Sony Ebook Vs. SmartQ 7?

[Canuck_in_Japan]

What I can't get over is that you guys are actually seriously discussing a topic started by an obvious shill for that company. I mean, he has 3 posts total and look at his name! I've got no problems with guys like Robertb who are straightforward when it comes to promoting their product but guys who do this viral marketing crap ought to be banned.

[Ankh]

Originally Posted by Canuck_in_Japan

What I can't get over is that you guys are actually seriously discussing a topic started by an obvious shill for that company. I mean, he has 3 posts total and look at his name! I've got no problems with guys like Robertb who are straightforward when it comes to promoting their product but guys who do this viral marketing crap ought to be banned.

This is not the first time that "LCD vs. eInk" discussion has escalated on this forum. Considering the level of emotional attachment shown for his/her device, I honestly can't say who are the ones working for one of the companies.

And if we are naming those who are open about their affiliation, Peter Sorotkin's name should definitely be added to the list.

[worxland]

Originally Posted by SmartQ7

Do you thinkg the SmartQ 7 is a better Ebook Reader than the Sony Ebook?

No.
I don't.
Definitely not.


Worse resolution, wrong orientation, worse battery life, worse in regards of eye strain, heavier - this may be an OK all-rounder UMPC but for reading it is no way better than PRS-xxx, not even on par.

[Sweetpea]

Originally Posted by Canuck_in_Japan

What I can't get over is that you guys are actually seriously discussing a topic started by an obvious shill for that company. I mean, he has 3 posts total and look at his name! I've got no problems with guys like Robertb who are straightforward when it comes to promoting their product but guys who do this viral marketing crap ought to be banned.

The discussion is valid. Do you prefer an e-ink dedicated reader or a LCD multi-purpose device (like the SmartQ) that you can also use for reading books.

It might show some people that there are other large-screen devices out there, that can be perfectly usable for reading books. I personally had no idea such devices existed until somebody posted about them. I knew about the netbooks (which I personally would never use for reading books, that keyboard would become a liability very fast!), and tablets (which I thought were only in laptop sized formats, and thus too large), but not those UMPC's.

Now I know that when my PDA dies (or I get into an inheritance soon), I'll replace it not with a PDA (which was my first thought), but with an UMPC.

[JSWolf]

The Q7 is LCD. The 505 is eink. The 505 gets better battery life. The Q7 average batter life for the type of device it is. The Q7 makes a poor long term reading device because of it's LCD screen and poor battery life. The LCD screen contributes to the poor battery life. Not that the LCD screen is harsh. Just that it drains power displaying the book. So if I was to go on another trip to Scotland, the Q7 would not do at all as the battery would die before the plane landed.

So we can agree that the battery life of the Q7 makes it a poor choice as an eBook reader.

[Sweetpea]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

The Q7 is LCD. The 505 is eink. The 505 gets better battery life. The Q7 average batter life for the type of device it is. The Q7 makes a poor long term reading device because of it's LCD screen and poor battery life. The LCD screen contributes to the poor battery life. Not that the LCD screen is harsh. Just that it drains power displaying the book. So if I was to go on another trip to Scotland, the Q7 would not do at all as the battery would die before the plane landed.

So we can agree that the battery life of the Q7 makes it a poor choice as an eBook reader.

It would make a perfect choice as an ereader for me, except for the fact that I don't want a non-transflective LCD screen. It has a longer battery life than my current reader and a bigger screen. And I don't have any problems with LCD screens what-so-ever.

Those reasons you mentioned are the reasons why you won't buy it as an ereader, not why nobody shouldn't buy it as an ereader.

(and I could never read non-stop on a flight, so that's no problem for me...)

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by Sweetpea

It would make a perfect choice as an ereader for me, except for the fact that I don't want a non-transflective LCD screen. It has a longer battery life than my current reader and a bigger screen. And I don't have any problems with LCD screens what-so-ever.

Those reasons you mentioned are the reasons why you won't buy it as an ereader, not why nobody shouldn't buy it as an ereader.

(and I could never read non-stop on a flight, so that's no problem for me...)

The flight is about 8 hours. So even if you didn't read non-stop, there's a good chance you could read enough to drain the battery. Another problem with the Q7 is that it has an LCD screen. And because it has an LCD screen, I'd need to be able to see it in person to know if it would be something I could view without eye strain or could view well in direct sunlight.

And sunlight is something nobody has mentioned. Can the Q7 be viewed well in direct sunlight? I use my 505 in direct sunlight sometimes and any reader that needs shade is not going to do at all.

[Sweetpea]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

And sunlight is something nobody has mentioned. Can the Q7 be viewed well in direct sunlight? I use my 505 in direct sunlight sometimes and any reader that needs shade is not going to do at all.

No, it can't. you can read Coldsun's report on it. It's not transflective, so not readable in direct sunlight. And that's a major drawback and one reason why I just won't buy it (even I agree on that part, as an avid LCD backlit screen reader!)

The flight from India was about the same, and I didn't drain my battery. A replaceable battery would help (if you're able to remove it without losing anything, as I do on my PDA, stupid backup battery refuses to work...) in that respect.

[HansTWN]

I have read for a long time on my laptop, iphone, PDAs, etc. If you want to ruin your eyes, be my guest. And even on a 4" screen, reading is a drag. If you care about reading, get e-ink.

[Peverel]

I have no experience of the SmartQ7 although it looks like a great fun device. All I can say is I used to read on my Samsung Q1. Could even get it into a portrait orientation and it was ok to read for an hour or so but it was quite tiring on the eyes after that. Now the Samsung is way old technology so the SmartQ7 may well be leaps and bounds ahead but I am glad I have my 505 as it is easier, in my opinion, on my eyes

[Sweetpea]

Originally Posted by HansTWN

I have read for a long time on my laptop, iphone, PDAs, etc. If you want to ruin your eyes, be my guest. And even on a 4" screen, reading is a drag. If you care about reading, get e-ink.

I can never win this battle, can I? Reading on a 3.4" screen isn't a drag, for me. I do care about reading, but a transflective LCD screen works perfectly for me. And I've seen the Iphone, and would never, ever read for longer than 5 minutes on that screen. I find it horrible.

Have you ever even seen a transflective screen?

I found this great comparison on the internet (note, the picture was from 2007)



Somebody "updated" his UMPC screen with a transflective layer. The result is shown left. Both pictures are made outside, in direct sunlight.

(original slashgear page)

Another thing about reading on LCD screens. The resolution of the screens is very important. My two PDA's are both 3.4". One is 320x200, the other 640x480. The difference between those two devices is huge. Even in darkened conditions (where the transflective screen doesn't have that much of an advantage).

[Peverel]

Wow that really is a significant difference

[JSWolf]

Where does one get a transflective layer to go on an LCD screen?

[Sweetpea]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

Where does one get a transflective layer to go on an LCD screen?

No idea... That post is 2 years old. But you can see why I only want a transflective LCD when I buy a new LCD device (no matter what I use it for!)

[DrMoze]

Originally Posted by astra

No eInk.
No long battery life.

Useless as ebook reader.

EXACTLY. There are THE 2 key features of an ebook device (storage is a given), and Sony hits them very well imho.