Quote:
Originally Posted by Robertb
... but I can ask you and others for ideas and that is what I am doing. Are there concepts that can delineate an eBook Reader as better for the female? Perhaps smaller buttons for smaller fingers?
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*NOW* we are talking business.
The primary function of the page turn button is:
1. to turn the page (obviously)
2. to be located on the most convenient place for me to press, whatever hand I am holding the device with, no matter what size my hands are.
This can be achieved by several means:
- by placing many page turn buttons around the entire device (K1)
- by making movable button that can be placed anywhere on device (attached by wire, wireless, IR, whatever) ((I know this is not very practical, but we are looking at the possibilities here))
- by placing several various buttons around the device and making them configurable by user (this would appeal much more to gadget geek population which is, I have to admit, predominantly male)
- by making nice, comfortable buttons at one side and making the device "turnable" to 0, 90, 180, 270 degree. The turning MUST be a menu (or a button) selectable function with OPTIONAL "mercury switch" (not made with actual mercury inside nowadays
). For a very, very nice example of such device see one of my previous posts about pocketbook 360 prototype photos
I think that the last option, combined with some of the previous ones might be the most appealing.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Robertb
Likewise, I mean no offense to men here either. Some things might be just as suitable for men as for women... but these eBooks are strictly written for women.
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In my 'tongue in cheek' answer from previous thread about version for men featuring chain mail, camouflage colors, and other nonsense (considered very often to be typically male) I wanted to point out that the vast majority of e-book devices out there are gender neutral. Some of devices can be considered more geeky, and as I have admitted majority of gadget geeks are male. Other devices, however, try to look as un-geeky as possible up to the exclusion of critical features like easy configuration or folders.
If I wanted to design Mentor that would appeal specifically for women I might consider following:
- make a system of attaching any generic cover to my device. A simple clasp at the bottom, a threaded hole in each corner, ... *Not* like Amazon that PATENTED their lame system of attaching the cover and then FAILED to provide wide variety of covers.
- contact maker of high quality handbags and/or leather accesories (Dooney and Bourke might sound familiar ;-) ). They *will* know how to design an appealing cover.
- ask some of above mentioned handbag designers to for a cover design (for an extra)
- for a device to appeal to women, it has to be sleek, elegant, well made. Not screaming "HEY! Look at me! I am a cheap plastic iPod wannabe!"
- Contact Harlequin (I am under the impression they appeal mostly to female readership) and do a special edition of Mentor with a signature of one of more famous romance author unobtrusively placed on the inside of the cover. And some of backlog books preloaded.
And, misplaced fun and pun aside, an edition for men might have some appeal too.
No. No chain mail, no stupid logos, no playmate pictures uploaded, no "redneck bass fishing companion" but
"Field command edition" in a rugged, rubberized, splash-proof olive colored case with a thick slab of shatter-proof lexan protecting the screen, big utilitarian buttons, massive protected connectors.