I'm starting this thread in hopes of influencing the manufacturers who visit this forum. Earlier we had a discussion embedded in the Astak thread about the best design for a reader from an ergonomic viewpoint. Although the trend is for thin readers, many of you mentioned the comfort of gripping the thicker edge of the older REB1100 book reader.
My issue is that current hardware is not really well designed for one handed reading. For example, I have the K2. In order to hold it you grasp it by the thin edge, but not full on the button for page advance. I've also owned the Cybook (Netronix). This unit is grasped by the bottom right corner because that is the location of its page advance.
In either case, you end up pinching the unit by an edge/corner and attempting to keep a firm grip on it. This might be fine for two handed reading and/or reading while sitting down. However, I'm someone who reads too much
. I read while waiting in line, and while walking. Keeping a secure and comfortable grip on the reader can be an issue.
I would suggest the possibility of placing buttons in a way that lets you get a firmer grip. In this (admittedly poor) mockup, I put the buttons at the top across the device. This would let the back of your hand lie under the body of the reader and allow your thumb to rest naturally across the top. Both of the blue buttons would be page advance buttons for left/right reading. The previous page button would be located elsewhere.
Any other ideas?
p.s. I would suggest that Amazon's TTS (text to speech) is an ergonomic plus (when its not disabled). It lets me 'read' when I drive my car and lets me go back to regular reading when I finish my trip.