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From NanoComputerWiki
Where Can I Buy the NanoComputer?
- The NanoComputer is available for sale from the manufacturer, Flying Electron Inc.
- http://www.flyingelectron.com
Where Can I Talk With Others About the NanoComputer?
- S1mp3.org has graciously hosted a forum for the NanoComputer at http://forum.s1mp3.org
NanoComputer Pictures
Special Promotions!
- These promotions may end at any time without warning and may change at any time without warning!
- Send us an email when you have met the requirements of the rebate and we'll start processing your rebate.
- Rebates are paid through paypal only, so you will need a paypal account
- Rebate offers apply only to purchaser of the NanoComputer.
- $50 REBATE -- Help us spread the word about the NanoComputer!
- If you write an application for the NanoComputer, have a web page or forum posting* which talks about the application with some screenshots, and a google search for "Flying Electron NanoComputer" shows your page in the listings. Application must actually do something slightly useful (we will be the judge of that, you can email us with your application idea if you want to make sure we agree it's slightly useful before you start writing your application).**
- * Forum posting must not violate TOS of the forum you are posting in.
- ** Limit 2 "Help us spread the word about the NanoComputer!" rebates per person (unless we think your apps are awesome and then we will tell you to make some more!).
- If you write an application for the NanoComputer, have a web page or forum posting* which talks about the application with some screenshots, and a google search for "Flying Electron NanoComputer" shows your page in the listings. Application must actually do something slightly useful (we will be the judge of that, you can email us with your application idea if you want to make sure we agree it's slightly useful before you start writing your application).**
- $25 REBATE -- New NanoComputer Application Ideas
- Have an idea for a new NanoComputer application? Shoot us an email with the title of "New NanoComputer Application Idea" as the subject describing your idea. If we approve it, you make a web page describing your app with a fake screenshot of it and we send you your rebate.*
- * Limit 2 "New NanoComputer Application Ideas" rebates per person. (unless we think your ideas are awesome and then we will tell you to make some more!).
- Have an idea for a new NanoComputer application? Shoot us an email with the title of "New NanoComputer Application Idea" as the subject describing your idea. If we approve it, you make a web page describing your app with a fake screenshot of it and we send you your rebate.*
What is the NanoComputer?
The Flying Electron Inc. NanoComputer is a fully functional computer in a tiny package roughly 43mm x 73mm x 9mm. That's about 1.7" x 2.9" x 0.4" thick for us Americans and our whacky inch units.
NanoComputer model NC1 Specifications
- 2.0" 220x176 LCD display capable of displaying 65,536 colors
- 1GB of FLASH storage
- 5 buttons located on the front of the computer
- Z80 compatible CPU
- USB connection to PC
- Includes the NanoComputer Operating System, allowing multiple applications to be installed and run
- Applications can be downloaded from the internet and installed on the NanoComputer or users can write their own applications using the included NanoComputer SDK.
To give an idea of what a NanoComputer is capable of doing, let's compare the NanoComputer to a few famous computers in history.
| NanoComputer | Commodore 64 | Apple IIe | IBM PC 5150 | Generic PC | Generic PC | Generic PC | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | 2008 | 1982 | 1983 | 1981 | 1987 | 1997 | 2007 |
| CPU Speed | 24Mhz CPU | 1Mhz CPU | 1Mhz CPU | 4.77Mhz | 25Mhz CPU | 133Mhz CPU | 2Ghz CPU |
| RAM | 128KB RAM | 64KB RAM | 64KB RAM | 64KB RAM | 1MB RAM | 32MB RAM | 1GB RAM |
| Storage | 1GB FLASH | 170KB Floppy | 140KB Floppy | 180KB Floppy | 100MB HD | 1GB HD | 100GB HD |
| Monitor | 2" LCD | 14" CRT | 14" CRT | 13" CRT | 14" CRT | 15" CRT | 15" LCD |
| Pixels | 220x176 | 320x200 | 140x192 | 320x200 | 640x200 | 640x480 | 1024x768 |
| Colors | 65536 | 16 | 16 | 4 | 64 | 256 | 16777216 |
Without going into too much detail, the NanoComputer has roughly the computer power of a Generic PC from 1987*. That may not sound like much to you kids today, but the world was run by those computers in 1987 so the old folks who were around back then know that the NanoComputer should be able to do some pretty amazing things.
* (Before you technical geeks go blowing your tops on the PC from 1987 comparison, the NanoComputer CPU is only 8 bit but has a higher IPS then the 32 bit 80386, and it's only a guess, we are talking about something from 20 years ago for heavens sake.)
How Do I Write My Own Application for the NanoComputer?
Anyone can write applications for the NanoComputer, it's designed to be easy! It helps if you know the C programming language, but if you don't, you can get a book at the bookstore and pick it up really quick.
We've even written a short book on how to write your first application for the NanoComputer for you to follow. It's called "Learn How to Write Applications for the NanoComputer in One Really Long Day"
- Chapter 1 - Installing the NanoComputer Tools Software
- Chapter 2 - Installing the NanoComputer Driver
- Chapter 3 - Starting the Windows XP Command Prompt
- Chapter 4 - Writing Your First Application (Part 1)
- Chapter 5 - Writing Your First Application (Part 2)
The following pages are documentation on the BIOS functions available for use in your applications. The documentation below may not reflect the most recent changes to the BIOS, for the most recent documentation please consult the header files shipped with the latest NanoComputer SDK.
- Application BIOS Modules
- BIOS Reference - KEYPAD Functions
- Functions to read what keys are pressed on the keypad of the NanoComputer.
- BIOS Reference - LCD Functions
- Functions to draw text and graphics on the LCD screen of the NanoComputer.
- BIOS Reference - NCFS Functions
- Functions to read and write files stored on the FLASH of the NanoComputer.
- BIOS Reference - PICTURE Functions
- Functions to draw images on the LCD screen from image files stored on the FLASH of the NanoComputer.
- BIOS Reference - USB Functions
- Functions to communicate with a host PC using the USB port of the NanoComputer.
- BIOS Reference - KEYPAD Functions
- Advanced BIOS Modules
- BIOS Reference - BIOS Functions
- Miscellaneous BIOS functions such as BIOS properties and settings.
- BIOS Reference - FLASH Functions
- Functions to read and write directly to the FLASH of the NanoComputer.
- BIOS Reference - FONT Functions
- Functions to load different fonts for drawing text on the LCD
- BIOS Reference - PARTITION Functions
- Functions to modify the partition data of the NanoComputer file system.
- BIOS Reference - RAMBANK Functions
- Functions to spawn child applications and access secondary banks of RAM in the NanoComputer.
- BIOS Reference - BIOS Functions
How Do I Download Applications from the Internet for the NanoComputer?
You can run applications written by other users by downloading their applications from the internet and installing the applications onto your NanoComputer. Just download an application (applications end in the .ihx extension) to your PC and then run NC_CMD --install followed by the name of the application.
For example if you downloaded HelloWorld.ihx to C:\ on your PC, you would open a Windows XP Command Prompt and use the following commands to install and then run the application.
cd C:\ NC_CMD --install HelloWorld NC_CMD --run HelloWorld
Note: You do not provide the .ihx extension in the NC_CMD --install command.
If you have trouble with this, we recommend you read "Learn How to Write Applications for the NanoComputer in One Really Long Day" located in the #How Do I Write My Own Application for the NanoComputer? section of this page, it gives detailed instructions on how to use the NC_CMD command.
Where Can I Download Applications For the NanoComputer
We will update this list as more sites become available. If you know of a website where you can download NanoComputer applications, or if you find any dead links below, please send us an email at sales@flyingelectron.com .
- NanoComputer Sample Applications
- NanoComputer LCD Smartie Client Reference Design
- NanoComputer Picture SlideShow Application Reference Design
Other Information
To download the latest NanoComputer Tools, use the NanoComputer Download Page
Comments, Questions, Complaints?
If you have any comments, questions or complaints (especially complaints) we would love to hear from you. Please send them to sales@flyingelectron.com . If we don't know what you don't like, we can't make it better.

