A spokeswoman for Wal-Mart announced yesterday that the chain will no longer sell Linux-based computers in its stores—apparently its customers far prefer the more familiar Windows operating system. In October, Wal-Mart stocked an inexpensive Everex machine, the gPC, in several hundred stores, but even with the low price tag of $199, the computer failed to keep pace.

When Asus unveiled their ultraportable, ultra-cute EeePC in October of last year, they may not have anticipated launching a whole new product category, but judging by the overwhelmingly favorable reaction of users online and strong sales numbers, that's exactly what they've done. The slimmed-down, no-nonsense, Linux-powered ultraportable category that the Eee currently presides over, and that Everex's recently released Cloudbook hopes to capitalize on, is just one instance of a greater tech trend we're seeing across the board: an emphasis on shrinking form-factors and streamlined usage. In an industry that has always been about more power, more size, more capability—more everything—this is notable.