OS Choice Question

Polydwarf · 01-29-2010, 04:04 PM

I'm looking at getting something to do ebook reading (mostly pdf's, but I won't rule out other formats); secondary (very secondary) usage would be to use it for some internet browsing on my house wi-fi network.

I'm looking for something with a screen-size in the at least 7ish inch range.

The main question I have comes down to OS choice. WinCE seems to be out of favor. Android seems to be something everyone wants (I assume for the app store?). Linux seems to be in the middle (is it because of a fear of linux or something?). What is there to recommend one OS choice over another for normal ebook reading? Anything?

Right now, I'm leaning towards a SmartQ 7 (not v7; I don't care about HDMI out, linux seems to do what I'll want it to do, and the v7 seems to be a chunk of change more expensive).

The runner up would be the A81/W1060 (Is Wirelession basically a rebrander type of outfit, or are they a developer too?). It's WinCE, while people keep clamoring for Android to make it better somehow, and it's battery life isn't really close to the SmartQ 7.

The stuff shown at CES will take a few months or more to become available, right?

ChineseGadgets · 01-30-2010, 04:18 PM

If you're going for the SmartQ, Linux is by far the best OS. It's not that hard to use, all you need to know is how to install an app ('sudo apt-get install appname' in the terminal). Other than that, it just works like windows with a desktop, start menu and file explorer. There is also a lot of information to be found on this and other forums.

Windows CE is quite horrible and Android is just plain unusable on the SmartQ. Android is slow, buggy, half Chinese and designed for capacitive touchscreens.

The only benefit of Win CE is that it's a bit faster.

Polydwarf · 02-01-2010, 10:31 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ChineseGadgets

If you're going for the SmartQ, Linux is by far the best OS. It's not that hard to use, all you need to know is how to install an app ('sudo apt-get install appname' in the terminal). Other than that, it just works like windows with a desktop, start menu and file explorer. There is also a lot of information to be found on this and other forums.

I've been a linux user for years, and an ubuntu user for the past couple of years; that's not a scary thing for me.

Quote:

Windows CE is quite horrible and Android is just plain unusable on the SmartQ. Android is slow, buggy, half Chinese and designed for capacitive touchscreens.

The only benefit of Win CE is that it's a bit faster.

Sounds like the Q7 or the V7 will be fine for me. Should I be at all concerned about the Q7 being left behind, as far as support/etc goes, since the V7 is the successor to the Q7? Or are they sufficiently similar that firmware for one works on the other?

Nation.A.List · 02-07-2010, 10:51 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Polydwarf

Should I be at all concerned about the Q7 being left behind, as far as support/etc goes, since the V7 is the successor to the Q7? Or are they sufficiently similar that firmware for one works on the other?

It may get left behind but it should not be a big problem as they use pretty much the same versions of Linux and only the Hardware specific items VLC for V's MPlayer for Q's are custom built.

For the sake of $45 I would go for the V7 as it has the extra grunt that helps

Houndx · 02-07-2010, 11:53 AM

I think the reason people are excited about Android isn't so much because of the app store as much as it is that the Android apps are new and that they're all compiled for ARM. Finding programs and libraries compiled for ARM seems, to me, to be the big issue that's holding back Ubuntu and an aging app base is what's limiting WinCE.

01-29-2010, 04:04 PM	#1
Polydwarf Enthusiast Posts: 28 Karma: 24 Join Date: Jan 2010 Device: SmartQ V7, Cybook Opus	OS Choice Question I'm looking at getting something to do ebook reading (mostly pdf's, but I won't rule out other formats); secondary (very secondary) usage would be to use it for some internet browsing on my house wi-fi network. I'm looking for something with a screen-size in the at least 7ish inch range. The main question I have comes down to OS choice. WinCE seems to be out of favor. Android seems to be something everyone wants (I assume for the app store?). Linux seems to be in the middle (is it because of a fear of linux or something?). What is there to recommend one OS choice over another for normal ebook reading? Anything? Right now, I'm leaning towards a SmartQ 7 (not v7; I don't care about HDMI out, linux seems to do what I'll want it to do, and the v7 seems to be a chunk of change more expensive). The runner up would be the A81/W1060 (Is Wirelession basically a rebrander type of outfit, or are they a developer too?). It's WinCE, while people keep clamoring for Android to make it better somehow, and it's battery life isn't really close to the SmartQ 7. The stuff shown at CES will take a few months or more to become available, right?

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01-30-2010, 04:18 PM	#2
ChineseGadgets Member Posts: 23 Karma: 10 Join Date: Aug 2009 Device: SmartQ 5	If you're going for the SmartQ, Linux is by far the best OS. It's not that hard to use, all you need to know is how to install an app ('sudo apt-get install appname' in the terminal). Other than that, it just works like windows with a desktop, start menu and file explorer. There is also a lot of information to be found on this and other forums. Windows CE is quite horrible and Android is just plain unusable on the SmartQ. Android is slow, buggy, half Chinese and designed for capacitive touchscreens. The only benefit of Win CE is that it's a bit faster.

02-07-2010, 11:53 AM	#5
Houndx Groupie Posts: 159 Karma: 149 Join Date: Jul 2009 Device: A81 MID, Dell Streak	I think the reason people are excited about Android isn't so much because of the app store as much as it is that the Android apps are new and that they're all compiled for ARM. Finding programs and libraries compiled for ARM seems, to me, to be the big issue that's holding back Ubuntu and an aging app base is what's limiting WinCE.

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