Review: Book Digital Co. SmartBook G138 (Flashback)

Well, more fool me, I took the screen protector off as it looked like packaging to me - it even had a little tab to remove it so I did.

The keyboard is "bedding in" with me, but I still think there's something about the keypress that isn't quite right. The sig3, whilst smaller, feels better. The libretto keyboard is a lot smaller (!), but feels better too. The feel more than the layout is my issue, but I guess you're right: this is something that it takes a while to get used to. The first time I played with an apple macbook (not pro), I thought the keyboard was a work of devilry, but now it actually seems to have a nicer action than the macbook pro: I think fingers have to learn how to use the things

As I said, the responsiveness of the unit is great but when pushed to do complex stuff, in particular trying to run PocketUAE, it is slower than the Sig3. Day to day though, I can definitely live with it as it's a joy to use mostly and besides PocketUAE doesn't work properly on either the Sig3 or this device so it's a bit of a daft point!

As cmonex notes, the startup time of textmaker is quite stunning , and strangely I reckon it could be a second or so faster than on the Sig3. I guess memory is probably the big difference there, but I really don't know - 4.2 could be a contributing factor too?

Re the colour temp, I'd not noticed until I put it next to the Sig3 and a calibrated LCD screen... I take the point that it's a huge step up from the 720, but all the same it could have been better . My Sig3 came fitted with a screen protector, so we're not comparing like with like here by the look of it.

I use wired networks where possible rather than Wifi, so the addition of a wired network connector is a good thing for me.

I think this device has made me realise that what I really would like next is a Libretto U100. Looks like I'll be selling things to fund that purchase . Kidney, anyone?

Battery life will be the deciding factor on whether I keep it or not. The Sig3 seems to have better battery life, and strangely I prefer the Sig3 keyboard. The form factor of the Sig3 is a lot friendlier, but then the screen of the G138 is a lot easier on the eyes

Now, does anyone have any ideas on what the registry parameters for the MQ200 driver mean? The bitmap associated with the flags would help! If anyone has platform builder for ce.net 4.2 with the associated source code for DDI_MQ200.dll then that would mean we stand a chance of reverse engineering the settings...

Pidä WebBookin Fn näppäintä pohjassa ja paina F6 näppäintä. F6 näppäintä uudestaan painamalla voidaan vaihdella eri näyttötilojen välillä, WebBook ja projektori, pelkkä projektori ja pelkkä WebBook.

Obvious really, I don't know why I'm not slapping my forehead at the obviousness of that one

About the battery life, it hasn't change since I reported it in the old thread Which means about 200 min with the Sandisk WiFi + Flash, with normal web surfing traffic. If you're not using any communication, I'd say about 4.5 hours. I think it's surely better than sig3 in operating batt life.

chiark, have you seen the Lib u100 in person? the keys are as small as jornada but they're shaped flat, so it's very hard to "feel" where each key is. In other words even Jornada kb is better than that one. Smartbook kb is a lot better. As seen in my old thread, I have a picturebook just a bit bigger than the Smartbook, with a yet better kb, however I'd not be swinging a $1000 laptop (which has a HD) in my shoulder bag everyday in place of the SB that's half the money. So u100 would be even riskier a few times over.

I only wish the G138 can do Macromedia Flash. It has a similar problem to Sig3 with MUI, except of course G138 doesn't use MUI. With so many new users maybe someone will finally figure it out

Is this Smartbook specific or just a problem with CE 4.2?

Some of My thoughts on Power Handheld and G138.


I had Bsquare PHH and Book Digital G138. Both were sold later. PHH is kinda slow. The VGA resolution seems to slow overall performance. This is very noticeable when i comapre phh to g138.

for me, phh is not a pda to hold with. the phone functions sucks.

Almost unhearable alarms and no vibrator function surely kills phh as a phone.

With only strong arm 206 cpu, but with an independent video card, g138 responds much faster in some daily operations, like opening up file managers and Internet browsing. btw, internet browing on g138 is really fast.

I kinda enjoy visiting web sites on g138, almost on par with some PII desktop PCs. This is the first time I feel so in hpc internet experiences.

Some possible issues with G138. dont know if these issues are universial or isolated cases on my 2nd hand unit.

1. Bad workmanship 2. Touch screen quality 3. Screen often Malfunctions when using the internal GSM for GPRS web browsing.

1. the hinge makes out loud noise when turning. u have 2 learn to make it quiet when turning the screen.

2. also the touch screen often needs calibration. when it is ok, the screen is perfectly ok; when it malfunctions, just do calibration. some times later, it will need calibration again. probably minor problem if u know how 2 fix it.

3. EXACTLY THE SAME ISSUE WITH Cmonex. GPRS browsing severely interferes with the screen. slightly visible lines appear fast in the background of screen, not on the real contents of screen. even more violent when ur gprs dl speed is higher. on my unit, the screen then fails to respond 2 my clicking on the screen any more when internal gprs browsing on. It needs calibration right now or the touch screen cannot be used any more with gprs on.


4. there is a small trackball, left and right keys of a mouse. all of them is kinda comfortable to use. they r all usable, just not well designed. barely usable.





Edited by iamjoe 2006-08-24 1:11 PM

and


I remember reading about this... What band does your network use, and does the screen get better if you tip the unit sideways (like wifi, these things tend to work better with the antenna pointing up)?

i like how active this thread is

C:Amie: yes the screen won't go back all the way but this one i'll be using is a little worryingly too stiff. i hope it will get better by using it also it will not go back to 130 degrees, sigh. it is more like 100-110 another one will go back easily to like 170 amazingly well.

yes yes it is so much like x-black! i always loved those shiny screens! i can see this is a factory installed temporary protector but i won't take it off

oh the j728 i'm perfectly fine with it, sssh! but yes it is true that the tft's are better. (but i don't care hehe)

about the gprs issue, turn all brightness and contrast all the way down and try again. you will probably see it then.


chiark, yeah i too prefer the sig3 keyboard. lol. as for textmaker, no it isn't 4.2 that does it. i got a few 4.2 machines and i know that for sure. again, it isn't the ram either, bsquare phh has 128mb and textmaker opens quite slowly.
still disagreement on colour temp!

good luck to the U100...

chiark & takwu, my experience is that sig3 has a better battery as long as you don't do much wifi on the sig3. there the g138 wins. without wifi, sig3 is better heh.

iamjoe, stop berating the bsquare phh it isn't slow if you disable window animation!
your unit (smartbook) must've had some problem with the touch screen, i never have to recalibrate mine, no problem during gprs either. (except for the darn "lines"

chazco, very interesting question, i don't know, i can't really tilt my screen back. edit: OK i see you mean i should move the entire unit i can check that.... thanks for the idea

Edited by cmonex 2006-08-24 1:53 PM

chazco, I'm not completely with your point re the FN + F6 combination. I'm sure that lots of things that I've discovered are covered by other people in other places, however (although you may be a special case here) most people don't grab the manual of someone elses product to look up feature information for the manufacturer manufacturers device that you own.

Chiark, they're not exactly screen protectors, they are protective films. They do a good job as screen protectors, but make dragging a process requiring more pressure than I am used to.
I've always felt that 4.2 was better optimised over 4.1, I've nothing empirical on that though, just a gut feeling.

I tried changing a couple of those mystery variables, and didn't see any observable changes in anything at all.

I'll email you the file names of the doc's I have on the MQ200.

iamjoe,
I've not had a G138 long enough to have given it a field test and beaten it up from real-world use, build quality to me seems acceptable, they have a complicated set of screw combinations and are near Jornada level unfriendly to get into to service (at least the first time)

I guess I'm going to form my own union and be the only member on the touch screen, I like it - sans the comment above re dragging with the film over it, it's a little easier with it off. Calibration wise, within the bounds of my not having beaten it up in the field, the calibration system has been reliable for me.
Hinge noise is yours, I have one sitting next to me right now, and I don't hear anything of any audible significance from swinging it open and closed.

I'll lab test this GSM issue, on a different device and get back to you. I've still not seen it on the one sitting next to me. Could be RFI. Chiark, how about you?

I find that the keyboard, digitiser, trackpoint and two buttons are all useful in their own modes, depending on how and where I'm using the device. I tend to flick through all of them, especially as the tight stylus compartment can make the stylus difficult to extract single handedly.

cmonex,

It will go back to 165 degrees, 110 degrees is utterly useless, that's hardly off of vertical, if you don't believe me, see the attached photo. So I don't know what's going on there. If the hinge is a little stiff, I suggest you open and close it using both hands a few times in a fairly rapid succession, it'll loosen up.

I love the x-black sheen too

A thought on these lines that you are seeing, the GSM antenna is suspended in the back of the screen, if its closer to the controller than in the one sitting next to me (which I have had to pieces and move things about in) then you could be getting some RFI.

Perhaps the RAM itself is faster?


Yep, thats what i meant. Seems to improve matters when using GPRS on other devices.

hinge noise, depends on the particular unit, if it is not too stiff, it won't make noises. but by not handling the screen cautiously you can force the noises even on the better ones.

RFI = ?

just fyi, the issue can be seen in iphone too sometimes though very slightly and only for a short time.

check it in white background and also in blue too.


edit: C:Amie, yes it is REALLY 110 degrees. your pic is amazing, i wish mine would tilt back so far... i'll try your suggestion (btw did you check my email on the dead smartbook?)


edit2: YES that fixed it. now mine is like yours on the pic. wow. and thanks.

Edited by cmonex 2006-08-24 2:32 PM

RFI = Radio Frequency Interference, wireless "noise" that wreaks havock with electronics (it is why speakers buzz and beep when you put a cell phone next to them and microwaves kill WiFi.

Please to hear that you're deivce is leaning back properly after only two edits, hahaha, good job.

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HPC:Factor - Putting geeks first









Right...
The first two are size comparisons between the G138 and the Jornada (a 600 and a 700 series here)

The next one makes that "x-black" effect drool worthy, yes, that is exactly what it says on the tin!

Lastly, that is a G138 "playing" with a new Domain Controller (which arrived yesterday). The white system sitting behind it is a regular beige box, so you can see the size difference if you are not familiar with server hardware. Dual Xeon processors, SCSI drives, she is heavier than I am, and there are two of them
The G138 is logged into it over wireless, it is wonderful!

Yes, I've seen it, used it, decided against it at £1300 but at half that price I could and would live with it as my "daily driver": it would do everything I want it to.

People might be interested in an anti-reflective screen for the smartbook, which incidentally uses what appears to be exactly the same size screen as the Libretto 100ct/110ct... I'll let you know my results when I fit a spare that I've got

I think that between us we could design an awesome HPC, and it's sounding like it'd take some features from the G138, some from the sig3, and maybe some from the netbook pro... Then all we'd need is someone to manufacture it, fail, and flog off the remaining inventory at the sub-£250 / $500 price point

And Chris, that's just not enough warning for the geek pr0n content of your post!

Edited by chiark 2006-08-25 5:09 AM

A toast to failure!

But yes, we have the vision here to design a killer H/PC, we just lack one or two of those trivial essentials - engineering skill, technical prowess, resources, funding, time; nothing all that major.

Hey Insurgent, now would be a good time to get a few x-r4ted shots of that new t4rt of a Xeon server of yours with a 720 draped over it

(sorry about the 4's, the 'grid's' content filter wasn't approving of my choice of wording )

I've been reading the manual for the device (under the Coxion branding) but found the power section confusing. It says that "to turn on, press the on button (ok...), to turn off push and hold the power button for 5 seconds (note: this will erase the contents of the sdram). To suspend push the power button briefly. To hard reset, push the power and reset buttons together (note: this will erase all data on the device)". Whats confusing me is the difference between powering off and hard reseting... Anyone care to explain?