Quote:
Originally Posted by bearymore
Not to make too big a point of it, but I'm always bemused about discussions of e-reader weight. According to the book weight calculator at http://www.lugaru.com/bookweight.html a 300 page 6" x 9" paperback would weigh 441g. Why is a 300g e-reader tiresomely heavy, when an average paperback is almost 50% heavier?
Just curious. |
When you read one handed you're positioning your hand at the edge of the device instead of over the center-of-gravity. So it's not just that you're counteracting the gravitational force exerted on the book, you're also counteracting the gravitational torque exerted on the book about the end opposite your end.
When holding a physical book your finger tips end up closer to the spine (where the center-of-gravity is), and your thumbs too and the two forces are spread evenly about the center-of-gravity. So not only do you have two hands to half the force individually but this scenario naturally possesses rotational stability making it easier to hold.
For example if you take a wooden beam, it's easier to hold it at the center than it is at the edge.
If you take your ereader or tablet, give it a case with a rigid cover and then hold the cover like a book with two hands you'll suddenly find that it feels much lighter.