Everex CloudBook Max takes on the Eee PC 900

By Nick Mansell on Thu 03 April 2008

The Asus Eee PC 900 has a challenger in the shape of the newly announced Everex CloudBook Max, unveiled at CTIA Wireless 2008 in Las Vegas. It's an update to the US version of our Packard Bell EasyNote XS and boasts an 8.9in 1024x600 screen, WiMAX and a new multi-skilled chipset courtesy of VIA that makes it 'Vista capable'. More info and images after the cut.

It's fair to say that we didn't think much of the Packard Bell version of its predecessor when it landed at Mobile Computer in November, but the new Everex looks to be a complete overhaul.

As well as the screen boost, to put it in direct competition with the new Eee, the awkward touchpad has been rejigged with a more familiar design, which should make it more user friendly.

A conventional 80GB hard drive, together with 1GB RAM and VIA's new VX800 chipset and 1.6GHz C7-M ultra-low-voltage processor, makes it well suited to running full-blown Winows. Everex has also gone a step further than Asus and decided to load it with Vista Home Basic, rather than XP.

VIA's VX800 chipset, also unveiled at CTIA, is something of an all-in-wonder, cramming in 3D graphics, DirectX 9.0, support for hi-def video, and HD audio into a single chip.

The other big feature in the new CloudBook is the built-in WiMAX, designed for Sprint's US network. That's less likely to grab headlines in the UK, where WiMAX coverage is far less developed.