Caanoo: V400, V500 Comparison.

[coldfish]

Got a backup Caanoo last week and noticed a few things that have been observed by others but I thought worth listing in one place for the curious.

My old Caanoo is a v400 date: 2010.08.06 (in the device info) with firmware 1.0.6

New is v500 date; 2011.09.29 with firmware 1.6.1


The bootscreen and shutdown are slightly different for each. v500 takes about 1 sec longer to boot.

In PCSX ReArmed the old device clocks to about 750, the new to 800+. At the same clock speed, performance is almost identical.

The v500 has a slightly different LCD, the touch film is more matt and the screens contrast level is noticeably weaker (at the same brightness setting) than the v400.

Both units are black/blue with the v500 being more blue. The 4 button hub is lighter on the v500.

The power light on the v500 has a matt/textured finish, the v400 is clear/smooth.

The analog stick has a black thumb grip on the v400 on the v500 it's grey.


I'm tempted to open both of them up to inspect the internal differences, if so I'll post my findings here.

 

[BAFelton]

The bootscreen, overclock differences come from the firmware.

 

[coldfish]

So firmware 1.6.1 allows a higher overclock?
Cool!

 

[DJRoby4]

So... which is better? Just for curiosity!
EDIT: My v400 (1.61) does not overclock to 800

 

[coldfish]

The v400 I have here has a better screen than the v500.

This v500 clocks 50-60Mhz higher than the v400 but it doesn't make much "real" difference.

 

[lnx64]

I have a v400, but it has some of the v500 traits mentioned in the OP.. The LCD with the matteish finish, black thumb stick grip, 4 button hub is brighter..

Still has the glossy power light though.

 

[coldfish]

I have a v400, but it has some of the v500 traits mentioned in the OP.. The LCD with the matteish finish, black thumb stick grip, 4 button hub is brighter..

Still has the glossy power light though.

Its interesting to note the tweaks and modifications in a product over time. I think GPh got it almost right with the Caanoo, shame they dropped out.

 

[lnx64]

The biggest gripe I have about the Caanoo is, the LCD is brighter on the bottom than the top, and it causes an unnatural gradient. Also, my finger keeps slipping off the thumb stick. I wish the thumb stick was shaped more like the PlayStations analog stick on the dual shock.. It's like the Caanoo's thumb grip is inverted, and my finger keeps slipping off.