Placement of D pad

bugeyed · 11-04-2010, 12:21 PM

Has anyone heard an explanation from Kobo for why they put the D pad where they did? It requires that you use two hands to turn pages when holding in left & I don't know what to do if I hold it in my right hand. Seems to me that the middle placement would allow for either thumb to operate the d pad regardless of how I hold it. Just seems that the bottom right corner is the exact worse placement for it. BTW I use my Sony most often in my left hand & turn pages with my left thumb. Still works if I have it in my right hand.

Cheers,
kev

pholy · 11-04-2010, 12:41 PM

All the Netronix derived devices have this offset D-pad location. It seems to result from the placement of the battery at the bottom left corner, as you can see from the picture of an opened Kobo. Given the size constraints of the Kobo and the battery, I'm not sure what else they could have done. But I agree with you, it does make it awkward to use when I hold it in my left hand.

michael_h · 11-04-2010, 01:00 PM

While using the Dpad may be awkward for left-handed users, it is well located for right-hand use. I have no difficulty holding the pad with my right hand, and using the Dpad with my right thumb.

Psyke · 11-04-2010, 01:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by michael_h

While using the Dpad may be awkward for left-handed users, it is well located for right-hand use. I have no difficulty holding the pad with my right hand, and using the Dpad with my right thumb.

same here. It's light enough (even with my cover/case) that I can balance it on my fourth finger and my index and 3rd fingers provide a support in back, and my thumb does the navigating..

that said, and while I'm a righty by nature, I would have liked to have the button more centered because i do tend to use my left hand from time to time, but I can get away with craddling the device between my thumb and index finger at middle of the device, and my thumbs is still long enough to reach the buttons comfortably...

Photo 1

Photo 2

kiwipippa · 11-04-2010, 02:07 PM

I'm a lefty and I found the placement annoying to start with. But now I'm used to it and I'm an expert at kobo in my right hand, glass of wine or cuppa in my left. I could never do that with a paperback! I love the fact I can read single handed.

amo · 11-04-2010, 02:18 PM

The placement of the button is one of the reasons I chose the Kobo over, say, the Sony Reader! When I hold a book, I hold it in my left hand with my thumb right in the middle bottom of the page. If the D-pad was in that spot, as it is with the Sony, I'd constantly be accidentally clicking the button. It's easy enough for me to reach over with said left thumb to click for a page turn, or bring up my right one like I would if I was turning a physical page. I like the button just where it is!

dmacmart · 11-04-2010, 02:51 PM

Like amo, I hold with my left hand, using the right thumb to click. I can't imagine holding it and clicking it with the same hand! I'll give it a try, will make coffee & reading easier.

And now I see why lefties have a problem.

bugeyed · 11-04-2010, 02:52 PM

Thanks for your responses. I see by Pholy's post that the position was more a matter of real estate than ergonomics. I can accept that. As you can see by my sig. I can be picky about such issues & if it had just been the designers preference, I would have a problem with it. So many consumer products miss the mark simply because the engineers don't understand how a products is going to be used. I can deal with limitations of a design if there are valid reasons for a trade-off. BTW I am liking the WiFi Kobo very much. Having a battle with myself for spending the $130 'cause I have a Sony 600. It's the screen that made me do it & I can't justify the price of the Sony 650. Don't need WiFi, but the new screen is nice. Hopefully we will get the firmware fixes we all want soon.
Cheers,
kev

sabredog · 11-05-2010, 01:38 AM

Well, I am a cackhander and using turning pages with the dpad using my right hand is no issue.

I use the Kobo and it's leather cover like a dead tree book anyway.

amo · 11-05-2010, 12:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sabredog

Well, I am a cackhander and using turning pages with the dpad using my right hand is no issue.

I use the Kobo and it's leather cover like a dead tree book anyway.

What leather cover?

Psyke · 11-05-2010, 01:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by amo

What leather cover?

Dunno if he's talking about the leather pouch, but I was able to get a couple kindle 3 leather cases for mine for $6 each and it fits the kobo great:

Leather Case

My Pic1; My Pic 2; My Pic 3; My Pic 4; My Pic 5; My Pic 6.

sabredog · 11-05-2010, 06:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by amo

What leather cover?

This cover

http://www.amazon.com/Kobo-eReader-L.../dp/B003OLISF6

The discussion thread.

https://www.mobileread.com/forums/showthread.php?t=82160

SameerH · 11-06-2010, 07:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bugeyed

Thanks for your responses. I see by Pholy's post that the position was more a matter of real estate than ergonomics. I can accept that. As you can see by my sig. I can be picky about such issues & if it had just been the designers preference, I would have a problem with it. So many consumer products miss the mark simply because the engineers don't understand how a products is going to be used. I can deal with limitations of a design if there are valid reasons for a trade-off. BTW I am liking the WiFi Kobo very much. Having a battle with myself for spending the $130 'cause I have a Sony 600. It's the screen that made me do it & I can't justify the price of the Sony 650. Don't need WiFi, but the new screen is nice. Hopefully we will get the firmware fixes we all want soon.
Cheers,
kev

Lot of factors came into it. We were limited in our options due to the nature of the platform we were using.

We did give a couple button configurations a try but they just didn't work well with the platform. This was the simplest way forward given our many constraints.

FWIW, I hold my eReader in my left hand, turning pages with my right...

3d0g · 11-06-2010, 08:21 PM

Right hand hold and turn. Left hand is reserved for beer.

JPenguin · 11-06-2010, 11:07 PM

Sometimes I hold it with my right hand and also use my thumb to turn pages although after 30 minutes on the train my thumb does start to cramp. When I decided in March to buy an eReader I first spent 25 days with first the Sony PRS-600 then the PRS-300, they had the centered button for page flips, I didn't find that ideal because I couldn't hold the ereader that well one-handed and flip pages. Other ereader's like the Kindle where they have page flip buttons on both left and right do have a certain appeal though. Most of the time I don't have too much of a problem with my Kobo (bought May 1).

11-04-2010, 12:21 PM	#1
bugeyed Connoisseur Posts: 64 Karma: 30 Join Date: Jun 2010 Device: Kobo 2, PRS-600	Placement of D pad Has anyone heard an explanation from Kobo for why they put the D pad where they did? It requires that you use two hands to turn pages when holding in left & I don't know what to do if I hold it in my right hand. Seems to me that the middle placement would allow for either thumb to operate the d pad regardless of how I hold it. Just seems that the bottom right corner is the exact worse placement for it. BTW I use my Sony most often in my left hand & turn pages with my left thumb. Still works if I have it in my right hand. Cheers, kev

11-04-2010, 12:41 PM	#2
pholy Booklegger Posts: 1,801 Karma: 7999816 Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: Toronto, Ontario, Canada Device: BeBook(1 & 2010), PEZ, PRS-505, Kobo BT, PRS-T1, Playbook, Kobo Touch	All the Netronix derived devices have this offset D-pad location. It seems to result from the placement of the battery at the bottom left corner, as you can see from the picture of an opened Kobo. Given the size constraints of the Kobo and the battery, I'm not sure what else they could have done. But I agree with you, it does make it awkward to use when I hold it in my left hand. Attached Thumbnails

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11-04-2010, 01:00 PM	#3
michael_h Member Posts: 20 Karma: 26 Join Date: Jun 2010 Location: Canada Device: Kobo ebook reader	While using the Dpad may be awkward for left-handed users, it is well located for right-hand use. I have no difficulty holding the pad with my right hand, and using the Dpad with my right thumb.

11-04-2010, 02:07 PM	#5
kiwipippa Fanatic Posts: 578 Karma: 613022 Join Date: Aug 2010 Location: New Zealand Device: kobo glo, kobo touch (dead), kindle touch, android phone	I'm a lefty and I found the placement annoying to start with. But now I'm used to it and I'm an expert at kobo in my right hand, glass of wine or cuppa in my left. I could never do that with a paperback! I love the fact I can read single handed.

11-04-2010, 02:18 PM	#6
amo Teaist Posts: 230 Karma: 74542 Join Date: Oct 2010 Location: British Columbia, Canada Device: Kobo WiFi, Kobo Aura ONE, Android cell phone	The placement of the button is one of the reasons I chose the Kobo over, say, the Sony Reader! When I hold a book, I hold it in my left hand with my thumb right in the middle bottom of the page. If the D-pad was in that spot, as it is with the Sony, I'd constantly be accidentally clicking the button. It's easy enough for me to reach over with said left thumb to click for a page turn, or bring up my right one like I would if I was turning a physical page. I like the button just where it is!

11-04-2010, 02:51 PM	#7
dmacmart Fanatic Posts: 531 Karma: 696908 Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: Ottawa Canada Device: Kobo Mini, Glo, Arc, H2O, iPhone, iPad 2, (husband)Touch	Like amo, I hold with my left hand, using the right thumb to click. I can't imagine holding it and clicking it with the same hand! I'll give it a try, will make coffee & reading easier. And now I see why lefties have a problem.

11-04-2010, 02:52 PM	#8
bugeyed Connoisseur Posts: 64 Karma: 30 Join Date: Jun 2010 Device: Kobo 2, PRS-600	Thanks for your responses. I see by Pholy's post that the position was more a matter of real estate than ergonomics. I can accept that. As you can see by my sig. I can be picky about such issues & if it had just been the designers preference, I would have a problem with it. So many consumer products miss the mark simply because the engineers don't understand how a products is going to be used. I can deal with limitations of a design if there are valid reasons for a trade-off. BTW I am liking the WiFi Kobo very much. Having a battle with myself for spending the $130 'cause I have a Sony 600. It's the screen that made me do it & I can't justify the price of the Sony 650. Don't need WiFi, but the new screen is nice. Hopefully we will get the firmware fixes we all want soon. Cheers, kev

11-05-2010, 01:38 AM	#9
sabredog Geographically Restricted Posts: 2,629 Karma: 14933353 Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Perth, Australia Device: Sony PRS-T3, Kindle Voyage, iPad Air2, Nexus7v2	Well, I am a cackhander and using turning pages with the dpad using my right hand is no issue. I use the Kobo and it's leather cover like a dead tree book anyway.

11-06-2010, 08:21 PM	#14
3d0g I make fjords. Posts: 304 Karma: 11192 Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: Colorado Device: kobo 1 (retired), kobo 2, iPad, G2, Galaxy Tab 7+	Right hand hold and turn. Left hand is reserved for beer.

11-06-2010, 11:07 PM	#15
JPenguin Connoisseur Posts: 90 Karma: 42 Join Date: May 2010 Location: Toronto Device: Kobo EReader, Kobo for Palm Pre	Sometimes I hold it with my right hand and also use my thumb to turn pages although after 30 minutes on the train my thumb does start to cramp. When I decided in March to buy an eReader I first spent 25 days with first the Sony PRS-600 then the PRS-300, they had the centered button for page flips, I didn't find that ideal because I couldn't hold the ereader that well one-handed and flip pages. Other ereader's like the Kindle where they have page flip buttons on both left and right do have a certain appeal though. Most of the time I don't have too much of a problem with my Kobo (bought May 1).

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