SmartQ 7 Looks Perfect for the Coffee-Table.

Posted on 06 May 2009, Last updated on 12 November 2019 by

It looks like SmartQ are going to offer their SmartQ 5 device in a 7 inch version which not only looks very attractive but could really find a useful place on the sofa or coffee table of many a modern home.

smartq7-1

Kindle, Pepperpad, Crunchpad, Archos 7, Samsung Q1EX and Apple Tablet come immediately to mind but the Q7 is slightly different. It uses an ARM11-based core (according to reports I’m reading on translated forums around the net) which will give it a long, long battery life. It has nice styling (note that these pics are renderings.) It will be light (I estimate 1lb.) It’s targeted at Web-only usage and if the $150 Q5 is anything to go by, could come in at an extremely attractive price.

At first you might think the Q7 uses an old, underpowered platform and then you might compare it to the $200 netbooks that are around but if you think about where you might use this, on the sofa, breakfast table and in bed or even as a picture frame or constantly updating  newspaper, it’s not the same ‘urgent’ usage model as you have with a MID or smartphone and it’s not for table top productive usage like a netbook is. You have more time and patience in these home-based scenarios and you don’t notice slower page loading times so much. This is something I learned when I hooked the Archos 605 up to my TV. It’s not a mobile device, it’s a home device.

smartq7-2

Based on hardware and industrial design alone, I think this is an extremely interesting sofa surfer or information pad that could be very competitively priced. A conversion to Android or Maemo could make this even more interesting. I’ll be in Taiwan for Computex in June and if I see one of these for sale, I’ll definitely buy one.

I’ve made the assumption that the Q7 is based on the Q5 hardware and added it to the database. Take a look at the specs, think $250 (my estimation) and let me know; Is it something you’re interested in?

Via Pocketables. Source (translated)

26 Comments For This Post

  1. Steve 'Chippy' Paine says:

    New article: SmartQ 7 Looks Perfect for the Coffee-Table. http://cli.gs/dtTBmg

  2. turn.self.off says:

    as i commented over on pocketables, the mer project (maemo5 for n810) had a couple of smartq5 donated to them, and have already found it tobe quite hackable. so if people want to dabble in cheap pocket computing, a smartq5 may be the thing. and it could be that the smartq7 is equally so…

  3. John says:

    Yeah, I’d love to see Mer on this thing.

    And, as I’ve said on both ITT and pocketables, I wonder if they’re going to do a 9″ version as well :-)

  4. turn_self_off says:

    or that i thought i had posted as a comment over on pocketables.net, oops…

  5. PJE says:

    I totally agree with your comments.

    The only thing I don’t like about the system is the proposed 800×480 resolution, which is a little low given that most websites are now designed for a 1024 wide screen. Using a 1024×600 screen would allow pages to be rendered more faithfully and significantly reduce the amount of panning and scrolling.

    I’m waiting for a device of this type, for sofa surfing and media (video, music, ebooks, etc. ) access.

    My N800 is fine, but the low screen resolution is becoming an issue with web browsing.

  6. Marc says:

    I think 800×480 is very acceptable with the right browser. Something the Nokia tablets lack so far.

    Firefox 3 on my Aigo with grab and drag installed works very well and I don’t feel particularly hampered at 800×480.

    Even on my HTC Athena, running Opera 9.5, because the browser allows smooth dragging and zooming I even find 640×480 usable.

    And of course, there is the iPhone, it’s brilliant double tap to fit a column to a screen makes it a dream to use on most sites. At 480×320 it is one of my most used browsers!

    All of those offer much more usable browsers than the Nokia Tablets. Which is a shame as loved the potential in them, as evidence by me buying a 770, N800 and N810!

  7. Marc says:

    Of course, after saying all that. I doubt I’d buy a 7″ tablet with an 800×480 screen now, and would be hard pressed to buy a 5″ MID with anything less than 1024 wide too. ;)

  8. turn_self_off says:

    tried tear or webkit-eal on the nokia tablets?

  9. trafficfreak says:

    SmartQ 7 Looks Perfect for the Coffee-Table. | UMPCPortal – The … http://bit.ly/16NnHi

  10. Will Plaice says:

    was wondering if this has a dock / stand ?

    I can’t see any of these devices with this, doesn’t anyone else think that a doc (even if just for power) is essential if it’s to sit on the coffee table or act as a picture frame ?

    Will

  11. turn_self_off says:

    the second image over on pocketables show it with a stand:
    http://www.pocketables.net/2009/05/smartq-7-internet-tablet-mid-revealed.html

  12. squirrel says:

    yes, it’s a competitor, but i believe in Always innovating))

  13. Arlo says:

    I’m really interested in devices like this… but I’m waiting for at least 1024, but 1280 would be ideal.

  14. alanmc says:

    I think the 800*480 resolution is not a problem. Now I am using the SmartQ5. The Midori web browser has a key that can zoom out or in the web pages.When I zoom out the 1024 web page to fit the screen, the text is still very clear.

    Now the Smartq7 is in the pre-sale(eletroworld.cn), it is only $40 upper than the Q5. If you need a large screen you can choose the Q7.

  15. squirrel says:

    alanmc,
    do you have flash or java on SmartQ 5?
    does it have USB host?

  16. Chippy says:

    Looks like it has USB host which opens lots of possibilities.
    http://www.eletroworld.cn/nb/SmartQ_7.htm

    At $189 it’s a bargain. IT will be slow but as an ereader, picture frame, news page, great.

    Am trying to order one now and am hoping they come out with a hi-res 10″ version in the future!

    Steve

  17. Marc says:

    And have you succeeded? Would happily give it a go at those prices…

  18. atx512 says:

    @Chippy: eletroworld.cn is it a secure shop? does anyone know it?

  19. leon says:

    more pictures of Q7 ,see it at http://www.jiongtang.com/blog/digital-product/smartq7-unboxing-picturewill-you-buy-it/
    kjava http://www.jiongtang.com/blog/digital-product/smartq5-software-java-simulatorkjava-2rd-versionfull-screen/
    v2.0 firmwarr http://www.jiongtang.com/blog/digital-product/smartq5-firmware-v20-released-add-sonatausb-network-card/

  20. Marc says:

    And there appears to be an English OS in beta too…

    http://www.jiongtang.com/blog/digital-product/smartq5-english-version-firmware-beta/

  21. leon says:

    developed by maemo
    http://www.jiongtang.com/blog/digital-product/smartq5-english-version-firmware-beta/

  22. Chippy says:

    Thanks Leon. I guess this would work on the Q7 too.
    Keep us up to date!

    Steve

  23. johnkzin says:

    Technically, that’s Mer, not Maemo… but, yeah, someone put it up on the Mer discussion forum, and it leaked out REALLY quickly (according to the maemo forums).

  24. Максим Кузьмичев says:

    Смотрел на днях репортаж в новостях по ТВ. Долго ржал по этому поводу :-) Все гениальное просто!

  25. Pheral says:

    Я купил его в allpmp.com, они отправлены в 9 часов, рекомендую всем.

  26. Eugene Hall says:

    A pal urged me to read this page, great post, interesting read… keep up the nice work!

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