Augen GenTouch78

Augen GenTouch78

When buying discount electronics, there's a delicate balance consumers have to consider between expense and quality. If a device doesn't cost much, some faults can be forgiven. Sometimes, however, it's not worth even the small amount of money you forked over for it. Sadly, Augen's $149 GenTouch78 falls in the latter category. While it may achieve cult status in the Android hacker community, consumers should steer clear of its frustrating resistive touchscreen and poor button placement.The GenTouch78 isn't a terrible-looking tablet, but there's definitely a discount-electronics aura about it. The 7.2 x 4.5 x 0.6-inch chassis is made of plastic, but it has a texture reminiscent of brushed metal on the back, resulting in a pleasant tactile experience. It's a good size for holding as well, and we found it fit comfortably in our hand. Our wrists never felt fatigued during our hands-on time with this 12.4-ounce device.The biggest misstep Augen made in designing this tablet is the placement of the Home, Back, Menu, and Search buttons. They're essential for navigating Android, so placing them out of sight on the back of the device and making them small and hard to push is just ridiculous.