Any new Kobos coming out this year?

[cellaris]

Originally Posted by Sirtel

The current Kindle models are not at all attractive for me. No buttons, not enough suitable options with font size/line height/margins and no way to install anything else without jailbreaking, various problems with USB-transferred books (nope, I don't want to use Send to Kindle), no way to downgrade from a buggy update without jailbreaking... I could go on. No, no Kindle for me, as things stand now.

I reckoned the Kindle Paperwhite wouldn't be to your taste 🙂.

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by MGlitch

I think Kobo could either nearly halve or maybe even more than halve the button wedge of the Libra series and it’d check off a lot of people’s wants. The wedge as it is now isn’t that wide because they want it to be comfortable for your thumb I’d wager most people don’t have a thumb wide enough to require the whole space. That’s not saying you can’t take the whole space but look at what you actually need to hold it and hit the buttons. The wedge is that wide because of the board inside which can easily be moved to the main body of the ereader with lines out to the buttons which would then be on a much slimmer board.

If the butten wedge was made less wide, then the buttons would be in the way. There'd be no way to hold the Reader and not have the buttons in the way. The only way to slim down the button wedge is to move the buttons to under the screen.

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by cellaris

I reckoned the Kindle Paperwhite wouldn't be to your taste 🙂.

I like the design of the PW6. It's the same design as the Kobo Aura H2O and the PW5.

[Sirtel]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

If the butten wedge was made less wide, then the buttons would be in the way. There'd be no way to hold the Reader and not have the buttons in the way. The only way to slim down the button wedge is to move the buttons to under the screen.

I could live with buttons under the screen if the bottom bezel was relatively wide, so that the device wouldn't be top-heavy and difficult to hold.

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by Sirtel

I could live with buttons under the screen if the bottom bezel was relatively wide, so that the device wouldn't be top-heavy and difficult to hold.

I know the T1 was easy to hold.

[PHughes]

I have to say, I do understand the ergonomics of the Libra Colour. The extra width just isn't for me. Now please stop taking about it before I come to like it and buy one.

[DNSB]

For anyone who orders from Kobo's Canada store, they have refurbished Libra 2s available. They are priced at $199.99 Cdn (~$146 US) and come with a free sleep cover. They also show Nia's as available.

Kobo Canada Refurbished eReaders

[MGlitch]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

If the butten wedge was made less wide, then the buttons would be in the way. There'd be no way to hold the Reader and not have the buttons in the way. The only way to slim down the button wedge is to move the buttons to under the screen.

Entirely not true. There is plenty of essentially wasted space in the Libra 2’s wedge. Further the existing buttons allow for you to grip the device with your thumb over them without depressing them and either advancing or backtracking in the book. You don’t need to squeeze the area under your thumb for the Libra 2 to be secure as it is now, and a lighter weight and slimmer build would further decrease the amount of pressure you have to exert.

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by MGlitch

Entirely not true. There is plenty of essentially wasted space in the Libra 2’s wedge. Further the existing buttons allow for you to grip the device with your thumb over them without depressing them and either advancing or backtracking in the book. You don’t need to squeeze the area under your thumb for the Libra 2 to be secure as it is now, and a lighter weight and slimmer build would further decrease the amount of pressure you have to exert.

The idea of having the buttons in the way such that you have to have any finder on the buttons means the design is no good because the buttons are in the way.

[DJUNGELSKOG]

I bought my Libra 2 on a clearance sale right after they were discontinued and I hope it never dies!

[nana77]

As for the sizes, I would like to agree that 7"/8" (and imho) for b/w would be the best reading's fit; while I was looking at the 10" color other devices I was to think (for myself, again ) how pleasant might be reading a book in it, I thought that having larger empty lines between text wouldn't be my guess, nor super larger characters to fit the 10's" page.
10" (imho again) might be fine if in the need to take notes, or use it for PDFs, or comics/graphic novels off course.
But for novels, personally I don't know how good can be reading on a screen that's widely larger than a common book's size.

[MGlitch]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

The idea of having the buttons in the way such that you have to have any finder on the buttons means the design is no good because the buttons are in the way.

Putting aside that there’s still plenty of room for the buttons to not be under your thumb if Kobo reduced the width, there’s also plenty of height to allow you to hold it without them being, in your opinion, “In the way”. And again the buttons are designed to require effort to trigger which means unless you grip your Kobo in a death grip (which you shouldn’t for multiple reasons) they aren’t in the way and designing the device so they’re under your thumb in a natural grip enhances the usability of the device.

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by MGlitch

Putting aside that there’s still plenty of room for the buttons to not be under your thumb if Kobo reduced the width, there’s also plenty of height to allow you to hold it without them being, in your opinion, “In the way”. And again the buttons are designed to require effort to trigger which means unless you grip your Kobo in a death grip (which you shouldn’t for multiple reasons) they aren’t in the way and designing the device so they’re under your thumb in a natural grip enhances the usability of the device.

Two small round buttons at the top would do. They would not be in the way.

[Sirtel]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

Two small round buttons at the top would do. They would not be in the way.

And very uncomfortable to use for anyone who wants buttons.

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by Sirtel

And very uncomfortable to use for anyone who wants buttons.

But the bezel can be made smaller without the buttons being in the way. Win/win.