed the whole matter.
I just saw that you posted the upcoming Fujitsu P1630 with it’s Intel X4500 GPU, Intel Core 2 Duo SU9400 with 1.4 MHz CPU and 2GB upgradeable RAM.
Battery life might be an issue, but at the momento the P1620 gets about 5 hours with the extended battery, so they might just make it work.
Doesn’t this product seem to be the ultimate crossover device to you (BTW, I’m reeeealy interested in buying such a crossover device, but it would have to be in a tablet form)?
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September 11th, 2008 at 7:42 pm
I think, possibly, maybe, that if it had the display of the SC3 (but not the keyboard) that this would indeed be the ultimate crossover device. AS it is though, its still fantastic. I only put it down when it needs charging (looking forward to extra battery power and external charger.)
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September 11th, 2008 at 9:39 pm
my last question was regarding the Fujitsu P1630 and not the Everun Note… I know see that I hadn’t made it clear…
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October 16th, 2008 at 3:49 pm
Then you’re posting in the wrong area. THIS is a area for discussing the Everun Note.
Not Fujitsu. Wrong place.
September 11th, 2008 at 8:11 pm
[...] Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments [...]
September 12th, 2008 at 7:09 am
[...] 1.2GHz UMPC has been high. After an unboxing and benchmarks, Steve Paine has finally posted his full review of the Everun Note, and while it’s obviously not for everyone, this is certainly an exciting [...]
September 13th, 2008 at 9:53 am
Hello, chippy!
I am also one of those folks who wants to buy the Everun Note, in spite of its shortcomings.
However, I want connection to the Internet. How can I manage to get that connection: Which dongle do I need or what else? And: does “3G-option” include at all such a possibility to get that Internet-connection; finally: what about the missing antenna? Is it possible to get internet connection without such an antenna? Thanks for answering. Rainer
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September 13th, 2008 at 9:55 am
Hello, chippy!
I am also one of those folks who wants to buy the Everun Note, in spite of its shortcomings.
However, I want connection to the Internet. How can I manage to get that connection: Which dongle do I need or what else? And: does “3G-option” include at all such a possibility to get that Internet-connection; finally: what about the missing antenna? Is it possible to get internet connection without such an antenna? Thanks for answering. Rainer
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September 13th, 2008 at 8:11 pm
Where can i Preorder this thing?
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September 13th, 2008 at 11:35 pm
Lee - Mobilx - look at the top of umpcportal for the advert
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September 14th, 2008 at 4:03 pm
Hey Chippy! how I can order the Everun note.I live in Estonia ,its in Europe.Do you know when its come to Europe or better in Estonia.Jürnas
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September 14th, 2008 at 8:28 pm
[...] Beschreibung des ab Oktober für EUR 652 erhältlichen Geräts sei auf die sechsseitige Everun Note Review verwiesen, hier möchte ich nur von meinem subjektiven Eindruck als Netbooker [...]
September 15th, 2008 at 11:25 am
[...] The above comment comes for one of the most complete reviews I have seen about this device and it can be read here. [...]
September 15th, 2008 at 11:37 am
I’ve seen the Everun Note available from Conics, Expansys, SuperGPS , MobilX and some other Japan based supplier. SuperGPS seem to be the cheapest for UK at least and offer the black version. There website reports stock arriving 22nd Sep, which matches what Expansys told me.
Thanks for review Chippy! Any ideas on KanyaMigani’s question: what will we need to get 3G broadband?
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September 15th, 2008 at 10:47 pm
Supergps is still £23 cheaper than Expansys at the moment even when including Next Day Delivery.
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September 16th, 2008 at 1:39 pm
Yes but it’s unclear which model supergps & expansys are selling - the product page for the black model on supergps suggests 60gb HDD at the top and then 12gb flash in the specs list. I emailed them asking for clarity on this last week but no response as yet. Similarly expansys don’t specify hard drive type or size, and when I emailed asking they have so far failed to give me striaightforward answer. If anyone clears this up before me, please post!
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September 17th, 2008 at 3:08 am
I have just got email confirmation from supergps that it is definately the 60GB Disk model.
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September 17th, 2008 at 9:04 am
That’s great, thanks! Now If I can just get them to confirm that they know for sure that they will be getting stock in black, I can order.
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September 17th, 2008 at 3:38 pm
The supergps website seems to list the black version with stock arriving the same day as the white version (22nd)
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September 17th, 2008 at 3:52 pm
Stock of white is expected to be in by next week but stock of black has been delayed by about 2 weeks but who knows exactly how long it will be.
The question is do I order a white and get it sooner, or be patient and order a black that I might not be able to get until after 2 weeks or possibly more.
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September 17th, 2008 at 4:50 pm
The supergps website does indeed say stock expected in 2 weeks for both colours. They have also corrected the specifications list and it no longer mentions the 12GB SSD anymore. Hopefully something has changed and the stock of the black will be in. I am not sure though because the email I got is only a day old. Why Everrun even bothered stocking the white colour first is a mystery to me. Something tells me that if I purchase the white, in some time it will just look dull or a sort of dirty looking version of white or yellow lol.
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September 17th, 2008 at 4:59 pm
IMO it’s worth waiting for the black. Let’s hope it’s next week, who knows what I’m going to do with myself if it’s longer!
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September 23rd, 2008 at 9:09 am
I don’t know what to think now because I contacted Raon Digital yesterday and received a reply today informing me that they currently have no plans to even create a black version.
However, they said they might consider it after receiving various feedback from the market. According to Conics, the White is more popular in Asia. Conics said Black would be available in a few months though, so again conflicting information.
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September 18th, 2008 at 11:19 am
No Linux, no sale.
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October 16th, 2008 at 3:50 pm
Are you such a slouch that installing Linux DIY is so troublesome that you refuse to buy such a quality product because of your laziness?
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September 18th, 2008 at 12:28 pm
Nice review.
If someone wants to run it with Linux, does he have to pay for Windows anyway or will there be a separate version with separate pricing?
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September 18th, 2008 at 1:01 pm
I have seen some places selling the Everrun Note without an Operating system. I don’t remember what site but I am sure some one else will know. I think it was a Japanese site.
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September 18th, 2008 at 2:53 pm
It’s mobilx:
http://www.mobilx.hu/raon-digital-everun-note-umpc.html?¤cy=usd
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September 18th, 2008 at 2:00 pm
I heard that this can use SDHC, I have seen 32GB SDHC cards, add that to the new 1.8 120GB Disk drive that is coming out soon (5mm), and you have quite a lot of storage space with this one.
I will be testing out and putting youtube clips of PC game footage on this so if anyone has any requests of games they want to see how well runs on this (on AC power), then let me know. I did this for my Flipstart but that only had 512MB RAM and a 1.1 Ghz Pentium M.
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