Concept: Kindle Trek, a Mini Voyage

[Barbara1955]

Originally Posted by Marseille

I've been reading on smaller PDAs and smartphones for a decade, but last year finally got a kindle (non touch black). I do love eink, but I'm not a fan of going from a 3.5"-4.7" readers to a 6" reader with massive bezels. I demand both buttons (or something very much like them, Voyage's sensors will probably suffice) and a light. So I did a little mockup of a handier Voyage. Let me know if you find it interesting at all.



In addition to a smaller screen vs the Voyage, I've also chopped off 3 out of the 4 bezels, leaving one to control page turns and hold the device with. A smaller footprint changes the weight distribution in a manner friendlier to one-handed readers. An accelerometer allows the device to be held in either the left or right hand, reorienting the screen accordingly.

I moved the light sensor to the outside edge from the top so that no matter which hand it's being held in, it's getting a more consistent angle on ambient light than if it were being flipped around from top to bottom. There are also two page back buttons so that no matter which hand you use, you can also reach up (or down if you prefer) to turn the page and not have to look for the button.

I suspect that to shrink the footprint this much without losing battery life, the device would have to be thicker, which I welcome. It might also create an opportunity to craft a soft, rounded edge and back, not unlike what Motorola has done with its acclaimed Moto X ergonomics. It should be light, but the Trek need not be anorexic.

I haven't cared much about the Voyage's impressive pixel density. My old basic Kindle's terrible density looks stunningly better than the same density would on a transmissive (LCD, OLED) screen. But that's at relatively large font sizes that work pretty well with how I hold my big kindle. For those of us with young eyes at least, the finer fonts this new tech is capable of rendering could find a nicer showcase in a mini Voyage.

Looks like the New Voyage IS going to be as you Drawn! Hope you get Paid for the idea!

[Marseille]

It looks like the Oasis might lose a little bit of the Voyage's footprint, but it definitely isn't the mini Voyage I'd hoped for.

Still, the redistribution of weight towards the reading hand does promise less strain while reading reclined, which is part of why I wanted a smaller kindle to begin with.

[thatworkshop]

Yes, Oasis definitely looks like your concept model. Good job @Marseille!

[silverraven]

Originally Posted by Marseille

This is the major time I feel the weight and weight distribution of my K4 + case. And I read every single night, often at length. One of the things I've thought about doing is getting a flygrip to ease the weight distribution issue. But even if it works (I'm not 100% sure it will adhere well to my leather case), it'll still be a an unfortunate stopgap.

I got a headband (for hair) for little girls and put it around the case of one of my K4NT. Like this: http://www.amazon.com/Qandsweet-Girl...ands+for+girls It worked pretty well. I got it cheap at Dollar General. I also have a wide piece of elastic sewn into a circle that I put around the front cover of my other kindle. This worked better. I just slide my hand into it and it really helps take the weight off my hand when I'm lying in bed. So it works like this, just super cheap:
http://www.amazon.com/Leather-Paperw...ith+hand+strap And since it is movable I can slide it to exactly where it is most comfortable for my hand.
S