Everex Explained

Everex Systems, Inc.
Type:	Subsidiary of NewMarket Technology, Inc.^[1]
Foundation:	1983
Location City:	Fremont, California
Location Country:	U.S.
Industry:	Computer hardware Diversified Electronics
Products:	Multi-Processor Servers, Notebook, Desktop, and Ultra Mobile personal computers including the eXplora, IMPACT, StepNote, gPC and CloudBook branded product lines

Everex Systems, Inc., is a defunct American manufacturer of multi-processor servers, desktop and notebook personal computers. It was established in 1983 and headquartered in Fremont, California. The company was founded by Steve Hui, John Lee and Wayne Cheung.^[2] In 1988, Everex was the leader in tape backup sales with half of the world market. On January 5, 1993 the company filed for bankruptcy and was purchased by Formosa Plastics Group, hence becoming part of a multinational conglomerate alongside companies like First International Computer, the world's leading motherboard manufacturer.^[3] ^[4] ^[5] On December 29, 2006 Everex Systems, Inc filed a voluntary petition for liquidation under Chapter 7, and in June 2008 NewMarket Technology has taken control of Everex.^[6] ^[7]

History

In 1983, Everex shipped its first hard drive, tape backup and graphics products. Seven years later, with an ever expanding product line, annual revenues totaled over $436 million and the workforce topped 2,200 employees. In 1985, Everex began shipping personal computers under private labels, such as the popular IBM-AT-compatible System 1800. Three years later the STEP computer line launched, introducing cutting edge 286 and 386-based computing to a mass audience. In addition to computer systems, high-performance file servers and a UNIX-based operating system (ESIX), the company produced tape drives, graphics boards, data and fax modems, network boards, memory enhancement and desktop publishing products, controllers for disk and tape drivers, and monitors.

1983 - Everex founded in Fremont, California
1984 - First Everex hard disk drive shipped
1986 - 286-based STEP line of computers launched
1987 - Everex IPO under NASDAQ "EVRX"
1992 - Discussed a merger with Northgate Computer Systems but these talks failed.^[8]
1993 - Everex files for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. They sell their Esix brand to James River Group for $210,000 and their storage division to Exabyte for $5.5M.^[9]
1993 - Everex purchased by the Formosa Plastics Group
1998 - Everex launches FreeStyle, the world's first Windows CE PDA, but abandoned the line later in the year^[10]
2007 - Everex launches its first 17" widescreen Vista notebook ^[11]
2007 - Everex launches low-cost green PC Impact GC3502 running gOS^[12]
2007 - Everex announces plans for sub-$300 Linux notebooks^[13]
2008 - Everex launches a series of low cost "green" systems, the CloudBook UMPC, the gBook notebook, and the gPC mini Mac mini-like desktop, all running the Ubuntu-based gOS Linux with the GNOME desktop environment.^[14] Everex is later acquired by systems integrator Newmarket Technology.^[15]
2009 - The US subsidiary of Everex closes its doors,^[16] while the Japanese and Taiwanese subsidiaries seem to remain unaffected.^[17]

Green computers

In the mid-2000s, Everex began selling several brands of green computers.

gBook

The gBook is a webbook, a laptop with a 15.4" WXGA+ Widescreen Display (1440 x 900) and a 1.5 GHz VIA C7-M Processor. It comes loaded with gOS Linux.^[18]

gPC

Two major variants of the gPC exist: one based on gOS Linux; the other, an Impact brand of Windows Vista low-power machines. Both utilize a VIA C7 CPU. The gPC also ships with a softmodem that is not enabled for consumer use, but is provided "for developers." A successor, gPC2,^[19] was available through Wal-Mart.^[20] A third, the gPC3, with a 2 GHz AMD Sempron processor, 1 GB RAM, and Ubuntu 8.04, was available through Newegg.

gPC mini

The gPC mini,^[21] ^[22] ^[23] ^[24] a small, light nettop computer, was announced in April 2008: it includes a DVD recorder, DVI video output, and MySpace-driven content on gOS Space. It was intended as a competitor to the Mac mini.

Cloudbook

See main article: CloudBook. The Cloudbook is an Ultra-Mobile PC, running a VIA C7 CPU with either gOS Linux or Windows Vista. There is also a Stepnote variant that uses a Pentium Dual-Core CPU, instead of a VIA C7.

Photos

References

Web site: Company Overview of NewMarket Technology Inc.. Bloomberg.
Web site: 2015-12-15. Everex. 2020-06-24. IT History Society. en.
Web site: COMPANY NEWS; EVEREX SYSTEMS, A PC MAKER, FILES FOR BANKRUPTCY. The New York Times. January 5, 1993.
Web site: Everex Systems, Inc. History. FundingUniverse.
Web site: First International Computer, Inc. History. FundingUniverse.
Web site: Everex Systems, Inc.: Private Company Information - Businessweek . https://archive.today/20120713051002/http://investing.businessweek.com/businessweek/research/stocks/private/snapshot.asp?privcapId=97993 . dead . July 13, 2012 . Investing.businessweek.com . 2006-12-29 . 2013-01-08.
Web site: NewMarket Technology, Inc. to Acquire Everex, a Respected Brand Name in Personal Computing Reporting Approximately $60 Million in Revenue in 2007. Marketwired. June 23, 2008.
The New York Times Company News
Everex sells business units in effort to get back in black. Computer World: The Newsletter for Information Technology Leaders. 8 February 1993. Computerworld. 85. 0010-4841.
CNET News Everex abandons palm-sized PC line
Web site: EVEREX XT5300T NoteBook AMD Mobile Athlon 64 X2 TK-53(1.70GHz) 17.0" Wide XGA+ 1GB Memory DDR2 667 120GB HDD 5400rpm DVD Super Multi NVIDIA GeForce 8600M GS . Newegg.com . 2013-01-08.
Web site: Everex intros $298 green PC with OpenOffice . 2007-08-08 . 2007-07-18 . electronista . https://web.archive.org/web/20070820072711/http://www.electronista.com/articles/07/07/18/everex.gc3502/#comments . 2007-08-20 . dead .
Web site: Everex Readies Sub-$300 Linux Notebooks . 2007-11-08 . 2007-11-02 . pcworld . 2009-03-09 . https://web.archive.org/web/20090309093820/http://www.pcworld.com/article/139196/everex_readies_sub300_linux_notebooks.html . dead .
http://www.everexgreen.com Everex website for its new "green" systems.
PC World Cloudbook Maker Everex Snapped up by Newmarket
Web site: Everex US folds after Cloudbook fails to find favor . SlashGear . 2009-07-15 . 2013-01-08.
http://www.fic.com.tw/everex/product.htm Everex Taiwan
Web site: Everex - the Alternative PC . 2008-08-15 . dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20080913140554/http://www.everex.com/products/gbook/gbook.htm . 2008-09-13 . gBook at Everex.com (link is broken)
http://www.everex.com/products/gpc2/gpc2.htm Everex – The Alternative PC Company
http://www.walmart.com/catalog/product.do?product_id=8304655 Everex gPC2 TC2512 Desktop Computer w/ 1.5GHz VIA C7-D Processor
http://www.everex.com/products/gpc_mini/gpc_mini.htm Everex – The Alternative PC
Web site: Review: Everex gPCmini with gOS Linux . 2008-05-26 . https://web.archive.org/web/20100102015209/http://desktoplinux.com/articles/AT7294579196.html . 2010-01-02 . dead.
http://www.slashgear.com/everex-myminipc-with-gos-space-29-and-myspace-apps-they-have-truly-taken-the-budget-pc-to-a-whole-new-level-0711064.php Everex MyMiniPC with gOS Space 2.9 and MySpace apps - they have truly taken the budget PC to a whole new level
https://www.nytimes.com/2008/04/17/technology/personaltech/17computer.html Putting the Focus of Computing Where It Belongs: Online Socializing
Web site: Notebook-style computing appliance runs Linux . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20090220024514/http://www.linuxdevices.com/news/NS9053954642.html . 2009-02-20 .