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jgray · 08-06-2010, 11:50 PM

After using a WinXP laptop to update the software on the Gentouch, I installed Aldiko, FBReader and a few other apps.

I will say that the way the internal memory and the MicroSD card are handled is a bit strange. First, unlike most devices that attach to a PC via USB, you have to load drivers to see the storage. It does not use the standard Mass Storage Driver. I know some cameras and such also require drivers, but it is annoying.

The second annoyance regarding USB use is that you have to manually "mount" both the internal memory and the MicroSD card before they will show up in Windows. I guess this is just the way Android does things. My old N800 didn't require this extra step (or drivers), so it's not a Linux thing in general.

Both Aldiko and FBReader work fine. I do wish Aldiko supported more than just epub, so I didn't have to use two different programs. I haven't located a good PDF reader yet, so that will make it three programs for reading.

As far as reading with Aldiko, I like it very much. The page turns require only a very light swipe of the finger. No heavy pressing needed.

I have been reading with Aldiko for about 1.5 hours on battery. If the remaining percentage indicator is accurate, this would extrapolate out to 6.8 hours of battery life. We'll see how close I get to this.

After using this tablet for a number of hours, I can't really fault the hardware. Considering the price, this is quite a lot of hardware. The software OTOH needs work. Augen hasn't yet released all of the promised patches, so I'm expecting things to get better. Some of the issues have to do with the fact that until recently, Android has been a phone OS. It still needs some tweaking to make it a better fit for tablets.

So far, I think I'll keep this until something better comes along that is also affordable. Under $200 or so is a real sweet spot for the average consumer.

08-06-2010, 11:50 PM	#15
jgray Fanatic Posts: 554 Karma: 2928497 Join Date: Mar 2008 Device: Clara 2E & Sage	After using a WinXP laptop to update the software on the Gentouch, I installed Aldiko, FBReader and a few other apps. I will say that the way the internal memory and the MicroSD card are handled is a bit strange. First, unlike most devices that attach to a PC via USB, you have to load drivers to see the storage. It does not use the standard Mass Storage Driver. I know some cameras and such also require drivers, but it is annoying. The second annoyance regarding USB use is that you have to manually "mount" both the internal memory and the MicroSD card before they will show up in Windows. I guess this is just the way Android does things. My old N800 didn't require this extra step (or drivers), so it's not a Linux thing in general. Both Aldiko and FBReader work fine. I do wish Aldiko supported more than just epub, so I didn't have to use two different programs. I haven't located a good PDF reader yet, so that will make it three programs for reading. As far as reading with Aldiko, I like it very much. The page turns require only a very light swipe of the finger. No heavy pressing needed. I have been reading with Aldiko for about 1.5 hours on battery. If the remaining percentage indicator is accurate, this would extrapolate out to 6.8 hours of battery life. We'll see how close I get to this. After using this tablet for a number of hours, I can't really fault the hardware. Considering the price, this is quite a lot of hardware. The software OTOH needs work. Augen hasn't yet released all of the promised patches, so I'm expecting things to get better. Some of the issues have to do with the fact that until recently, Android has been a phone OS. It still needs some tweaking to make it a better fit for tablets. So far, I think I'll keep this until something better comes along that is also affordable. Under $200 or so is a real sweet spot for the average consumer.