Covers/Cases - Pros, Cons & General Thoughts

[Tarana]

Originally Posted by ZodWallop

Maybe I'm too brutish to notice the weight they are adding? Or maybe the cases are so thin they don't offer as much protection as I imagine they do.

The Fintie cases ARE very thin and light, but they only offer protection for the screen. If you drop it, they won't do much for your unit. Still, I am one for all sorts of light and I switched from sleeve to Fintie because I wanted the sleep/wake option. It does save considerably on my power and reduces the need to power off the unit (power button is often what wears out on electronics of any kind). So it is functional beyond protecting the screen. My take-a-long units have thicker covers to protect against falls.

[ZodWallop]

Originally Posted by Tarana

The Fintie cases ARE very thin and light, but they only offer protection for the screen. If you drop it, they won't do much for your unit.

I dropped my Kobo Aura at the ballet and it fell into the row in front of me, landing on concrete. A fall of maybe 8 feet. It chipped the plastic corner of my KWMobile shell, but otherwise everything is fine. I admit I may have just been one lucky bugger.

[Timboli]

My favorite cover, is that on my Kindle Keyboard, and it convinced me to finally buy an ereader. I am talking about the leather one with built-in light, and elastic string to keep closed. Mine is black and not unlike a slim hardcover bible.

Those I have bought for my Paperwhite and Tablets, are as close as I can get to that Keyboard cover, though I had to add a thick broad rubber band for the Paperwhite.

Tough, durable and can be dropped from a great height and suffer most impacts. It also feels like a book when reading, having both left and right page style elements.

Sure it adds to the weight a bit, but gets rid of all slippery elements, and is still roughly the weight of a paperback or less, and certainly less than a hardcover. It even gives privacy if you want it .... but I would love to have artwork displayed at will for current ebook .... no doubt something for the future to look forward to.

[Timboli]

Further to my last post above. It has always been very important to me to emulate the experience of reading a good physical book as closely as possible. So the device looks and feels like a close proximity. I wanted it to feel like more than some tech toy. More than some plastic thing.

In that regard, I guess I have had an advantage over many others, because long ago, both my mother and then later myself, made stiff vinyl (imitation leather) covers to cover different size paperbacks, including the large hardcover size trade paperbacks. And I have been using those covers for decades now.

So in a real sense, the only time I saw a book's artwork cover was before and after I placed it inside the vinyl cover ... and then mostly the spine in a bookcase outside of that. This has meant, that the move from physical book to ebook and occasionally back again, has been a fairly comfortable transition.

Why did I use such a cover? Well, it was a good protection, gave some privacy, especially from the judgmental, and it gave some good stiffness to a paperback, kind of emulating a hardcover book to some degree. So a wet table or rain, was never an issue, and spills never did much, giving me that extra bit of time to rescue etc. They also added a personal element, as nobody had a book like me. It also meant, that my paperbacks stayed in great condition, often looking unread ... especially as I developed a way to hold them open that incurred minimal stress on the spine.

I could also do some stuff I would never attempt with a paperback normally .... put food or drink etc on top, toss a fair distance without fear of any dog-earing or other damage. In fact, dog-ears became a thing of the past. Also somewhere to slip the bookmark when not in use or for keeping slips of notes etc.

P.S. I always had it in mind, when I later came across a clear vinyl alternative, to make physical book covers out of that, but never have thus far.

[Emoto]

Originally Posted by Timboli

My favorite cover, is that on my Kindle Keyboard, and it convinced me to finally buy an ereader. I am talking about the leather one with built-in light, and elastic string to keep closed. Mine is black and not unlike a slim hardcover bible.

Those I have bought for my Paperwhite and Tablets, are as close as I can get to that Keyboard cover, though I had to add a thick broad rubber band for the Paperwhite.

Tough, durable and can be dropped from a great height and suffer most impacts. It also feels like a book when reading, having both left and right page style elements.

Sure it adds to the weight a bit, but gets rid of all slippery elements, and is still roughly the weight of a paperback or less, and certainly less than a hardcover. It even gives privacy if you want it .... but I would love to have artwork displayed at will for current ebook .... no doubt something for the future to look forward to.

Not being as familiar with these things as many here are, it is unclear to me exactly which case you are referring to. Would you happen to have a link?

[Timboli]

Originally Posted by Emoto

Not being as familiar with these things as many here are, it is unclear to me exactly which case you are referring to. Would you happen to have a link?

Sure, though only for images. Not sure if you can still buy them new anymore.

[ZodWallop]

Originally Posted by Timboli

.... but I would love to have artwork displayed at will for current ebook .... no doubt something for the future to look forward to.

You could just get a Kobo. They have that as the default option already.

Amazon hasn't offered it yet and since it is technologically feasible to do so you have to figure they have no interest in it.

[Timboli]

Originally Posted by ZodWallop

You could just get a Kobo. They have that as the default option already.

Amazon hasn't offered it yet and since it is technologically feasible to do so you have to figure they have no interest in it.

I guess you are talking about the screensaver, whereas I was referring to an image displayed on the cover for the device. My bad for not explaining that properly, but good to know that at least one ereader does it as a screensaver, so thanks.

Yes, it seems Amazon only care about adverts in that space. Luckily both my kindles just display various book or author artwork.

Perhaps if a color e-ink ever appears, they might consider the cover of the current ebook being read.

It is my belief, that in reality a disservice has been done to e-ink devices, because many readers go the route of a tablet due to better cover support. Not the only reason of course, but one of the important ones, to offset what you lose when changing from physical to digital.

[ZodWallop]

Originally Posted by Timboli

...it seems Amazon only care about adverts in that space.

You can remove those ads, but you still won't have covers as a screensaver.

It is my belief, that in reality a disservice has been done to e-ink devices, because many readers go the route of a tablet due to better cover support.[/QUOTE]

I think you are looking at it backwards. There aren't more covers for ereaders because ereaders aren't as popular as tablets. And by 'tablets' I really mean iPads because for almost any other tablet, cover selection will be just as limited as ereader covers.

Not the only reason of course, but one of the important ones, to offset what you lose when changing from physical to digital.

There were (and likely still are) covers that try to replicate hard cover books. My Kobo Aura had one of those until I broke it.

[Timboli]

Originally Posted by ZodWallop

You can remove those ads, but you still won't have covers as a screensaver.

Yes I know.

I think you are looking at it backwards. There aren't more covers for ereaders because ereaders aren't as popular as tablets. And by 'tablets' I really mean iPads because for almost any other tablet, cover selection will be just as limited as ereader covers.

I think you misunderstood me.
I wasn't talking about a cover being displayed as a screensaver in this instance. I was talking about the fact, the covers on a tablet (iPad) are in color and also displayed that way in the Library (bookshelf).
So you actually get to see the real cover in its full glory ... when you start the ebook and when browsing.

You don't get that with an e-ink device (yet), and it is off-putting to many.

There were (and likely still are) covers that try to replicate hard cover books. My Kobo Aura had one of those until I broke it.

Yes indeed, and why I have the type of covers I do, though admittedly they look like plain (no artwork) hardbacks or a bible.

[frahse]

Originally Posted by peaceridge

I tried that case, but it moves around the swivel when I'm holding it to read. Have you found a way around that, or do I just have a loose one?

When I hold it to read, I:

1. slip the long flexible band so I can bring the front cover 360 degrees around.
2. This exposes the short band which is now on the back of the tablet.
3.tug the long band out from between the covers onto the back of that outside cover. Now the case is secure with the screen exposed.
4. Now there are 2 bands on the back of the tablet the long one which holds the cover closed and through which I can insert my hand or finger and the short one for further gripping or inserting.
5. My thumb rests gently on the edge or the closed (but screen exposed)tablet. It can also curl around the edge if need be.
The tablet cannot flop open, cannot escape my inserted fingers or hand.

I don't use or rely on the swivel for one hand use. Only when propped on the table.

See if you can get that to work. At first I didn't understand the multi-uses of the long band either.

Work with it! It will come to you.

[peaceridge]

It seems that I don't have the short band. It does help a lot for the flexible band to be around the back outside cover! Thanks for the ideas.

Originally Posted by frahse

When I hold it to read, I:

1. slip the long flexible band so I can bring the front cover 360 degrees around.
2. This exposes the short band which is now on the back of the tablet.
3.tug the long band out from between the covers onto the back of that outside cover. Now the case is secure with the screen exposed.
4. Now there are 2 bands on the back of the tablet the long one which holds the cover closed and through which I can insert my hand or finger and the short one for further gripping or inserting.
5. My thumb rests gently on the edge or the closed (but screen exposed)tablet. It can also curl around the edge if need be.
The tablet cannot flop open, cannot escape my inserted fingers or hand.

I don't use or rely on the swivel for one hand use. Only when propped on the table.

See if you can get that to work. At first I didn't understand the multi-uses of the long band either.

Work with it! It will come to you.

[frahse]

Originally Posted by peaceridge

It seems that I don't have the short band. It does help a lot for the flexible band to be around the back outside cover! Thanks for the ideas.

I guess some models don't have that band.

When I was looking initially at the cheaper models 8, 9 , 10 dollar ones, I thought of just putting a band on with glue for my hand to slip in.

I suggest you explore that option. I like the idea of a very secure grip, and the longer band is real stretchy while the shorter one is more firm and designed for a hand to be inserted in it to hold it while reading. And 2 bands are more secure and versatile.

Still the bigger band could be sufficient alone.

There was another case I liked but it was twice what I paid, about $36. It had a metal tab/ring that folded out or twisted around. It could be used to prop the table up in different configurations or to hold it with one hand or just as a Handle.

I was waiting at the Auto place for service yesterday, and 3 little boys came in with their mom. They all had these tablets with a large handle built on the case on 1 side. Pretty neat really.