SmartQ 7 Full Review (Warning - many pictures)

[ColdSun]

Chumbah,

I'm glad you are enjoying your SmartQ 7 and my review helped you. There are quite a few great things coming for the device, including Mer, which is quite a bit better than the Linux OS it ships with. I'm running the Chinese WinCE, Mer, and the Default OS on the device right now and I'm really quite happy with the power the device seems to have. I'm hoping to get Android working on the device soon.

As for your question about a cover, I've seen only a couple specifically designed for the SmartQ 7, and both being from China.

1. http://www.jiongtang.com/fourm/viewtopic.php?f=17&t=649 - this one at the bottom of the post in this link

2. http://www.eletroworld.cn/ - check the SmartQ 7 page - there is a $7.00 case listed in the accessories for the SmartQ 7.

I can't speak for quality of either cover since I haven't ordered one yet.

There is also a fansite/message board for SmartQ devices that many of us have joined, and I hope that folks here will join as well: http://www.smartqmid.com/phpBB3/index.php

Last but not least, we really need a Chinese user who frequents this board that can help us translate some of the posts on the Chinese fansites. There are many ideas, customizations, downloads and other goodies for this device that are only held back due to a language barrier. If we could somehow open the floodgates to their world we could open up many possibilities for the device.

Regards,
ColdSun

[GuillaumeJay]

Originally Posted by Chumbah

Oh, and the one other great thing is that at night, it is marvelous to use with the back-light set to it's dimmest, the wife doesn't get woken up! and I can

You know, that's a very big selling point for me.

I'm surprised how much light my axim x50v makes

[crism73]

Hi!
I currently use a Nokia 770 for e-reading (PDF files) and I really love it; but I also would like a larger display, so I'm very interested in SmartQ 7...

A pair of features I really like on my Nokia 770 are: the possibility to regulate the display brightness and the fact that closing it with its hard cover "suspends" the device.

So my questions are: is it possible with the SmartQ 7 to suspend the execution (in any of the available OSes that can be run on it) ? Is it possible to (easily) regulate the display brightness?

Thank you in advance for any response!
Crism

[markr]

There is a brightness control on the main menubar of the default OS, and pressing the power button brings up a menu that lets you select shutdown or suspend.

[erictai]

Thanks for the great review!
I will pick up my Q7 in Shenzhen when I arrive Hong Kong on early Sept.
Don't know anyone posted before about the support of MS Reader, I have quite a collection on .LIT files.
Also, I wish it has a hotkey to change the screen orientation like my HP tablet.

[Nation.A.List]

Originally Posted by erictai

Thanks for the great review!
I will pick up my Q7 in Shenzhen when I arrive Hong Kong on early Sept.
Don't know anyone posted before about the support of MS Reader, I have quite a collection on .LIT files.
Also, I wish it has a hotkey to change the screen orientation like my HP tablet.

This might do the trick, http://www.jiongtang.com/blog/html/s...ur-screen.html not sure it works for the Q7 yet but I guess it will be soon.

[Houndx]

I wrote a small app that does the same thing for WinCE. I'll think about compiling a version that's bound to a hardware button.

http://www.houndxphotos.com/q7/AutoRotate.zip

[erictai]

Originally Posted by Houndx

I wrote a small app that does the same thing for WinCE. I'll think about compiling a version that's bound to a hardware button.

http://www.houndxphotos.com/q7/AutoRotate.zip

Thank you guys, it is very helpful!!!

[tcheung3]

Originally Posted by ColdSun

Chumbah,

I'm glad you are enjoying your SmartQ 7 and my review helped you. There are quite a few great things coming for the device, including Mer, which is quite a bit better than the Linux OS it ships with. I'm running the Chinese WinCE, Mer, and the Default OS on the device right now and I'm really quite happy with the power the device seems to have....

So, how is the video performance running on Windows CE ?

[Justice Strike]

hmm... i just ordered the psr-600... i wanted something to replace paper (i have a lot of technical manuals, reference material and am learning to read thai)... i really hope this isn't the device i should have been buying... I'll tell you, if it had a eink color display that could refresh fast (i've seen research & development screens that displayed eink video!!!) i would have returned my psr-600 the moment i got it... but now i'm not sure if this is the device i want :S... the choices :S

[Nation.A.List]

Originally Posted by Justice Strike

hmm... i just ordered the psr-600... i wanted something to replace paper (i have a lot of technical manuals, reference material and am learning to read thai)... i really hope this isn't the device i should have been buying... I'll tell you, if it had a eink color display that could refresh fast (i've seen research & development screens that displayed eink video!!!) i would have returned my psr-600 the moment i got it... but now i'm not sure if this is the device i want :S... the choices :S

Just to try and help you with your decision or confuse you even more, use advanced search, put in user name "ColdSun" and read his posts, as he seems to have a broad experience and to be quite knowledgeable about e-books/computing. He appears to quite like the SmartQ 7 MID for reading, and @ $189 + shipping it is very good value and a lot more flexible to boot.

[Justice Strike]

i'll keep it in the back of my mind. I also chose the psr600 to study thai. Having such a mid is nice, but to be honest, i think i'll be distracted with internet to be able to learn in the train . Yes it's a discipline issue. God i'm waiting for those color eink displays that can refresh fast. They are amazing!

[ColdSun]

Thanks for the kind words, Nation, as I've been absent quite a bit lately due to a huge workload. I'm glad some folks are still reading this review and getting some use out of it. I'm finding that all of my assumptions are coming true with this device. I've grown to love it like no other device I've had at this point. For the price, you really can't get better, at least right now, if you are looking for a multi-purpose LCD reading device.

We now have a mostly english (and I mean like 98%) version of WinCE. This version fixes MANY of the issues that were introduced with the initial version of WinCE (like intermittant wireless issues, power off issues and other things). There are also some extremely nice user interfaces for WinCE out there like this one:



You can get quite a bit of information on the forums at http://www.smartqmid.com/. For those folks who might have sent me private messages with questions, I'm sorry I haven't replied sooner. I've been extremely busy on a project that is nearly complete. When I'm done, I'm going to try my hand at developing some custom stuff for the SmartQ 7.

[slayda]

Originally Posted by ColdSun

Chumbah,

I'm glad you are enjoying your SmartQ 7 and my review helped you. There are quite a few great things coming for the device, including Mer, which is quite a bit better than the Linux OS it ships with. I'm running the Chinese WinCE, Mer, and the Default OS on the device right now and I'm really quite happy with the power the device seems to have. I'm hoping to get Android working on the device soon.

As for your question about a cover, I've seen only a couple specifically designed for the SmartQ 7, and both being from China.

1. http://www.jiongtang.com/fourm/viewtopic.php?f=17&t=649 - this one at the bottom of the post in this link

2. http://www.eletroworld.cn/ - check the SmartQ 7 page - there is a $7.00 case listed in the accessories for the SmartQ 7.

I can't speak for quality of either cover since I haven't ordered one yet.

There is also a fansite/message board for SmartQ devices that many of us have joined, and I hope that folks here will join as well: http://www.smartqmid.com/phpBB3/index.php

Last but not least, we really need a Chinese user who frequents this board that can help us translate some of the posts on the Chinese fansites. There are many ideas, customizations, downloads and other goodies for this device that are only held back due to a language barrier. If we could somehow open the floodgates to their world we could open up many possibilities for the device.

Regards,
ColdSun

Coldsun,
Thanks for the great (in spite of JSWolf's comments) review. So far I haven't been able to turn up the physical dimensions of the over all Q7 nut I do have a soft case by Case Logic (I got mine at Walmart) that fits my EZ Reader (also the Sony PRS-500 I did have). It might be good for the Q7 (external dimensions are 8"x6" & about 1" thick.

P.S. I think I'm going to have to order one of these.

[Chopchurch]

MobileCrunch (TechCrunch) just ran an article on the Lighthouse SQ7 by Adela Voice, which is actually the SmartQ7 running a custom OS. Their distro looks pretty sweet.

http://www.crunchgear.com/2009/09/28...e-recognition/

http://www.lighthousetablet.com/index.php