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A contrary viewpoint: I hate the turn page buttons on the Kindle, because they're exactly where my thumbs want to hold it. So I have to either hold it from the bottom, or form my hand into a crab claw to avoid pressing them accidentally. In my view, it's a terrible design having them right on the edge. The 5-way controller is a pain in the rear end for browsing as well, since I also use it to read the news online. I'd much rather have a touchscreen, fingerprints or not. At any rate, I wouldn't be surprised to see the keyboard on the Kindle eventually take the old heave-ho. It's nice to have when you use it, but I can't help but feel like it's just wasted space when I'm not clicking something out. BTW, am I missing a simple trick to just search titles on the Kindle? Or must it search every piece of text in every file? For something designed to hold a thousand books, the Kindle has a horrible way of organizing them.
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Jun 11, 2011 19:01
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doctorfrog posted:A contrary viewpoint: I hate the turn page buttons on the Kindle, because they're exactly where my thumbs want to hold it. So I have to either hold it from the bottom, or form my hand into a crab claw to avoid pressing them accidentally. In my view, it's a terrible design having them right on the edge. The 5-way controller is a pain in the rear end for browsing as well, since I also use it to read the news online. I'd much rather have a touchscreen, fingerprints or not. Yeah, the buttons are perfect for me, but you're not the only one I've heard that from. I also hold right there, but I don't have to squeeze, so it's actually a good thing. Hey, it doesn't matter. We've reached a time when the ereaders are all pretty much great devices. I have a nook color (mostly for my son's kids books) and a kindle 3 and my wife has a kindle 3. Now, if we can just get publishers to stop screwing us on the pricing.
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Jun 11, 2011 19:35
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torgeaux posted:Hey, it doesn't matter. We've reached a time when the ereaders are all pretty much great devices. Agreed. Little details aside, I still really enjoy my Kindle.
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Jun 11, 2011 19:44
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Sporadic posted:This post is pretty silly. Why isn't it a question of how often it breaks? Let's say Company A has the best customer service on the planet. Company B has the worst. If you rarely, if ever, need customer service because the items rarely have issues, then what difference does it make which company you go with? As for "touchscreen = better", the smaller size (not really the touchscreen itself, which I only use when I have to) makes it better to a lot of folks. If you want a more in-depth reason as to why people prefer the Nook hardware over the Kindle, read just about any review over the last week or two. I don't know why so many of you are getting upset at people who prefer something not Kindle. Do you own Amazon stock or something  For me, it's about the reading experience. If Amazon comes out with a superior reader, then I'll switch to that as well. And we all know they will eventually
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Jun 11, 2011 23:29
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As for the touchscreen on the new nook leaving finger prints, it is really hard to see them on that kind of screen. I have had it for a few days now and have been playing around with buttons vs. touchscreen page turns and have put a bunch of finger prints on the screen. I know they are there but I cant see them when reading normally, I have to tilt the screen at odd angles to get a glare on it to actually notice it. One complaint I have about it is, the clock, its not up in the bar anymore while reading. It only shows up when you pull the menu up.
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Jun 11, 2011 23:43
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I smear fingerprints all over my iPhone but the Nook is very resistant to it. To be honest I thought the touch screen was a stupid idea until I tried it in store. I guess it's not for everyone. Good thing Amazon sells something that isn't a touch screen!
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Jun 11, 2011 23:46
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I guess I might just be old fashioned, but I really don't get the obsession people seem to have over touch screen and devices being smaller. It's not like a K3 is so ridiculously big and unwieldy. And plus, I like buttons. Now I can see where touchscreen is an obvious advantage for something like, say, an ipad, but it seems like absolutely everything is being made a touchscreen these days just because we can. Different strokes I suppose. Imma go smack some kids around with my cane for playing on my lawn. 
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Jun 12, 2011 03:19
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Navigating simple menus can be quicker with a responsive touchscreen. I think the Nook makes nice use of this with being able to tap the screen and change the entire look of the book, and then go right back to reading. There's lots of little things that are easier with a touchscreen. And they are little things, but since the devices are very simple to begin with, it's the little things that make the difference.
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Jun 12, 2011 04:21
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Presented without comment: Kindle app running on Nook touch: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h4MJungKIxY
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Jun 12, 2011 06:42
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Rastor posted:Presented without comment: Kindle app running on Nook touch: Comment: it seems to run like poo poo and needing to use a computer and USB cable to launch it is so bad. The half-page-turn flashes that show up also seem like they'd be really distracting.
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Jun 12, 2011 06:51
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Rastor posted:Presented without comment: Kindle app running on Nook touch: A great start. Like with everything else, I'm sure it'll improve with time.
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Jun 12, 2011 13:09
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madprocess posted:Comment: it seems to run like poo poo and needing to use a computer and USB cable to launch it is so bad. The half-page-turn flashes that show up also seem like they'd be really distracting.
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Jun 12, 2011 14:38
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So just skimming over things, the best choice in the barren wasteland of Canada is the Kindle, right? Since B&N doesn't officially support any devices north of the border so if it breaks down you gotta send it back which would be expensive as hell.
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Jun 12, 2011 17:00
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Eej posted:So just skimming over things, the best choice in the barren wasteland of Canada is the Kindle, right? Since B&N doesn't officially support any devices north of the border so if it breaks down you gotta send it back which would be expensive as hell. Pretty much this. I'd imagine it'd also be kind of hard to buy from the official nook ebook store.
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Jun 12, 2011 17:34
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Eej posted:So just skimming over things, the best choice in the barren wasteland of Canada is the Kindle, right? Since B&N doesn't officially support any devices north of the border so if it breaks down you gotta send it back which would be expensive as hell. I think it's pretty much that patriotic Canadians get a Kobo, people comparing the quality of products mostly get the Kindle, and a few random people get the Sony. I don't know about Sony's support but if it's a concern for you at all, Amazon had a replacement Kindle to me in Japan in just 2 days, so I think you'll be fine in Canada.
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Jun 12, 2011 17:34
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Eej posted:So just skimming over things, the best choice in the barren wasteland of Canada is the Kindle, right? Since B&N doesn't officially support any devices north of the border so if it breaks down you gotta send it back which would be expensive as hell. Also, don't dismiss the Kobo! The new touch Kobo is really really nice.
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Jun 12, 2011 18:53
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Are the people talking bad about B&N support talking from experience? My anecdotal evidence is the complete opposite. I've had a Nook replaced in store and through the mail and any billing issues I've ever had were taken care of immediately. I know it's just more anecdotal evidence but I've never been dissatisfied with B&N customer support.
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Jun 12, 2011 19:02
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spixxor posted:I guess I might just be old fashioned, but I really don't get the obsession people seem to have over touch screen and devices being smaller. It's not like a K3 is so ridiculously big and unwieldy. And plus, I like buttons. Now I can see where touchscreen is an obvious advantage for something like, say, an ipad, but it seems like absolutely everything is being made a touchscreen these days just because we can. This is exactly how I feel too. Personally I don't think a non-keyboard reder could ever replace my keyboard reader, and touchscreens are the 3D of the gadget world. Don't want one don't need one don't want to deal with one.
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Jun 12, 2011 19:17
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I am using a nook color with CM7, and I use it a lot for PDF reading, particularly for a certain site that has many Hebrew language books for free. However, I simply can't wrap my head around buying eBooks. The pricing is so high I can't bring myself to buy them instead of a real, used book. For instance, I recently started reading Lee Child books, so I went on eBay and bought 8 of them for less than $20.00. If I was buying them as eBooks, I would be looking at around $80.00. I suppose if you are already buying new books, fine, but why not just buy used books?
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Jun 12, 2011 19:27
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Arnold of Soissons posted:This is exactly how I feel too. Personally I don't think a non-keyboard reder could ever replace my keyboard reader, and touchscreens are the 3D of the gadget world. Don't want one don't need one don't want to deal with one. Except that touchscreens are not some stupid gimmick that will go away next season. You are holding on to old, less usable technology by sticking with the physical keyboard. That's not to say you shouldn't (you can obviously use whatever device you prefer), but if you are interested in any new piece of technology or gadget in the next century, you had better get used to the touchscreen. Hell, I love that you can give a child or an old person a touch-screen device and they can figure it out almost instantly. Good luck with teaching an 80-year-old to operate Microsoft Windows with a keyboard and a mouse! It's just so intuitive to be able to operate with your hands rather than trying to figure out some archaic chunks of plastic inputs.
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Jun 12, 2011 19:42
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Snuffman posted:Also, don't dismiss the Kobo! The new touch Kobo is really really nice. Are there any sites that have done side-to-side comparisons of the new Kobo and the Kindle 3? I'm reading from some anecdotes that the text rendering is really poopy on the Kobo compared to the Kindle 3. I guess the Kobo store is cheaper than the Kindle store too which is a bonus?
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Jun 12, 2011 19:53
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Arnold of Soissons posted:This is exactly how I feel too. Personally I don't think a non-keyboard reder could ever replace my keyboard reader, and touchscreens are the 3D of the gadget world. Don't want one don't need one don't want to deal with one. What do you need/use your physical keyboard for?
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Jun 12, 2011 20:15
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commish posted:What do you need/use your physical keyboard for? I used it one time to search the Kindle store to buy a book. Haven't touched it since. I do all purchasing on my computer.
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Jun 12, 2011 20:17
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Mu Zeta posted:I used it one time to search the Kindle store to buy a book. Haven't touched it since. I do all purchasing on my computer. Well, there's the on-screen keyboard on the nook touch for that. I'm just surprised that people would prefer a physical keyboard on an e-reader.
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Jun 12, 2011 20:26
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commish posted:Well, there's the on-screen keyboard on the nook touch for that. I'm just surprised that people would prefer a physical keyboard on an e-reader. It's not so much that I prefer a keyboard as it is the fact that a touchscreen is not enough to sway me into buying a Nook over a Kindle. It's a neat feature but something being neat is not enough to change my mind. Touchscreen has its uses, as I said, but I don't see it as necessary for an e-reader. I'll stick with my archaic chunks of plastic inputs. Although apparently I might as well be chiseling letters into a stone tablet, according to some.
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Jun 12, 2011 20:35
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commish posted:Well, there's the on-screen keyboard on the nook touch for that. I'm just surprised that people would prefer a physical keyboard on an e-reader. Again: I don't want to be touching my reading screen. I also don't want a screen that's on all the time like that, eating electrons. It serves zero useful purpose on a reader. I find it neither quicker nor more intuitive than the physical keyboard. Frankly, if you put an actual mouse cursor and a 5 way switch, you'd be fine. I play scrabble on my Kindle. Cannot imagine using a touch screen for it. I guess every time I played, I'd have to carry screen wipes with me.
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Jun 12, 2011 20:43
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spixxor posted:It's not so much that I prefer a keyboard as it is the fact that a touchscreen is not enough to sway me into buying a Nook over a Kindle. It's a neat feature but something being neat is not enough to change my mind. Touchscreen has its uses, as I said, but I don't see it as necessary for an e-reader. I'll agree with you that, for most, a touch screen in and of itself is not a mandatory reason to "upgrade". I'm speaking from a general perspective... generally speaking, I'd rather have a smaller device sans physical keyboard than a bigger device with a keyboard, whether it's nook, sony, kindle, sega, whatever. I totally understand if you have a kindle don't feel the need to get the nook touch, but I don't understand why someone would prefer a physical keyboard if they had the choice. And torgeaux, most of us didn't buy our e-reader to play games on it, so any perceived issues with scrabble don't really factor in And it's not like you're touching the screen the entire time... on most days, the only time I touch the screen is when I unlock the screensaver. Once per reading session. Anyway, guess it's not really important. Some people like brunettes, some like blonds.
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Jun 12, 2011 21:14
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Until they perfect those tactile touch screens, keyboards are staying put. I've been typing QWERTY for just about my entire life and can sustain 70+wpm, and I know there are tons of people out there to whom I am an absolute sloth. ...but on a touch screen of any size without tactile feedback, that just isn't happening. Not even close. I know, we're talking about the fiddly little Kindle keyboard, but my point stands. Until the touch screen can push back, give me buttons.
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Jun 12, 2011 21:18
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I don't see a point to even including the on-screen keyboard on a device that can't give near instant feedback on the display. It can be annoying enough using an onscreen keyboard on a LCD that can refresh extremely fast.
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Jun 12, 2011 21:23
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torgeaux posted:Different strokes and all, but if the touch screen doesn't provide a necessary function, I don't want one. I can't for the life of me see how it's not a step backwards ergonomically to have a touch screen ereader. Hold book, press button to turn page, never move hands. Or, hold book, take hand off book, swipe, put hand back on book, repeat every 15 seconds. torgeaux posted:I am seeing more and more Ipad owners going back to or going to ereaders. Ipad showed them how nice an ereader is in concept, and how unwieldy the Ipad is for that function. It's the weight that most I've talked to have cited as its big drawback for a day to day reader. torgeaux posted:Again: I don't want to be touching my reading screen. I also don't want a screen that's on all the time like that, eating electrons. It serves zero useful purpose on a reader. I find it neither quicker nor more intuitive than the physical keyboard. Frankly, if you put an actual mouse cursor and a 5 way switch, you'd be fine. torgeaux posted:I play scrabble on my Kindle. Cannot imagine using a touch screen for it. I guess every time I played, I'd have to carry screen wipes with me.
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Jun 12, 2011 21:31
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...measured in months if you read for minutes a day!  The nook's "2 month" battery life was calculated at 30 minutes of reading per day. 30 hours of battery life. That's a hell of a lot, but it's nowhere near actually being months for anyone who reads at all often or heavily.
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Jun 12, 2011 21:37
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dont eat a carb posted:...measured in months if you read for minutes a day!
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Jun 12, 2011 21:44
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g0del posted:The nook touch provides three ways to turn the page, all of which can be done one-handed. You never have to take your hand off the book to turn the page. The touchscreen doesn't show prints too badly...it does show prints. I've held one, I've seen the prints. My kindle similarly doesn't show them too badly...but it does show them. As for playing scrabble on other touchscreen devices? yeah, there's a reason i don't own a tablet computer (actually I do, but it's to fiddle with, not to use). The prints accumulate, even on the matte screens. How does an Ipad being too heavy make touchscreens make more sense? An kindle 3 does not weight too much, and it has a keyboard. The Ipad weight is completely different issue than touchscreen. But, you've added zero reason to have a touchscreen. No one has yet. You've disputed the drawbacks, but for a book device? What does it bring to the table? Nothing. I just need something to be a book, turn pages, add collections and such. For a tablet? Sure. Reader? No benefit, and no one has yet mentioned a single one.
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Jun 12, 2011 21:57
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torgeaux posted:The touchscreen doesn't show prints too badly...it does show prints. I've held one, I've seen the prints. My kindle similarly doesn't show them too badly...but it does show them. It makes it smaller without sacrificing screen size. You don't understand the benefits of that? Seriously?
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Jun 12, 2011 22:00
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The benefit for me is so you can get rid of the physical keyboard and make the ereader more compact. It's not a huge deal for me, but if Amazon made a version of the Kindle that was like the new simple Nook I'd get that instead of the Kindle 3.
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Jun 12, 2011 22:03
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g0del posted:I know, they wildly inflate the battery life. I was just trying to point out that amazon and b&n quote similar battery life, so obviously the touch screen isn't eating enough electrons to cause any noticeable difference. 150 hours of reading on the new nook is what we're told, i dont have any personal experience
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Jun 12, 2011 22:09
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commish posted:It makes it smaller without sacrificing screen size. You don't understand the benefits of that? Seriously? Yes, that is not a benefit to me. I have a device that is very small, very light, and I don't really need it any smaller. It's kind of a nice size between hardback and softcover, and very light. Why would I want it smaller? Does it have to be negative weight before that's enough? I can see why someone may want a smaller size, so I agree, for some that is an actual benefit. But, talk about diminishing returns. When the K3 came out, I thought, "perfect." Size, battery life. Some software tweeks would be nice, but the hardware? No. Touchscreen has definitive drawbacks for me. It has one advantage I've heard, size by deleting a physical control system, but since I want a physical control system, the downside outweighs a minimal, notional upside.
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Jun 12, 2011 22:23
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commish posted:It makes it smaller without sacrificing screen size. You don't understand the benefits of that? Seriously? What practical purpose does it serve? I mean really. A Kindle is 7.5" x 4.8" x 0.335" and a Nook Touch is 6.5" x 5.0" x 0.47". What substantial benefit is one inch less in length going to give you?
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Jun 12, 2011 22:26
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spixxor posted:What practical purpose does it serve? I mean really. A Kindle is 7.5" x 4.8" x 0.335" and a Nook Touch is 6.5" x 5.0" x 0.47". Yuck, wider AND thicker? The Kindle is actually smaller - it's 78.9% of the size! It's 12.06 cubic inches versus the Nook Simple Touch at 15.275 cubic inches. For metric folks, that's 197.62 cubic centimeters versus 250.31 cubic centimeters
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Jun 12, 2011 22:32
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spixxor posted:What practical purpose does it serve? I mean really. A Kindle is 7.5" x 4.8" x 0.335" and a Nook Touch is 6.5" x 5.0" x 0.47". That's funny. When I played with the touch, I thought, "hmmm, this feels nice." I didn't think the size jumped out at me, I guess I can see why now. It being more "squat" gives it a smaller feel than it really is, I guess. It's all moot. I'm curious about a) the next gen eInk, and b) the Amazon tablet. I suspect the tablet may be reading centric. Interesting to see if they can make a decent go at it. fishmech posted:Yuck, wider AND thicker? Yes, but it's not a kindle versus touch distinction, but the general benefit of touchscreen allowing you to eliminate keyboard. Don't know why they didn't end up a bit smaller still, but it doesn't moot the point. What's the kobo touch's size?
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Jun 12, 2011 22:32
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