Forma Kobo Forma's handholdability

mzel · 07-23-2021, 10:58 AM

Hi all,
I've switched from Kindle PW2 to Kobo Forma about 18 months ago and am pretty happy with it. The biggest feature I miss compared to Kindle is the ability hold and navigate it at the same time with one hand.
Is it just me? Has anybody else experienced it too and found a solution?

rashkae · 07-23-2021, 11:35 AM

I take it, you mean, *wihout* using the page turn button expressly designed for this purpose? Or are you finding it difficult/uncomfortable to hold and press a button with your thumb at the same time?

Edit: On re-reading, that sounded side, even to me. It was not intended to be. I'm genuinely interested in accessibility issues that would make the paperwhite touch screen interface better for single hand operation. The only thing I do not like about the forma/oasis design is the need to rotate the device when switching hands, which I do often.

mzel · 07-23-2021, 04:12 PM

I find I have to use the other hand when I flip pages be it the turn buttons or the touch screen. With Kindle I did not have to move my hand to reach to the touch screen

NiLuJe · 07-23-2021, 04:53 PM

I'm curious to know how you're holding the device if you don't happen to have the pageturn buttons essentially right beneath your thumb?

DNSB · 07-23-2021, 06:31 PM

When I am holding my Forma one handed, the bottom corner below the buttons is in my palm and my fingers are under the device with my thumb sitting on the bezel near the buttons. For me, this makes it easy to hit the page forward/back buttons with my thumb. I find the weight does not bother me holding it one-handed though others may have issues.

glenk · 07-23-2021, 08:38 PM

I bought a strap similar to this one https://www.ebay.com.au/itm/32372404...Cclp%3A2047675.

I can't recall the exact size but I mounted it diagonaly and it make it very easy to hold, you don't even have the grip the reader, it holds the ereader with your hand wide open.

It also make it really easy to use the buttons as well.

Best investment for my ereader that I ever made.

mzel · 07-25-2021, 12:30 PM

I guess the difference between Kobo Forma and Kindle PW comes to 2 points:
1) PW was much narrower and would firmly fit in one hand even when not pressed from the front by the thumb. This would allow the thumb to freely operate on the screen from the variety of the positions of the palm relative to the reader.
2) on top of that it had wide bezels on all sides of the screen which allowed to firmly grip it by the fingers on the other side of the screen, or just place in the palm and press it by the thumb from the front in many positions

With the Forma I can find a barely stable position while holding it w/o thumb, but it still feels like it is on the verge of falling out of hand. I guess the best position I've found so far is to push the bottom right corner into the palm, using the pinky to support it from the bottom, and place the thumb in between page up / page down buttons.
Still, holding it from two sides by two hands feels more natural. It is not the weight which bothers me, it is the balance while holding it, so that I do not need to concentrate to prevent it from falling out from the hand

Sirtel · 07-25-2021, 01:06 PM

Everyone is different. My hands are not large and I've never been able to hold an ereader entirely in my palm, even an ereader with a 6'' screen. I always had to place my thumb on the bezel and use my other hand to navigate for anything else than turning pages. So I actually find my 7'' readers (Oasis and Libra) much more comfortable to hold than the regular-shaped ones, because the bezel is wider and the balance is more suitable for me.

Joliet Jake · 07-25-2021, 01:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mzel

Hi all,
I've switched from Kindle PW2 to Kobo Forma about 18 months ago and am pretty happy with it. The biggest feature I miss compared to Kindle is the ability hold and navigate it at the same time with one hand.
Is it just me? Has anybody else experienced it too and found a solution?

I can hold it and press the page buttons with one hand. I don't have large hands.

I put the buttons on the right side and lock the "tall" orientation. The ebook is held vertically like a physical paperback. I cup my right hand under the bottom right corner of the Kobo, with the right thumb sitting on the Kobo label. I can extend my thumb to reach the page turn buttons (even page back). My four fingers sit on the back, although sometimes I use my right pinky to support the Kobo.

I hear this so much, I'm confused. Nobody told me to do this, and I haven't yet seen any videos on how to do so. I used the exact same technique on a Nook Simple Touch, which is a lot smaller.

Josieb1 · 07-25-2021, 04:59 PM

I have small hands and have just bought a Forma.I have it in a cover and hold it between the front and the folded back cover with my finger on the forward button.

milady133 · 07-27-2021, 12:35 PM

The built-in stand of the origami cover in my Forma helps me a lot, I don't even need to support it if I want to use the touch screen, to use the buttons, I hold it with my hand on that side of the Forma and use my thumb, the rest of the hand is in the back, passing my fingers through the spaces between the folds of the cover

07-23-2021, 10:58 AM	#1
mzel Zealot Posts: 107 Karma: 519930 Join Date: Apr 2016 Device: Kobo Forma	Kobo Forma's handholdability Hi all, I've switched from Kindle PW2 to Kobo Forma about 18 months ago and am pretty happy with it. The biggest feature I miss compared to Kindle is the ability hold and navigate it at the same time with one hand. Is it just me? Has anybody else experienced it too and found a solution?

07-23-2021, 11:35 AM	#2
rashkae Wizard Posts: 1,274 Karma: 5935030 Join Date: Jun 2011 Location: Ontario, Canada Device: Kobo Aura HD	I take it, you mean, wihout using the page turn button expressly designed for this purpose? Or are you finding it difficult/uncomfortable to hold and press a button with your thumb at the same time? Edit: On re-reading, that sounded side, even to me. It was not intended to be. I'm genuinely interested in accessibility issues that would make the paperwhite touch screen interface better for single hand operation. The only thing I do not like about the forma/oasis design is the need to rotate the device when switching hands, which I do often. Last edited by rashkae; 07-23-2021 at 11:37 AM.

07-23-2021, 08:38 PM	#6
glenk Enthusiast Posts: 31 Karma: 166 Join Date: Mar 2016 Device: Kobo	I bought a strap similar to this one https://www.ebay.com.au/itm/32372404...Cclp%3A2047675. I can't recall the exact size but I mounted it diagonaly and it make it very easy to hold, you don't even have the grip the reader, it holds the ereader with your hand wide open. It also make it really easy to use the buttons as well. Best investment for my ereader that I ever made. Last edited by glenk; 07-23-2021 at 09:49 PM.

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07-23-2021, 04:12 PM	#3
mzel Zealot Posts: 107 Karma: 519930 Join Date: Apr 2016 Device: Kobo Forma	I find I have to use the other hand when I flip pages be it the turn buttons or the touch screen. With Kindle I did not have to move my hand to reach to the touch screen

07-23-2021, 04:53 PM	#4
NiLuJe BLAM! Posts: 13,506 Karma: 26047202 Join Date: Jun 2010 Location: Paris, France Device: Kindle 2i, 3g, 4, 5w, PW, PW2, PW5; Kobo H2O, Forma, Elipsa, Sage, C2E	I'm curious to know how you're holding the device if you don't happen to have the pageturn buttons essentially right beneath your thumb?

07-23-2021, 06:31 PM	#5
DNSB Bibliophagist Posts: 46,168 Karma: 168983734 Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: Vancouver Device: Kobo Sage, Libra Colour, Lenovo M8 FHD, Paperwhite 4, Tolino epos	When I am holding my Forma one handed, the bottom corner below the buttons is in my palm and my fingers are under the device with my thumb sitting on the bezel near the buttons. For me, this makes it easy to hit the page forward/back buttons with my thumb. I find the weight does not bother me holding it one-handed though others may have issues.

07-25-2021, 12:30 PM	#7
mzel Zealot Posts: 107 Karma: 519930 Join Date: Apr 2016 Device: Kobo Forma	I guess the difference between Kobo Forma and Kindle PW comes to 2 points: 1) PW was much narrower and would firmly fit in one hand even when not pressed from the front by the thumb. This would allow the thumb to freely operate on the screen from the variety of the positions of the palm relative to the reader. 2) on top of that it had wide bezels on all sides of the screen which allowed to firmly grip it by the fingers on the other side of the screen, or just place in the palm and press it by the thumb from the front in many positions With the Forma I can find a barely stable position while holding it w/o thumb, but it still feels like it is on the verge of falling out of hand. I guess the best position I've found so far is to push the bottom right corner into the palm, using the pinky to support it from the bottom, and place the thumb in between page up / page down buttons. Still, holding it from two sides by two hands feels more natural. It is not the weight which bothers me, it is the balance while holding it, so that I do not need to concentrate to prevent it from falling out from the hand

07-25-2021, 01:06 PM	#8
Sirtel Grand Sorcerer Posts: 13,466 Karma: 239219453 Join Date: Jan 2014 Location: Estonia Device: Kobo Sage & Libra 2	Everyone is different. My hands are not large and I've never been able to hold an ereader entirely in my palm, even an ereader with a 6'' screen. I always had to place my thumb on the bezel and use my other hand to navigate for anything else than turning pages. So I actually find my 7'' readers (Oasis and Libra) much more comfortable to hold than the regular-shaped ones, because the bezel is wider and the balance is more suitable for me.

07-25-2021, 04:59 PM	#10
Josieb1 Grand Sorcerer Posts: 5,086 Karma: 18051062 Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: UK Device: Kindle Scribe, Coloursoft, PW SE, Kindle 6, Kobo Libra 2	I have small hands and have just bought a Forma.I have it in a cover and hold it between the front and the folded back cover with my finger on the forward button.

07-27-2021, 12:35 PM	#11
milady133 Groupie Posts: 188 Karma: 616200 Join Date: May 2014 Location: Spain Device: Kobo Forma, Hisense A5	The built-in stand of the origami cover in my Forma helps me a lot, I don't even need to support it if I want to use the touch screen, to use the buttons, I hold it with my hand on that side of the Forma and use my thumb, the rest of the hand is in the back, passing my fingers through the spaces between the folds of the cover

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