Frequently Asked QuestionsWhat's the difference between a Dingoo and a Ben NanoNote?The main difference is that the Dingoo is a games console, mainly dedicated to playing and emulating games. The Ben NanoNote is a "half-fledged" computer, which is very similar to the Dingoo in hardware, but the similarites stops there. Since the Ben NanoNote has a full QWERTY-keyboard, this opens up a whole world of possibilities in terms of possible software.
Why should I get a NanoNote?Basically, if you're familiar with the UNIX-family of operating systems, and enjoy working with them, if you like programming for embedded devices, play with hardware mods on a device where all schematics are available, you should get a NanoNote.
Why shouldn't I get a NanoNote?The NanoNote is
not a Dingoo. It won't be as good as a device for gaming as the Dingoo is, but you have a near-complete, customizable computer at the size of your wallet (even smaller!). I say near-complete because there are of course some limitations, which includes no WiFi or Bluetooth connectivity without an expensive SDIO card.
Is the NanoNote binary compatible with Dingux executeables?Short answer: Yes. Long answer: Most of the time. There might be problems with missing libraries or differences in existing libraries, but in these cases, minimal adjustments are required to run the executeable on the NanoNote. They might also have very weird keybindings, unless you change them, or the author makes a version specifically for the NanoNote.
Another incompitability pointed out by zear, is the fact that the NanoNote uses 32-bit per pixel color depth, while the Dingoo uses 16 bpp. This can lead to slowdowns in some applications, because the colors have to be software converted.
Can the NanoNotes processor be overclocked for better performance in [insert application name here]?Short answer: Not at the moment. Long answer: Yes, it can, but there's currently no code to do it. The overclocking code included in gmenu2x for the Ben is the same overclocking code as is in the Dingoo version, and since the Ben uses a
slightly different processor (Ingenics JZ4720) than the Dingoo (Ingenics JZ4732), the overclocking code needs to be adjusted specifically for the JZ4720. If the processor is overclocked with the current overclocking code, the LCD gets wavy, and it's generally considered unsafe to do so yet.
Is there a large community around the NanoNote, as with the Dingoo?There indeed is:
Does the NanoNote have USB Host capability?No.
Where can I find out more about the NanoNote hardware?There is a full hardware spec on the official site -
http://sharism.cc/specs/ - or repeated below:
- 336 MHz XBurst Jz4720 MIPS-based CPU
- Display: 3.0" TFT LCD
- Resolution: 320 x 240, 16.7M colors
- Dimensions (mm): 99 x 75 x 17.5 (Closed)
- Weight: 126 g (incl. battery)
- RAM: 32MB Synchronous DRAM
- Audio out: 3.5 mm standard audio jack
- Memory card slot: microSD|HC
- 850mAh Li-Ion battery
- 2GB NAND flash memory
- mini-USB: USB 2.0 High-Speed Device
- Single (mono) speaker and integrated microphone
- Full QWERTY-keyboard
Where can I buy it?European customers can buy from
Tuxbrain.
International customers can buy from
Sharism.