Kindle 2: easier to hold?

Starhawk · 02-10-2009, 06:29 PM

Hiya!

So I pre-ordered my Kindle 2 on 1/29, after buying my Kindle 1 back at the end of November and returning it in anticipation of the Kindle 2.

While I decided that overall I liked the Kindle 1, I hoped for the Kindle 2 to provide improvements.

I've seen folks mention the huge bezel around the Kindle 2 screen, and I just connected that mentally with a possible reason for it as a solution to something that bugged me about the Kindle 1.

One of the things that I found unsatisfactory with the Kindle 1 was just holding it to read it for a long time. With the huge buttons long the sides of the screen, I was pretty much unable to hold/grip the thing comfortably anywhere near the Kindle's top-bottom balance point while I read; I had to hold it pretty much right next to the keyboard...which meant that I was not only fighting the weight of the thing with my arm (holding it off the ground), but fighting the torque introduced by having to hold it with the top so far from my hand by squeezing my thumb against my fingers.

I simply had to keep shifting it way too much for me to be able to settle into a good long read.

Did anyone else have this experience?!

Maybe I just missed an obvious way to do it...

...but *anyway*, with the Kindle 2, that "ridiculously huge bezel around the screen" (total paraphrase from I-don't-remember-where) looks like just the ticket. I'm imagining that i might be able to support it at the middle of it's length wrap my hand/thumb around the side, and plant my thumb on the bezel, safely away from both the screen and the page-turning buttons.

Well, that's the way I'm hoping it'll work, anyway.

I guess I'll have to wait till it ships to me on March 2 via super-saver shipping...

:-)

Dragoro · 02-10-2009, 06:34 PM

Im afraid that the thinness might actually make it harder to hold comforatably, at least while layin on your side in bed, which is how I normally read in bed.

pilotbob · 02-10-2009, 06:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Starhawk

Did anyone else have this experience?!

Maybe I just missed an obvious way to do it...

No... but you must have small hands. I can hold it in my left hand, with my left thumb right about the keyboard, and my fingers were under the back about the center of the device.

I also could hold it in my right hand... I would put my thumb on the cursur channel (or whatever you call the place that the silver selection think showed in. Holding it this way the weight it very centered.

BOb

Elsi · 02-10-2009, 06:56 PM

Well, this is the way I hold my Kindle and I don't have any problem with the buttons at all.

Leep · 02-10-2009, 07:03 PM

The biggest solution for holding the Kindle for me was the M-edge cover. It has a nice wide left margin when the cover is folded back, giving good gripping space. Very much like Elsi shows in her picture.

Incidentally, for those of you that bought the M-edge illumilight and didn't want to upgrade to new cover that accommodates it, slide the bar in behind your Kindle on either the top left or bottom right side. It holds snug and is fairly well protected. The only bad thing is that the on/off button is still exposed, although I have not found it a big problem.

cheers

bwaldron · 02-10-2009, 07:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Leep

The biggest solution for holding the Kindle for me was the M-edge cover. It has a nice wide left margin when the cover is folded back, giving good gripping space. Very much like Elsi shows in her picture.

Yes, same here.

KindleKat · 02-10-2009, 07:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dragoro

Im afraid that the thinness might actually make it harder to hold comforatably, at least while layin on your side in bed, which is how I normally read in bed.

Yeah, i think this is a double edged sword. It would feel more like a "book" if it was thicker, but it would look pretty silly.

02-10-2009, 06:29 PM	#1
Starhawk Enthusiast Posts: 35 Karma: 10 Join Date: Feb 2009 Device: Amazon Kindle 2; Amazon 1 (returned in ancticipation of 2)	Kindle 2: easier to hold? Hiya! So I pre-ordered my Kindle 2 on 1/29, after buying my Kindle 1 back at the end of November and returning it in anticipation of the Kindle 2. While I decided that overall I liked the Kindle 1, I hoped for the Kindle 2 to provide improvements. I've seen folks mention the huge bezel around the Kindle 2 screen, and I just connected that mentally with a possible reason for it as a solution to something that bugged me about the Kindle 1. One of the things that I found unsatisfactory with the Kindle 1 was just holding it to read it for a long time. With the huge buttons long the sides of the screen, I was pretty much unable to hold/grip the thing comfortably anywhere near the Kindle's top-bottom balance point while I read; I had to hold it pretty much right next to the keyboard...which meant that I was not only fighting the weight of the thing with my arm (holding it off the ground), but fighting the torque introduced by having to hold it with the top so far from my hand by squeezing my thumb against my fingers. I simply had to keep shifting it way too much for me to be able to settle into a good long read. Did anyone else have this experience?! Maybe I just missed an obvious way to do it... ...but anyway, with the Kindle 2, that "ridiculously huge bezel around the screen" (total paraphrase from I-don't-remember-where) looks like just the ticket. I'm imagining that i might be able to support it at the middle of it's length wrap my hand/thumb around the side, and plant my thumb on the bezel, safely away from both the screen and the page-turning buttons. Well, that's the way I'm hoping it'll work, anyway. I guess I'll have to wait till it ships to me on March 2 via super-saver shipping... :-)

02-10-2009, 07:03 PM	#5
Leep Guru Posts: 739 Karma: 1018859 Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: Near Seattle Device: kindle1, K3, K3G (thanks MR), iTouch, Kindle Touch	The biggest solution for holding the Kindle for me was the M-edge cover. It has a nice wide left margin when the cover is folded back, giving good gripping space. Very much like Elsi shows in her picture. Incidentally, for those of you that bought the M-edge illumilight and didn't want to upgrade to new cover that accommodates it, slide the bar in behind your Kindle on either the top left or bottom right side. It holds snug and is fairly well protected. The only bad thing is that the on/off button is still exposed, although I have not found it a big problem. cheers Last edited by Leep; 02-10-2009 at 07:03 PM. Reason: typos

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02-10-2009, 06:34 PM	#2
Dragoro Lovecraft Fan Posts: 414 Karma: 539914 Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Michigan Device: Kindle Paperwhite 2, Kindle Touch	Im afraid that the thinness might actually make it harder to hold comforatably, at least while layin on your side in bed, which is how I normally read in bed.

02-10-2009, 06:56 PM	#4
Elsi Wizard Posts: 2,366 Karma: 12000 Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Texas, USA Device: Kindle; Sony PRS 505; Blackberry 8700C	Well, this is the way I hold my Kindle and I don't have any problem with the buttons at all.

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