Quote:
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.