[tomsem]

On the Kindle, swipe to turn pages is an alternative to tapping zones (or buttons). I use that a lot as it works the same on Fire and the mobile apps. I wish the Kindles had the same tap zones as virtually all mobile reading apps (roughly divides screen into 3 equal columns: page left, options/menus, page right). I have never really seen the point of the way it has been done thus far. Yes, I know it is so you can more easily reach over and tap with your left thumb to turn pages, but swipe works very efficiently, doesn't require as much precision, and doesn't accidentally activate hyperlinks. And speaking as a heavy mobile device user, it just seems weird.

I'm agnostic on the issue of buttons at this point. I haven't used a device with page turn buttons regularly for at least 3 or 4 years now and do not miss them.

That said, I like the idea that I could turn pages somehow without having to touch the screen. The Fire Phone has 'Scroll' mode, which allows just such a reading mode (either a fixed scroll speed or one controlled by tilting the screen). But it would be nice to be able to have a 'touchless' way of turning pages for Paged mode as well. So if e-Readers had motion sensors (actually the original Kindle Touch did have them, but they were never implemented with the official software), some of this would be possible.

The main issue with having buttons is that everyone's hands are different and fixed button placement that works comfortably with all hands is not really possible. Plus one wants to be able to change hand positions to avoid repetitive strain injury or just so your hand doesn't get tired holding it in a particular way, and that's at odds with fixed buttons.

Bluetooth opens up possibility for using a wireless device to turn pages. For example you can get pedals that can be programmed to turn pages (i.e. for sheet music). I suppose even headsets could control this, where the application enables it. I think one of the Nook Touch devices had a bluetooth antenna, but that was never enabled in software.

But there's no reason (apart from additional hardware and software development costs) why there cannot be multiple, complementary ways of turning pages. Evidently these costs are prohibitive.