Caanoo - A Fail Console?

[torpor]

I just think, with the WLAN capabilities, we should be able to wirelessly install apps to the Caanoo. Its the 21st Century, everyone else can manage, all thats missing is the *desire* to do things this way.

 

[CKeichel]

I just think, with the WLAN capabilities, we should be able to wirelessly install apps to the Caanoo. Its the 21st Century, everyone else can manage, all thats missing is the *desire* to do things this way.

You are completely overestimating the number of people, that use the (not build in) WLan capbilities of the Caanoo. To live in the 21st Century means to understand the real demand people have for certain for things, devs usually aren't interested in developing for on 5% of the people, that own a console.
And by the way, why don't you use the Samba solution to copy things on you Caanoo? It has NO advantage to use an installer, if all you have to do is copy the content of ONE archive to your Caanoo. Installers are fine, if the installation needs lots of small steps, they are useless if the installer just copies the files to ONE location and does nothing more.

 

[torpor]

Meh, even having to think about what/where to put things is a nuisance. This is supposed to be a games machine - why isn't it as easy to install software on it as any other games machine? Directories? Folders? Zip files? Decompression? Meh, these things don't belong in the Game Market.

A one-click appstore that runs *on the device* for those who have WLAN access is definitely desirable. I know plenty of Caanoo users with WLAN who would appreciate this - if you don't, fair enough. That still doesn't reduce the demand for it.

 

[qbertaddict]

Well if you dont want to work a little you shouldn't have bought a open source handheld. I'll tell you one thing though good luck trying to get emulators running on a psp. If you dont like to copy things over to directories or do a little work.Getting custom firmware on a psp is fun to do but reading and a little work is required. An app store would be cool but you'd still have to copy over your roms. So I extra step really isn't worth the effort.

 

[hi-ban]

I can see it... every program using a one-click installer... and then people complaining again that they can't find the installation folder for placing the roms... :lol:

I really don't know why you complain... installing anything is as easy as simply unzipping the contents of a zip file into the APPS or GAME folder!

Anyway, i have never seen installers for emulators (at least in the last 14 years) and i have never had any problems with that. So why would it be different now?

For me, the caanoo is not a fail console. It's far better than the Dingoo, and allows 2-player (even 3-player) gaming with a single console.
In fact, i think it's the best option of all the available emulation handhelds.

Pandora? Bah! there are cheaper laptops!

 

[CKeichel]

This is supposed to be a games machine - why isn't it as easy to install software on it as any other games machine? Directories? Folders? Zip files? Decompression? Meh, these things don't belong in the Game Market.

No, it's an open handheld, if you don't see the difference, then you should better stick with a DS, PSP or iDevice, all fine devices, but none of them is an open handheld and none of them can suits the needs of an open handheld.

 

[klikklak]

I'm a bit late to the thread, but I agree with Torpor. It SHOULD be easy and automated to the extent possible. Anyone else then StarG and me who think that an package manager (dpkg, pacman, etc) is a good idea? Integrating Caanoo/Wiz to an upstream linux distro should make things interesting again.

 

[fishybawb]

I'm a bit late to the thread, but I agree with Torpor. It SHOULD be easy and automated to the extent possible. Anyone else then StarG and me who think that an package manager (dpkg, pacman, etc) is a good idea? Integrating Caanoo/Wiz to an upstream linux distro should make things interesting again.

I think this would be quite cool for some apps, but as people have said, what about emulators (need ROMs/images) or ports (may need additional data files)? You'd end up installing software easily through the repo, but then potentially have to copy files to certain directories anyway, so you might as well have just dumped the program in the games/apps folder while you were there

 

[CKeichel]

I'm a bit late to the thread, but I agree with Torpor. It SHOULD be easy and automated to the extent possible. Anyone else then StarG and me who think that an package manager (dpkg, pacman, etc) is a good idea? Integrating Caanoo/Wiz to an upstream linux distro should make things interesting again.

I think this would be quite cool for some apps, but as people have said, what about emulators (need ROMs/images) or ports (may need additional data files)? You'd end up installing software easily through the repo, but then potentially have to copy files to certain directories anyway, so you might as well have just dumped the program in the games/apps folder while you were there

I agree, most users don't use any WiFi on their Caanoo, so it would be:
Step 1 copying the package to the SD card
Step 2 booting the Caanoo
Step 3 Installing the Package

These are 3 Steps instead of 1, doesn't make sense to me.

 

[hi-ban]

I agree, most users don't use any WiFi on their Caanoo, so it would be:
Step 1 copying the package to the SD card
Step 2 booting the Caanoo
Step 3 Installing the Package
Step 4 turning off the console
Step 5 copying the roms to the installer-created rom folder in the SD card


These are 5 Steps instead of 1, doesn't make sense to me.

Fixed.

 

[CKeichel]

I agree, most users don't use any WiFi on their Caanoo, so it would be:
Step 1 copying the package to the SD card
Step 2 booting the Caanoo
Step 3 Installing the Package
Step 4 turning off the console
Step 5 copying the roms to the installer-created rom folder in the SD card


These are 5 Steps instead of 1, doesn't make sense to me.

Fixed.

 

[SolarLune]

I'm really late to this discussion, but here's how I see it in just two short paragraphs.

1) On Linux-powered gaming consoles on Wikipedia, the Caanoo was one out of 8, with 2 not being released, 1 being the Pandora, 1 being absurdly priced, and another 2 being the old GP2Xs. Really, there's not that many consoles out there for open-source gaming.

2) If you don't like to take the SD card out (unnecessary step), copy the files to SD card, etc., then perhaps you should try a syncing software program. This way you can have a folder somewhere containing your Caanoo files; just put the downloaded app in the folder, connect your Caanoo, and go. I got a program from Microsoft that does it, but I also downloaded a couple others that I'm hoping will auto-synchronize. If this is the case, it would be a simple case of 'put the files in, connect your Caanoo, wait, and disconnect'. Done.

EDIT: I found that PureSync has Auto-syncing. I think I heard that it could corrupt data, but I've just had a little trouble getting it to copy the files alright. I got it working, though. It works alright - I put a file in CaanooSync\game\, and the same file appeared on my Caanoo's SD card in the game folder. I also have it set up to sync on connection, so it should work just like I put above - 'put files in, connect the Caanoo, wait, and disconnect'.

 

[RatoZumbi]

I'm happy with my caanoo.

I bought it for programming and ended up that I play more his exclusive games them the 1000+ roms in my dingoo (that, BTW, emulate them with perfection).

 

[klikklak]

I think this would be quite cool for some apps, but as people have said, what about emulators (need ROMs/images) or ports (may need additional data files)? You'd end up installing software easily through the repo, but then potentially have to copy files to certain directories anyway, so you might as well have just dumped the program in the games/apps folder while you were there

Depends on the type of distribution chosen. Plugapps fex. would be archbased minimal rolling release distro which looks fairly active. Plenty of cool apps. But emulators could work with AUR scripts or separate repositories. This wouldn't be usable for general use until a set of tools usable via Caanoos stick and screen would be developed.

 

[torpor]

Emulators aren't the only things that you can play on the Caanoo, and even then if you want to carry my argument further, why don't emulators just let you automatically download free/legal ROM's from various repositories so you don't have to deal with *any* directory management? Not that I'm incapable of doing so, just that - as a games machine - I think I shouldn't *have* to deal with it, and I yearn for progress in this department ..

 

[hi-ban]

 

[torpor]

;(

 

[hi-ban]

Sorry, i didn't want to be rude... but such is life. Open handhelds are like that. You already knew this before purchasing your caanoo, so... why the surprise?

 

[torpor]

Was I surprised? I'm not surprised, I knew what I was buying. But I do want to point out that without recognition of potential for future features, there are no future features. I don't use my Caanoo as much as my Pandora, simply because its far easier to get stuff on the Pandora - just download the .PND file using the Pandora WLAN and forget about it.

I believe it could be, also, just as easy on the Caanoo .. and that would be nice. I would stop crying and would be able to put my girly pants back on again, safely, without risk of cuts.

 

[hi-ban]

Well, i personally prefer zip files, so i know exactly which files i am copying to my SD, and the exact location of them.
I want to have my SD card clean of unused files.

Sure, an installer would be great for lazy people, or for those who have little knowledge about emulators.

But most people will stick to the old and good zip files.