Jenn over at Pocketables has one of her trademark detailed reviews out today. This time, it’s the Raon Digital Everun Note. I had a pretty good idea of how this one would go because I follow Jenn’s Twitter account. When she’s not teasing me about the local weather in Hawaii (we have a foot of snow today), she’s updating her device usage. I noticed Jenn was putting off her unboxing and then her review, which told me she wasn’t taken in by the device specifications to begin with. After reading her review, I understand why.
It’s not that the Everun Note isn’t well spec’d. After all it offers a 1024×600, seven-inch touchscreen, full keyboard, 8GB SLC SSD and 16GB MLC SSD and a relatively powerful 1.2GHz Turion 64 X2 from AMD. No, the issues seem to creep in with the number of compromises made, and mobile tech almost always means compromise. Some examples:
- The full keyboard has several non-standard layout issues. Jenn found the period and comma keys too small. Most other punctuation keys are in the top row. The spacebar isn’t very responsive.
- The touchscreen folds back flat, but Jenn can’t find a use for it in that situation. She rightly questions the lack of a swivel approach so that the Note could be used in a Tablet PC configuration.
- The webcam is crammed in the device hinge, probably because there wasn’t room anywhere else. This offers a less-than-optimal viewing angle for a video-call recipient.
- When running Windows XP on battery, the device underclocks the CPU. You only get the full processor power when the large AC adapter is plugged in. Jenn asks: what’s the point of having a powerful CPU if you can’t leverage it while mobile? Again, it’s a compromise between performance and mobile power.
For some, the Everun Note has all the right moves. For me, the $999 reviewed unit is too much compromise for the price considering other available choices. The review is worth the read, though, as everyone’s needs and value perceptions are different.

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