MobileRead Forums - View Single Post - Aren't Kobo eReader designs a little boring?

Cootey · 04-14-2018, 05:31 PM

I was looking at the latest Onyx releases yesterday. I couldn't help noticing how similar they looked to all other Kindle competitors out there. Kobo devices are just as unremarkable. When the eReader scene was new, every device looked distinct. Now, except for the Kindle Oasis, they don't. This was due to the mechanical nature of the early eReaders. Now that everything is touch sensitive, even iPads have a sameness about them.

It's true that my KA1 LE feels very different to hold when compared to my Paperwhite, and the Kindle Voyage, Oasis, and new Nook have page turn buttons, but visually they're mostly all black rectangles, even the Oasis. Most visual differentiation between brands is in the back of the device.

What would you like to see in future Kobo designs to help them stand out from the crowd? Are features the only things that matter? Is there something else they can add to the design aside from color?

04-14-2018, 05:31 PM	#1
Cootey Absentminded Reader Posts: 1,110 Karma: 6463851 Join Date: Apr 2017 Device: Kobo Mini, Clara HD, Elipsa; Kindle Paperwhite 3 & 4; iOS eReader apps	Aren't Kobo eReader designs a little boring? I was looking at the latest Onyx releases yesterday. I couldn't help noticing how similar they looked to all other Kindle competitors out there. Kobo devices are just as unremarkable. When the eReader scene was new, every device looked distinct. Now, except for the Kindle Oasis, they don't. This was due to the mechanical nature of the early eReaders. Now that everything is touch sensitive, even iPads have a sameness about them. It's true that my KA1 LE feels very different to hold when compared to my Paperwhite, and the Kindle Voyage, Oasis, and new Nook have page turn buttons, but visually they're mostly all black rectangles, even the Oasis. Most visual differentiation between brands is in the back of the device. What would you like to see in future Kobo designs to help them stand out from the crowd? Are features the only things that matter? Is there something else they can add to the design aside from color?