SmartQ T7 unboxing video

Then again, one thing I’ve noticed with the Pandigital Novel is that a screen resolution of 800×600 is a lot nicer for a web browser than 800×480. If this tablet weren’t so expensive it might be worth looking at.

The really neat thing about this tablet is that SmartQ are offering it with multiple wireless options: Wifi, CDMA, 3G.

SmartQ T7 hands on video – Android 2.1, 7″ tablet

They’re calling it the SmartQ T7. If you ask me I think they took a SmartQ R7 and installed Android. The hardware looks identical to me, but this one is reported as having a bigger battery. Complete specs for the T7 weren’t listed, but you can find the specs for the R7 here.

There are 3 prices listed:

• Wifi only – 1480 yuan ($218)
• CDMA – 1980 yuan ($278)
• 3G – 1880 yuan ($292)

source

Smart Devices T7 – Android 2.1, 7″tablet

Smart Devices R7 hands on video

The R7 is expected to ship on 7 May with a retail of $280, and you can preorder now with a 10% deposit. Eletroworld has posted the specs on the R7 product page:

• Processor: Telechip TCC8902 600MHz
• Screen size: 7 inch, 800 X 600 pixels
• 256MB DDR2 RAM
• 2GB Flash
• OS: Ubuntu 9.10
• Language: English/Chinese
• SDHC card slot (up to 32GB)
• WiFi 802.11b/g
• Bluetooth
• Battery: 3300mAH (About 8 hours reading, 10 days standby)
• Connectivity: 2.0 USB HOST supported to connect the high-speed EDGE, HSDPA network adapter or mobile phone
• Others: G-Sensor
• Dimensions: 205x136x16mm
• Weight: 380g
• Warranty: One year

I have both the previous models, and I would recommend that anyone buy this device. The R7 costs $90 more than the earliest model, and based on my experience I do not think it will provide any increase in ability.

BTW, the R7 is running the exact same OS as its predecessors. Any ebook reader app that you might run on this will also run on the other 2 devices.

SmartQ R7 up for preorder at Eletroworld

I’m not really looking forward to the R7. The first gen tablet is quite good as an e-reader, and the R7 will have to be  pretty spectacular to justify the extra cost.

source

Smart Devices to release new E-reader – the R7

Linux

As I said before, I also have the V7′s predecessor, the SmartQ 7. I took the opportunity to set the 2 devices next to each other and do a direct comparison. The tablets run the same version of Ubuntu, and SmartQ took the time to customize the firmware so it works better on a small touch screen. Even though the V7 has more RAM and Flash, I could not see a difference in performance. I have to wonder why Smart Devices released the v7. I do not see that they made any significant improvement.

Android & WinCE

Quite simply, I found them to be useless  because neither OS had Wifi support. Given that the V7 is a Mobile Internet Device, I would say that Wifi support is a pass/fail issue.  Until SmartQ fixes this, there is no point in trying to use these OSes, and that eliminates one reason to pick the V7 over its predecessor.

The broken Wifi support is especially critical for the Android firmware. One of the key design decisions for Android is downloading new apps over the air from the Marketplace, Appslib, etc. The V7 is cut off from these sources. Not being able to use Appslib is particularly damaging; most of the apps on Appslib are designed for the V7 screen resolution.

My Opinion

I’d recommend almost any other tablet over the V7. I’m going to put mine back in its box and put it on a shelf in my closet. I got it so I could test Android reading apps, and I plan to keep it around for that purpose. But as soon as I find a better alternative, the V7 will be sold (or given away).

A brief review of the SmartQ V7, pt 2

The 2 devices have a lot in common; they literally have almost identical hardware. They’re a 7″ touchscreen LCD tablet design with a curved off-white back panel. There are 2 speakers & a flimsy kickstand on the back, 3 button on the upper edge, 3 buttons to the left of the screen, SDHC card slot & reset button on the lower edge, and power, headphone jack, & USB Host on the right edge. The only major visual difference between the 2 is that the newer model has HDMI out.

Both devices have Wifi & Bluetooth, and they run the same custom Ubuntu Linux firmware. The V7 also comes with Android and WinCE pre-installed. The V7 has more RAM (256MB vs 128MB) and more internal storage (2GB vs 1GB).

I’ve been playing with the V7 for a couple hours now, and I can’t see any significant improvement in its performance over that of its predecessor. This is something of a relief for me because I’ve so desperately wanted a V7 ever since it was announced.

I’ve had the SmartQ 7 since August, and I like it. It’s not a terribly fast MID, and it doesn’t have Flash support, but I’ve found it to be a more than adequate e-reader. It comes with FBReader and Midori (web browser), and you can also most common Linux apps.

When I use the SmartQ 7, I like to alternate between reading an ebook, browsing blogs & forums, and reading RSS feeds. The general e-reading experience is where the SmartQ devices excel. Actually, this is where LCD tablets usually beat epaper based e-readers because there are times where a fast screen refresh is worth it.

My Opinion

I haven’t used the Android or WinCE firmwares yet, so I can’t comment on them. But I will say that I like the SmartQ as general e-readers, and I’m beginning to lean towards recommending the V7 over it predecessor.  I wouldn’t replace an existing SmartQ 7, but if I was making a new purchase I would get a SmartQ V7. I think the extra RAM, Flash, and OS options might be worth the extra cost ($189 vs $225 at Eletroworld). On the other hand, the SmartQ 7 is a very adequate in its own right, and you should ask yourself if you really need the extra features.

A Brief Review of the SmartQ V7, pt 1