Kindle 3 page-turn buttons

[jesse]

My K3 showed up this morning. I was really, really excited.

The new page-turn buttons are tiny little slivers that are nearly impossible to hit with big thumbs like mine. It was pretty easy to one-hand the K2 with my right thumb on "Next page," applying pressure when I wanted to switch pages. With the K3, I need to hold my Kindle in one hand and carefully hit next page with the other hand.

Amazon took the most common action one might want to do with an ebook reader and made it harder.

I'm now pretty seriously bummed out.

[Lazer]

I have not got my yet.... but my gut feeling is you will get used to the new buttons and learn to actually like 'em. Two bits. The bet is on. (I've noticed people have a hard time transitioning from a computer mouse to a laptop pad -it takes a while for the muscle memory to kick in.)

But who knows, maybe I'll get a thumb-reduction.

L

[Sydney's Mom]

I remember back to the Kindle 1 - immediately after it was launched, everyone complained about turning pages by accident. It only took a few hours to get used to it. I would imagine they tested this with large thumbs - unless yours are super abnormally large, I bet it will be ok.

[thinkpad]

Originally Posted by jesse

The new page-turn buttons are tiny little slivers that are nearly impossible to hit with big thumbs like mine.

I was afraid of this when I saw the pictures of the K3. The buttons on the K2i is ok but not fantastic.

I'll have to wait a couple of weeks and see if more people gets annoyed by the new buttons.

[Mrgauth]

I too am bummed out about this and this is the single biggest reason I am considering going with another reader. I cannot under any circumstances read with one hand and feel like I might not drop the device. There is so little space around the screen to place your hands anyway and then having to slide my thumb over to push that button leaves the unit just balancing in the hand instead of actually being gripped by it. Forget laying on my back and holding it above my chest and trying to page turn. Drop it every time.


I think the buttons, or secondary ones, should have been put beneath the screen. But whatever. That is what choice and variety are about.

The K3 is nice, but the button placement sucks for me personally. I am sure in a case I would have something to hold onto, but the device needs to be comfortable on its own first and foremost and the case merely a way of protecting it-for me anyways.


But I agree with the OP and wonder, did you return it yet? If so, what reader are you considering now?

[flandroid]

The placement isn't a big problem for one-handed reading for me. I just hold it in a bottom corner with my thumb half over the page turn button (other half on the body) and roll my thumb outwards a little to turn pages. I've got pretty fat thumbs.

I'm not crazy about the fact that they depress on the outside, but I'm sure I'll get used to it.

[TheKindleWorm]

Are you pressing the buttons with the tip of your thumb where your nail is OR are you using the base of your thumb (below the knuckle) to press the buttons?

I have found that using the base of my thumb rolled slightly to the side involves very little movement to depress the next page buttons - almost effortless and the best page turning on any device I've used so far.

So I'm wondering if you just need to try a different method to find something that really works for you. I wouldn't write it off just yet anyway

[carld]

I've got big ol' thumbs too, but I really don't have any problem with the K3's button, and I actually liked the K1's giant page turn buttons. I found the K3 really easy to get used to.

However, I've never been a one-handed reader. My Kindle has always stayed in its case, and I've read it two-handed. I basically just keep about half my thumb sitting on the page turn button, makes it easy to press, and no accidental presses.

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by Mrgauth

I too am bummed out about this and this is the single biggest reason I am considering going with another reader. I cannot under any circumstances read with one hand and feel like I might not drop the device. There is so little space around the screen to place your hands anyway and then having to slide my thumb over to push that button leaves the unit just balancing in the hand instead of actually being gripped by it. Forget laying on my back and holding it above my chest and trying to page turn. Drop it every time.


I think the buttons, or secondary ones, should have been put beneath the screen. But whatever. That is what choice and variety are about.

The K3 is nice, but the button placement sucks for me personally. I am sure in a case I would have something to hold onto, but the device needs to be comfortable on its own first and foremost and the case merely a way of protecting it-for me anyways.


But I agree with the OP and wonder, did you return it yet? If so, what reader are you considering now?

I am using a 505 and there is rather little room on the sides to hold it. But, when you have the cover on and folded back the cover sticks out to the right just enough to give my hand a comfortable place to hold the 505 with plenty of room. So besides protecting the 505, the cover also makes it easier to hold. Maybe the same can be said of the K3.