Use of buttons on back of Gentouch78 key to doing everything; example of ereader use

Api

Member
Aug 3, 2010
5
1
The Augen Gentouch78 supplied manual says nothing about the four buttons on the back of the unit, other than showing them. These four buttons are the key to doing everything with Android on this unit.

The four buttons are, looking at them from the back:
- Backspace (on far left viewed from back, on far right when viewing the screen and accessing from front upper right) -- almost always for going back a screen or getting back to the Android desktop from an application. The application continues to run when you do this. Whatever other effects the other buttons have, Backspace will usually cancel it or get out of it or go back to a prior screen.
- Homepage (second from left viewed from the back) -- a long click & hold (hold for a couple of seconds) will bring up the window of running applications and then you can tap on one of them to switch to that application.
- Search (third from left viewed from the back) -- when pressed at the desktop, a short click doesn't do anything, but a long click and hold will bring up the Quick Search Box and keyboard. I have not found this button to be much use yet.
- Menu (4th from left viewed from the back) -- a click (short) will usually bring up the menu for an application on the bottom of the screen. A long click & hold (hold for a couple seconds) will usually bring up the onscreen keyboard. The Backspace gets you out of both of these, the menu and the keyboard.

These buttons do MORE than just what their names state. Depending on whether you do a quick click of them, or click and hold for a couple of seconds, and what application you are in, they have different functions.

The most important buttons are Backspace, Homepage and Menu.

For example, if you click and hold (long press) the Homepage button, you get a little window that shows you all the running programs. If you do this and nothing is running you see "No recent applications." Click the Backspace to clear the message.The unit runs more than one application at a time, which is critical to doing certain things, like turning the display and reading books.

As an exampleThe iReader did not work for me and does not support ePub books, so I went through Market and installed Aldiko, a free reader that handles ePub books.

To put the Gentouch into a portrait mode, I first started Aldiko and then used Backspace to leave it running but go back to the desktop. There I started the ES File Explorer (you may have to find it in the applications that slide out from the right slideout screen tabbutton. Run ES File Explorer and then click (short click) the Menu button. Tab on More in the lower right corner. Tap on Flip Orientation. Nothing will happen, so do this again: Menu, More and again Flip Orientation. Now your display will be in portrait mode. To get back to Aldiko, click and hold the Homepage button until the window of running applications comes up. Now tap on Aldiko and select your book to read. Actually, Aldiko makes the unit into a great ebook reader. If you have ePub books, create a folder inside the ebooks folder on your SD card called import and put the ePubs into it. Then in Aldiko, use the Menu button and click on Import to have the books show up on the Aldiko bookshelf.

This illustrates how the buttons are used. You have to get used to pressing the right button at the right time and having the right applications running to do what you want.

If anyone has more information on the use of the buttons, it would be helpful. These buttons really are key to doing anything useful with the GenTouch78
 

tipstir

Senior Member
Developer
Aug 4, 2010
1,505
110
How were you able to download any apps? Did you manually install the Augen GENTOUCH DEV solution to a fix the issue of Market Apps not downloading?
 

jelinidas

Member
Aug 4, 2010
9
0
RotateD does work.

@tipstir I download apps to my Nexus and then swap sd cards from phone and Gentouch. I have a back up app installed on phone called Astro. I then back up the apps I want to put on Gentouch. Swap sd card back and install the apps from the sd card using file explorer that came preinstalled on Gentouch. Pretty simple and quicker then it sounds. I have tons of apps installed on this thing.
 

Api

Member
Aug 3, 2010
5
1
I did not install the Gentouch DEV fix before I installed Aldiko. Initially, my Market did not work. Then, when I added my Google account, I tried Market again and it worked, so during the same session, I found and was able to download Aldiko and got it working. After shutting down the GenTouch, and trying the next day to access Market again, I was unable to do so.
 

Api

Member
Aug 3, 2010
5
1
Where can you get RotateD other than the Market? I would like to get the apk file and put it on my microSD then install it manually from there.

Update: I found it on http://augendev.wikispaces.com/Downloads -- all you need do is download it on your PC, transfer it to your microSD (I put it in Downloads folder), then go to it on the Gentouch and install by clicking on it. Once installed, you get two icons, one RotateP and the other RotateL. I put these out where it is easy to access. Now, for the book reader application Aldiko, what you do is start it first, then get back to the applications and click on RotateP for portrait. Now when you go back to Aldiko it will be portrait. You can lock it by using the Menu and selecting the option to lock the orientation. Aldiko on the Gentouch turns it into a great ebook reader, with tap page turning and easy bookmarking, as well as day (black text on white background) and night (white text on black background) mode. Great!
 
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