The eBook Reader: Time for New Large Kindles

Originally Posted by blue_skies

I would expect a similar price range for an 8" Kindle, and I think it would sell well and be profitable for Amazon. They just need to include features that people have been waiting for to upgrade, like warm-lighting. (And make sure it's comfortable to hold in both hands for the majority of people, like the Voyage or Paperwhite. I've read a lot of complaints about the Oasis in that regard, and I know it would bother me too.)

Yep. Specs for my dream Kindle, call it Oasis 3 or whatever:

7.8" carta screen, 300 ppi or better resolution
Weight < 7oz
Battery life: at least 25 hours of reading time
Formats: Handles everything it does now, plus epub
A warm/natural lighting option
Redesigned page turn buttons
A soft grippy material, like Forma, making it easy to hold without a case.
2GB RAM, 32GB storage
USB-C port for both charging and data
SD card slot
Price range: $275 - $325 max

This device would rule the premium e-ink reader segment of the market. At least it'd get my vote.

[DNSB]

Originally Posted by blue_skies

My experience has been the opposite. I bought a Boyue Likebook Mimas eReader 10.3" note-taking device last month, and my six inch eReaders have been turned off and left in a drawer since them. I love the amount of text displayed on the 10.3" screen, and have no interest in reading on a smaller screen any longer.

I suppose the difference between your friends and me is that the Likebook Mimas has a frontlight. (And also that I don't care about portability.)

If they are carrying their laptop bags, the size and weight is not an isuse though both use a stand or place it on a table instead of handholding the device. For casual handheld reading, their Aura One (7.8" screen, 230 g) or Forma (8" screen, 197 g) are a lot more comfortable for extended sessions than the 320g to 350 g of their 10.3" devices or the 430 g of your Likebook Mimas and fit much better in a purse or jacket pocket.

As you said, portability is not an issue for you while for them, portability and the ability to handhold for long sessions is very important.

[blue_skies]

Originally Posted by maximus83

Yep. Specs for my dream Kindle, call it Oasis 3 or whatever:

7.8" carta screen, 300 ppi or better resolution
Weight < 7oz
Battery life: at least 25 hours of reading time
Formats: Handles everything it does now, plus epub
A warm/natural lighting option
Redesigned page turn buttons
A soft grippy material, like Forma, making it easy to hold without a case.
2GB RAM, 32GB storage
USB-C port for both charging and data
SD card slot
Price range: $275 - $325 max

This device would rule the premium e-ink reader segment of the market. At least it'd get my vote.

I would buy that!

Originally Posted by DNSB

If they are carrying their laptop bags, the size and weight is not an isuse though both use a stand or place it on a table instead of handholding the device. For casual handheld reading, their Aura One (7.8" screen, 230 g) or Forma (8" screen, 197 g) are a lot more comfortable for extended sessions than the 320g to 350 g of their 10.3" devices or the 430 g of your Likebook Mimas and fit much better in a purse or jacket pocket.

As you said, portability is not an issue for you while for them, portability and the ability to handhold for long sessions is very important.

I need to edit my post to say that I have no interest in reading on a 6" screen or smaller. I think an 8" screen would be very nice and I could see myself alternating between that and the 10.3" Mimas.

[helen19770707]

I wish to have a dual screen Kindle which would have a similar experience like reading a real book. 10.3'' is perfect for that. Hope we could have one in the near future. That will be so cool.

[Apache]

I, on the other hand, do not want a dual screen book. Paper books used both sides of the paper in order to utilize all of the space available. Since I can only read one page at a time any way, the single screen of an electronic book is fine. Two screens would had weight and bulk that I find to be unnecessary.
Apache

[John F]

Originally Posted by Apache

I, on the other hand, do not want a dual screen book. Paper books used both sides of the paper in order to utilize all of the space available. Since I can only read one page at a time any way, the single screen of an electronic book is fine. Two screens would had weight and bulk that I find to be unnecessary.
Apache

+1

Maybe a foldable screen might help, but it would still add weight and thickness since I only need/want to read one page at a time.

[pwalker8]

Originally Posted by Apache

I, on the other hand, do not want a dual screen book. Paper books used both sides of the paper in order to utilize all of the space available. Since I can only read one page at a time any way, the single screen of an electronic book is fine. Two screens would had weight and bulk that I find to be unnecessary.
Apache

I can see making it fold-able so a larger screen will fit into a pocket but still only have one page rather than two, but it hard to solve the issue of the empty space where the fold is. It's easier to simply have bigger pockets like I have with my Scott e-Vest. I can fit a full sized iPad Pro 12.9 inch in my pocket with that. A iPad mini is a lot less bulky and heavy, so that's what I normally carry in the pocket, but the iPad Pro does fit.

Two things I've considered recently about horizontal screen width while shopping and updating my set of readers and tablets:

1. How wide a line of text can I scan rapidly and wrap lines efficiently without losing my place. There's a point of diminishing returns where a single column of text on a screen gets too narrow, or too wide, for me to read efficiently. Too narrow, and I'm wrapping so often it becomes tiresome. Too wide, I begin to lose my place when I wrap lines and it breaks the flow of reading. I can compensate somewhat by adjusting other details such as font size and vertical space between lines. Still, a ballpark line width of maybe 4-5 inches is about what I can consume efficiently at normal reading speed.
2. How wide a line of text can I read clearly with minimal head movement. The progressive lenses in my glasses have a "sweet spot" that is a fairly narrow band for reading. If I get lines of text too wide, then at normal reading distances and font sizes, I begin having to turn my head with each line to keep the sweet spot on the text. For some reason if I have too much head movement, it becomes a drag on reading comfort and a barrier to getting into the 'zone' where I'm fully engaged and reading fast. For folks with younger and better eyes, obviously this is all moot.

That's why, for a device used mainly for reading books, I incline toward screens in the 7-8" diagonal range with a usable width of 4-5". I wonder if a device of this form factor ends up being optimal for a good-sized set of other readers as well. If so, you wouldn't know it from today's line-up of available tablets and readers, there are relatively few in that 8" range.

[ilovejedd]

Originally Posted by maximus83

Two things I've considered recently about horizontal screen width while shopping and updating my set of readers and tablets:

1. How wide a line of text can I scan rapidly and wrap lines efficiently without losing my place.
2. How wide a line of text can I read clearly with minimal head movement.

That's why, for a device used mainly for reading books, I incline toward screens in the 7-8" diagonal range with a usable width of 4-5". I wonder if a device of this form factor ends up being optimal for a good-sized set of other readers as well. If so, you wouldn't know it from today's line-up of available tablets and readers, there are relatively few in that 8" range.

Lol, I don't require reading glasses yet (knock on wood) but both #1-2 are definitely considerations for me.

I like devices a bit on the smaller side though. Even on the 7.9" iPad mini, I prefer 2-column landscape vs single-column portrait. My sweet spot is around 3-4" width or 5-7" diagonal.

[Fiat_Lux]

Originally Posted by NickyWithNook

I don't see the value in the screen being bigger than the page of a book.

How big are the pages of the hardcopy books you read?

About a third of my hardcopy library is printed on A4.

[Apache]

I use my Surface Pro as my eReader. I know most don't like the size or weight, but I do not find it any bulkier than a large hard cover book.
Apache

[skidog]

I give up. How do I post a new thread?

Originally Posted by Apache

I use my Surface Pro as my eReader. I know most don't like the size or weight, but I do not find it any bulkier than a large hard cover book.
Apache

Long as you have a place to prop it using the little kickstand, or can rest it on chest, knees, pillows, etc., I'd think the Surface Pro would make an excellent ereader. I have one at work (though I don't use for ebook reading currently), the aspect ratio and display quality on those things is fantastic. I can see a case for doing that.

This is a side issue that I won't pursue further as it's a rabbit trail to the thread. :-) But I have noticed from trying to use Windows a few times as my ebook reader on a small tablet or laptop, there are two primary issues: (1) A relative lack of good ebook reader apps (the only really good one I ever liked much besides using Kindle or Google Play browser version, is Freda+), and (2) Windows 10 apps and UI still just does not seem quite as 'touch-optimized' as the iOS and Android platforms. It's relatively more clunky and painful (to me, at least) to try and get things done in 'tablet mode' on a Win10 device. This is regrettable as I think Win10 has the built-in power to be a brilliant OS for ebook reading. But somebody needs to ramp up the touch-optimized app development for it to realize its full potential.

[SleepyBob]

Originally Posted by skidog

I give up. How do I post a new thread?

Right above "Threads In Forum", there is a "New Thread" button. (When you are in a forum looking at the list of threads. Not when reading a thread.) I think you may need 10 posts before you can create a thread of your own.

[ZodWallop]

Originally Posted by maximus83

...trying to use Windows a few times as my ebook reader... A relative lack of good ebook reader apps...

Have you tried using Edge as your reader? They added ePub support to it. I've used it a bit here and there to check books, but haven't spent a lot of time using it as a reader. Lack of an in-app library might be a pain.

I use my Surface to read comics. As mentioned, the display is fantastic. And there's one app, Cover, that is good enough. But I do miss the Android comic readers. There were several apps that were better than the best Windows has to offer.

Microsoft seems bound and determined to merge Android into Windows 10 somehow, which could work out well for me at least.