Capacitative buttons are a mistake

dpwe · 12-20-2008, 01:05 PM

I'm surprised to see people saying they like the touch buttons. I think they are a huge ergonomic mistake. Here's why:

One reason the DR is preferable to a laptop is that I can read it while walking around - just like in Star Trek. The DR is just about light enough to hold in one hand. But I want to be able to turn the page with one hand too. So I grasp it at the bottom left, since if I hold it in the more-comfortable middle, I would activate the buttons (and if I turn them off I would need my other hand to turn). Now, I can just about move my thumb to press page down ... but when I do, my thumb is no longer gripping the device to counter the center of gravity beyond my fingers on the underneath, and the smallest mistake will send my DR tumbling to the ground. Awkward and nerve-wracking.

A button that actually required a little bit of force (like on other e-readers) would allow me hold it, then squeeze it to advance pages, without having to shift or compromise my grip.

I'm amazed that such a poor choice for a basic ergonomic aspect could have been made. I get the feeling that they didn't actually do any systematic ergonomics prototyping.

DAn.

smp_iliad · 12-20-2008, 08:40 PM

Yes, I completely agree with you.. It's serious design fault; Number one feature that I don't like in DR1000s.

bazmi · 12-21-2008, 02:56 PM

i agree with you completely. ergonomics of DR1000 is simply not upto the mark. the location of the buttons i see as a bigger problem than the fact that they are capcitative. hopefully the next version will have some better focus on ergonomics.

/bazmi.

12-20-2008, 01:05 PM	#1
dpwe Junior Member Posts: 3 Karma: 10 Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: New York Device: irex dr1000s	Capacitative buttons are a mistake I'm surprised to see people saying they like the touch buttons. I think they are a huge ergonomic mistake. Here's why: One reason the DR is preferable to a laptop is that I can read it while walking around - just like in Star Trek. The DR is just about light enough to hold in one hand. But I want to be able to turn the page with one hand too. So I grasp it at the bottom left, since if I hold it in the more-comfortable middle, I would activate the buttons (and if I turn them off I would need my other hand to turn). Now, I can just about move my thumb to press page down ... but when I do, my thumb is no longer gripping the device to counter the center of gravity beyond my fingers on the underneath, and the smallest mistake will send my DR tumbling to the ground. Awkward and nerve-wracking. A button that actually required a little bit of force (like on other e-readers) would allow me hold it, then squeeze it to advance pages, without having to shift or compromise my grip. I'm amazed that such a poor choice for a basic ergonomic aspect could have been made. I get the feeling that they didn't actually do any systematic ergonomics prototyping. DAn.

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12-20-2008, 08:40 PM	#2
smp_iliad Connoisseur Posts: 70 Karma: 816 Join Date: Dec 2007 Device: KindleDX, iPhone3Gs	Yes, I completely agree with you.. It's serious design fault; Number one feature that I don't like in DR1000s.

12-21-2008, 02:56 PM	#3
bazmi Enthusiast Posts: 40 Karma: 10 Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: zurich, switzerland Device: irex dr 1000s, sony prs 700, 505, iliad BE. N800, SL6000, SL3200...	i agree with you completely. ergonomics of DR1000 is simply not upto the mark. the location of the buttons i see as a bigger problem than the fact that they are capcitative. hopefully the next version will have some better focus on ergonomics. /bazmi.

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