Advent ADV3500PC XP tablet. Has anyone looked into this?

[celtica96]

Originally Posted by StealthRT

Just found a good site for drivers:

http://firelife.dyn.dhs.org/adv3500pc/

And here is the forum where i got that information (plus someone took pics of it taken apart)

http://www.fatwallet.com/forums/hot-deals/932789

David

Great finds!

Here's another dose of karma....

[wermy]

I'm dangerously close to canceling my order (which has been "processing" for two weeks at mp4nation) for a SmartQ 7 and picking up one of these -- someone is actually selling them in my city, so I could buy it locally. I have one important question, though: is screen-rotation supported by the video driver, so I can put it in portrait mode? Which would you guys use for reading (mostly comic books), this or the SmartQ 7 (I noticed a few of you have both)? Thanks.

[wodin]

Well, when I finally figured out that I had the battery in backwards this StowAway keyboard paired up with NO hassle. I have just come to the conclusion that EVERY TabletPC should have one of these. Too bad their out of production! In fact, this thing works so well that I’m thinking that a BlueTooth notebook mouse might also be in order.

This is the first time I’ve used it. It came with my FlipStart Executive pack, and the FlipStart, having it’s own keyboard of sorts, didn’t need it.

[StealthRT]

well i found a website that lists 3 programs that will backup your 3rd party drivers:

http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/3-usefu...rs-in-windows/

im testing the one called drivermax (only because it searches the web for the latest drivers) right now and i will post my results

david

[StealthRT]

Hum. It helped a little but still nothing like i was expecting. Still needed drivers for the touch screen/vid.

David

[celtica96]

Originally Posted by wermy

I'm dangerously close to canceling my order (which has been "processing" for two weeks at mp4nation) for a SmartQ 7 and picking up one of these -- someone is actually selling them in my city, so I could buy it locally. I have one important question, though: is screen-rotation supported by the video driver, so I can put it in portrait mode? Which would you guys use for reading (mostly comic books), this or the SmartQ 7 (I noticed a few of you have both)? Thanks.

As one of the folks who has both the SmartQ 7 and the ADV3500PC, I'll respond with what I know.

I have not found a built-in driver for switching from landscape to portrait mode on the ADV3500PC. I've checked both the S3Tray Plus (v2.00.66-0611) and the Display Properties control panel (Settings--Advanced).

Of course, applications like FBReader are capable of reorienting the screen under XP so you will have to look for eBook software that is compatible with what you want to read.

Here's a brief comparison of the two for eBook reading.

Negatives:

The ADV3500PC is heavier and more awkward to use as an eBook reader. The weight difference is 695 grams (ADV3500PC) versus 480 grams (SmartQ 7) or about 4.05 ounces. The awkward part comes from having to be constantly mindful of the fan intake port on the back of the ADV3500PC. If it gets blocked, the system crashes.

Also, the ADV3500PC tends to run very warm (great for wintry climates) and has a much shorter battery life than the SmartQ 7 (1.5 hours versus 5+ hours). It also draws heavily on the battery when turned off. I tend to keep mine plugged in whenever possible, which is not always ideal for eBook reading.

RAM is limited to 256MB but other users have found eBoostr works well to address this.

The ADV3500PC lacks dedicated buttons that can be used to page forward/backward and I find those on the SmartQ 7 to be pretty handy.

Positives:

The ADV3500PC runs Win XP SP2/SP3. There's no learning curve if you already use Windows XP. Plus, XP lets you install many applications (but I would not recommend those that are memory/hard disk intensive).

It comes with a 30GB hard drive. That will store many, many eBooks. Also, there is the potential to replace this 1.8" hard disk with an SSD to speed up performance.

The ADV3500PC supports video out to a television and has a much higher maximum resolution (1024x768) than the SmartQ 7 (800x480).

Overall:

If I only wanted to read eBooks, I would choose the SmartQ 7. However, I use the ADV3500PC for GPS, eBooks, web surfing, word processing, and many other general computing tasks.

This is only one person's opinion but I hope it helps.

[wodin]

After running this little whimp for a while, I find it virtually useless as a serious computer. Speakers usually don't find it necessary to wait several minutes for OneNote to load so I can take notes.

I have found my Nokia N800 to be more useful in that regard, and xournal works extremely well for what I need, it just doesn't sync with OneNote on my desktops.

I thought Ubuntu might be skinny enough to run well on the Advent, and loaded up a copy in dual boot mode, and rediscovered what I already knew. There are nearly NO hardware drivers, and I lost not only my touchscreen but also my screen (in anythin but basic video mode), my audio, and who knows what else!

Being a Linux Neophyte, I haven't the foggiest idea where to begin finding the correct drivers, and if I found them, how to use them.

Oh well, I guess I made a costly mistake! Anybody wanna buy an Advent ADV3500PC XP tablet; CHEAP?

I guess it could have been worse. These things were selling for $1500 a couple of years ago!

[3May]

Here's the weird thing. For GPS use, it actually works fairly well. When I downloaded a movie onto the HDD, playback using SMPlayer onto a TV was really impressive. Sound was low but the TV compensated for it somewhat. So, as a road tool, it might work: think long drive with kids, load it up with a few movies, and you can probably save your sanity.

However, web browsing is a horror on this. Opening PDFs is a bit of a challenge. And the screen constantly loses its calibration data, so once you start scrolling down the side, you either need to make your scrollbars very wide to compensate, or you have to recalibrate once a day. Inexcusably dumb.

I would conclude, based on the tweaking I've done (and I am using eBoostr, which is just a faster form of paging than HDD paging), this is largely useless as a mid or laptop replacement. It is barely an eBook reader, due to its inability to maintain a calibrated state. It works surprisingly well as a space-shifter for videos. It does work as a GPS unit.

It runs hot, battery life is laughably short, and it's amazing it ever sold for $1500. It's also for sale, if you want it.

--#

[wodin]

Originally Posted by 3May

It runs hot, battery life is laughably short, and it's amazing it ever sold for $1500. It's also for sale, if you want it.

--#

Thanks anyway, I already have one!

[celtica96]

It looks like the ADV3500PC is taking a beating here and it's (mostly) well deserved.

However, I still like mine and find that it works well for many tasks.

I use the ADV3500PC to run FBReader and Mobipocket Reader, Foxit Reader, VLC Media Player, Internet Explorer (with Flash), Microsoft Office 2000, etc.

I've bought three things to improve usability:

1) A plate stand for < $5 to keep the unit vertical so the intake fan doesn't get blocked;
2) A mini-folding USB laptop notebook cooling fan pad like this $8 one (http://www.eforcity.com/pothmnnbfan1.html) to keep the unit well cooled while in its upright position;
3) A Solidtek ASK-3462 Bluetooth Keyboard to help with text and mouse input. The Solidtek keyboard has a built-in touch pad that addresses the recurring screen calibration problem (mine is in the lower right corner) but a USB mouse would do just as well.

Of course, these additions don't solve built-in drawbacks like ADV3500PC's 256MB RAM but they turn it into a useful and comfortable road companion.

[Hi there]

Of all the reviews I've read on this unit (car audio mag, Amazon, here, etc.), I can't find one comment on the usability in sunlight/glare for these units...would any users like to comment on outdoor reading? I'm thinking about one of these to host my car-computer front end, and usability in sunlight is a factor.

[celtica96]

Originally Posted by Hi there

Of all the reviews I've read on this unit (car audio mag, Amazon, here, etc.), I can't find one comment on the usability in sunlight/glare for these units...would any users like to comment on outdoor reading? I'm thinking about one of these to host my car-computer front end, and usability in sunlight is a factor.

I've used the ADV3500PC as a car GPS without a visibility problem during the day or at night.

I've done a quick check of my documentation on the unit but there's no mention of it having either a matte or glossy screen.

However, when I compare it to my SmartDevices Q5 screen (glossy), it definitely looks like a matte finish.

I hope that helps.

[Hi there]

Originally Posted by celtica96

I've used the ADV3500PC as a car GPS without a visibility problem during the day or at night.

I've done a quick check of my documentation on the unit but there's no mention of it having either a matte or glossy screen.

However, when I compare it to my SmartDevices Q5 screen (glossy), it definitely looks like a matte finish.

I hope that helps.

Thanks! The reason I ask, is that for most commercially available touch screens being used in carPC installs today, glare is a real problem. The screen I have in my car, for example, washes out badly during the day. Transflective touch screens (those that use special films and optical bonding practices to recycle sunlight and reduce glare) are $7-800 for a good one, and even high-brightness LED backlit ones (they try to compete with sunlight by upping the brightness, not as good a solution) start at around $400.

So, my interest would be in getting a read from someone who operated this unit either in-dash, or on-dash, in bright sunlight, in a vehicle without heavy window tint, etc. and who gave it some opportunity to handle glare. Does the unit perform like a modern navigation device should with regard to visibility (like a Garmin, TomTom, etc...little or no performance loss in sunshine), or is it more like running a regular laptop screen (ie, you might have to squint to read it, or shade it with your hand, colors are washed out, etc.)?

[celtica96]

Originally Posted by Hi there

Thanks! The reason I ask, is that for most commercially available touch screens being used in carPC installs today, glare is a real problem. The screen I have in my car, for example, washes out badly during the day. Transflective touch screens (those that use special films and optical bonding practices to recycle sunlight and reduce glare) are $7-800 for a good one, and even high-brightness LED backlit ones (they try to compete with sunlight by upping the brightness, not as good a solution) start at around $400.

So, my interest would be in getting a read from someone who operated this unit either in-dash, or on-dash, in bright sunlight, in a vehicle without heavy window tint, etc. and who gave it some opportunity to handle glare. Does the unit perform like a modern navigation device should with regard to visibility (like a Garmin, TomTom, etc...little or no performance loss in sunshine), or is it more like running a regular laptop screen (ie, you might have to squint to read it, or shade it with your hand, colors are washed out, etc.)?

I have operated the ADV3500PC outside of a car in direct sunlight--this can obliterate the display, depending on the angle. That said, direct sunlight can also have the same effect on the Garmin Steetpilot c580 that I own even though it claims a "Sunlight readable display." Inside a car, the level of tint has some effect but I would rate the ADV3500PC as on par with the c580.

Judge for yourself using the attached image.