# Kindle Paperwhite/Touch: Reading with one hand?



## ziphnor (Oct 7, 2012)

Hi,

I currently own an Onyx Boox e-reader that is starting to become pretty worn, and im considering buying either a $69 kindle or a Kindle Paperwhite to replace it. The small price difference i dont really care about, but i am worried about the ergonomics differences. Thats why i would like to hear what peoples experience is with either the PW or the Touch.

My primary concern with the Paperwhite is reading with a single hand. With my current Boox reader i can read using one hand, turning pages using my thumb without moving it, even when lying down and holding the reader above me. It seems to me that if i had to move my thumb into the reading area to tap, i would lose my grip on the e-reader. 

On top of that comes the fact that the paperwhite is 25% heavier than the standard kindle ( 213g vs 170g ). I can't help but think that the touch interface is a bit of a non-feature in an e-reader, but on the other other hand the higher resolution screen with better contrast sounds really nice.


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## Ann in Arlington (Oct 27, 2008)

Coming from another device, the biggest thing, it seems to me, is to think about what format your current device uses. As far as I know, only the Kindle uses .mobi/.prc based books -- with Amazon's own flavor of DRM. If your current device uses something else, your books will NOT be readable on the Kindle without converting them, and you won't be able to do that if they have some sort of copy protection.

As to the choice between the basic Kindle and the PaperWhite. . . . I have both. When I got the basic Kindle, it became my favorite - I'd had two earlier models. When I got the PW, _it_ became my favorite. I have no problem reading with one hand, though I don't usually do so. And the weight difference is negligible to me.

Bottom line: you won't know unless you try them yourself. Fortunately Amazon's return policy is quite generous so you can try either one, or both, and return 'em if they don't work for you.


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## ziphnor (Oct 7, 2012)

Ann in Arlington said:


> Coming from another device, the biggest thing, it seems to me, is to think about what format your current device uses. As far as I know, only the Kindle uses .mobi/.prc based books -- with Amazon's own flavor of DRM. If your current device uses something else, your books will NOT be readable on the Kindle without converting them, and you won't be able to do that if they have some sort of copy protection.


Some of my ebooks used to have DRM, but i just removed it (quite easy when dealing with epub, and legal here in Denmark), so converting them should not be a problem. The rest use watermarking i believe. My original reasoning behind buying the Onyx Boox was that it supported pretty much all formats, but in the end the time used for converting is negligible compared to the time actually spent reading on the device.



> I have no problem reading with one hand, though I don't usually do so.


Interesting, i almost never read with two hands, even though my current device is 33% heavier than the PW  When reading with one hand i assume you use your thumb to turn the page? Do you keep it placed on the display, or do you move it back and forth from the edge?



> Bottom line: you won't know unless you try them yourself. Fortunately Amazon's return policy is quite generous so you can try either one, or both, and return 'em if they don't work for you.


I have tried the standard kindle as well as the non-PW touch in a UK store. There is no doubt that the standard kindle would work great for me, but i dont like to miss out on the PW screen. It was i hard to tell with the touch, since i couldn't try it lying down  I wont have a chance to try out the PW, as i would have to have a friend bring it from the US. I wonder if it can be setup with a UK account.


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## Cloysterpete (Aug 21, 2010)

Yes it can be setup with a UK account, you just can't use the store on the device itself, unless through the browser. I still use the Kindle 3 and that feels light weight to me (way lighter than a paperback) so the PW is gonna feel even lighter than that. I did consider the tiny non touch model but then I realised it has atrocious battery life for an eink reading so there's no way I'm going to a device with half the battery life that I get from k3.


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## Cardinal (Feb 24, 2010)

I have the $79 Kindle and the Kindle Paperwhite.

With one hand I can hold and easily turn the page forward or back with the $79, which is the same hardware as the $69 Kindle.

I haven't figured out how to hold and go forward and backward with one hand on the Paperwhite reliably.  Holding with the left hand and reaching across the back page zone with my thumb (which takes a lot of effort) occasionally pages forward but usually results in nothing happening or paging back.

Holding it in the right hand, it is easy to page forward, but of course you can't page back with your right.

I think the Paperwhite screen if very nice, but it is pity Amazon didn't include page turn buttons because it has made one handed reading difficult.

Not sure how hard it is to get the Kindles and return Kindles in Denmark, but if you easily can return them I suggestion trying them both out and seeing which you like better.


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## history_lover (Aug 9, 2010)

I have the KT and find reading with one hand is easy if the Kindle is "naked" (no cover or case) because it's so thin and light, it's easy to keep a grip on it when you move your thumb to tap the screen. I have the Amazon cover with the built in light which adds weight and does make it more difficult to keep a grip on it while lifting your thumb, especially with the left hand (the right hand is easier because I can place my index finger between the back of the device and the top cover so I've got a better grip on it). But that's why I want the PW - with the front lighting, I won't need a cover with built in light, I can read it "naked" and it will be easier to hold and turn pages with the same hand.


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## Heifzilla (Dec 29, 2010)

I hold my PW in my left hand and have absolutely no problems turning the page with my thumb, going both forward or back.  I am coming from a KK, and loved my page buttons.  Yes, it's a slight more effort to actually move my thumb, but it's not *that* much more effort.  I was really worried about it, too, but found that it's a non-issue.


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## bordercollielady (Nov 21, 2008)

I think it might depend on the size of your hands/and or length of your thumb.  I love my K3 but sadly - as much as the PW screen is amazing - reading on it for me is uncomfortable.  I don't read it without a cover.  I tried putting it in one of my older covers - and with that - I cannot read with one hand.  My thumb hurts at that angle on the right side.  I keep going back one page on the left side.  The only thing that works is holding it from the bottom, and - I cannot hold it and the cover up like that.  Very sad - since I went through a lot with Amazon to get mine and I wanted to love it.  Having said all that - I am not a "touch" lover in general - I have an LG Dare and am anxiously waiting for my contract to expire with Verizon so I can buy a new phone that is NOT touch.. if they still make them.


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## chiffchaff (Dec 19, 2008)

I'm another one who holds the PW in my left hand and am able to page forward and back very easily using my thumb.  My hands aren't very big, I usually wear a small size in gloves though occasionally a medium is better depending on the brand.  So everyone's mileage seems to vary on this.

ETA: I use touch devices a lot (iPad, iPhone) - maybe that makes me more comfortable with it...


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## Betsy the Quilter (Oct 27, 2008)

I read with one hand a lot...usually because I'm holding something else in the other hand while I'm in line, or stirring something on the stove or whatever.

The "back" touch zone on the PW and the KTouch is about 1/2" on the left side of the screen.  If I hold the Touch or Paperwhite with my left hand, I can tap right on the edge of the screen where it hits the bezel and it reliably goes back one page.  I tap about an inch from the edge and it reliably goes to the next page.  I don't swipe with my left hand.

If I'm holding the device with my right hand, I have to swipe left to right to go back a page, a little more difficult, and tap to go forward.  I don't often read with it in my right hand.

Betsy


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## Cardinal (Feb 24, 2010)

My hands are extremely small for an adult.  I think it was twelve year old that had larger hands than mine.  Or was he ten?  Anyway, I'm having a hard time holding and operating it in my left hand.

I haven't been able to swipe in both directions with either hand, when I swipe in the opposite direction that turned the page nothing happens.


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## mooshie78 (Jul 15, 2010)

I read mine naked.  It would be tough to do one handed if you're one of those people who hold whatever they're reading up in front of their face.  I usually read laying down, so the bottom of the device is resting on my chest/tummy.  It's easy to just hold it one hand (with either hand) that way and tap the next page zone easily.  Similarly, if I'm sitting up it's resting on my lap with just one hand on it.

I will say, with a case it would be easier to hold it up one handed and still use it.  More to hold onto, maybe could get one with a strap, the book style covers you can fold back and stick a finger in between them and keep thumb on the bezel near the screen etc.

I don't see weight being an issue unless one has arthritis or something as it is still a very sleek and light device.


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## bordercollielady (Nov 21, 2008)

Betsy the Quilter said:


> If I hold the Touch or Paperwhite with my left hand, I can tap right on the edge of the screen where it hits the bezel and it reliably goes back one page. I tap about an inch from the edge and it reliably goes to the next page. I don't swipe with my left hand.


I'm so jealous. I can't even reach one inch from the left side when I holding the PW in a cover in my left hand.. with the cover folded back.. or else I drop the PW. Not enough length to my thumb. I really tried..


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## ziphnor (Oct 7, 2012)

mooshie78 said:


> I read mine naked. It would be tough to do one handed if you're one of those people who hold whatever they're reading up in front of their face.
> I usually read laying down, so the bottom of the device is resting on my chest/tummy. It's easy to just hold it one hand (with either hand) that way and tap the next page zone easily.


I am one of those people, i always hold it in front of my face when reading, meaning that when lying down, my thumb is pretty critical in preventing the device from falling onto my face


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## Betsy the Quilter (Oct 27, 2008)

mooshie78 said:


> I read mine naked.


Too much information, Mooshie. 

Betsy


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## Cardinal (Feb 24, 2010)

mooshie78 said:


> I read mine naked. It would be tough to do one handed if you're one of those people who hold whatever they're reading up in front of their face. I usually read laying down, so the bottom of the device is resting on my chest/tummy. It's easy to just hold it one hand (with either hand) that way and tap the next page zone easily. Similarly, if I'm sitting up it's resting on my lap with just one hand on it.
> 
> I will say, with a case it would be easier to hold it up one handed and still use it. More to hold onto, maybe could get one with a strap, the book style covers you can fold back and stick a finger in between them and keep thumb on the bezel near the screen etc.
> 
> I don't see weight being an issue unless one has arthritis or something as it is still a very sleek and light device.


I'm one of the people that need to hold the eReader in front of my face to read because of my vision. And I have small hands. I have a Belkin case with strap, the same type of case as I have for K4NT, and I a have an extremely difficult time holding and operating the Paperwhite with one hand. The strap on my Paperwhite comes undone very easily, unlike the same case on the K4NT. In a case I can comfortably hold and operate with one hand the K3, K4NT and Nook Simple Touch, but not the Paperwhite.

I'm really sad, because I have been wanting a display like this since I got my first Kindle. My reply to the rumor of a front lit Kindle is on the second page:

http://www.kboards.com/index.php/topic,110225.25.html

I wish they had made it easy for someone like me to use.


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## bordercollielady (Nov 21, 2008)

Yesterday - at work - I compared my right thumb angle with my boss's and one of my co-workers.  I can only spread it at about a 60 degree angle - not  90 degrees.  Not sure why - maybe its arthritis (altho it doesn't normally hurt) or maybe its using that mouse for so many years.. but I think that might explain the issue with my right hand.  Never noticed it before..

Sent my PW back yesterday.. very sad..


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## chocochibi (Jan 2, 2009)

bordercollielady said:


> Yesterday - at work - I compared my right thumb angle with my boss's and one of my co-workers. I can only spread it at about a 60 degree angle - not 90 degrees. Not sure why - maybe its arthritis (altho it doesn't normally hurt) or maybe its using that mouse for so many years.. but I think that might explain the issue with my right hand. Never noticed it before..
> 
> Sent my PW back yesterday.. very sad..


Sorry it didn't work out for you, I know from your posts you were really looking forward to trying it out.


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## LaraAmber (Feb 24, 2009)

ziphnor said:


> On top of that comes the fact that the paperwhite is 25% heavier than the standard kindle ( 213g vs 170g ). I can't help but think that the touch interface is a bit of a non-feature in an e-reader, but on the other other hand the higher resolution screen with better contrast sounds really nice.


It might be 25% heavier, but you won't notice. We're talking very little weight.

The touch interface is definitely not a "non-feature". It's wonderful for looking up definitions and selecting footnotes. Instead of toggling up and then over until I find the correct word or little number, I just touch it. So much faster and less a disruption in your reading. It also makes getting around the Kindle store faster. After having touch on my last two Kindles, I would probably get frustrated if I went back to a toggle.


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## FearIndex (Oct 10, 2012)

ziphnor said:


> My primary concern with the Paperwhite is reading with a single hand. With my current Boox reader i can read using one hand, turning pages using my thumb without moving it, even when lying down and holding the reader above me. It seems to me that if i had to move my thumb into the reading area to tap, i would lose my grip on the e-reader.


My history is Kindle 2, Kindle 3 (aka Kindle Keyboard) and the smaller Kindle 4 (same size as the current smaller Kindle), and now the Kindle Paperwhite. All in their respective Amazon leather covers.

I read all of them mostly one handed, much of the time lying down on my stomach. I hold the Kindle with my right hand and change pages on the thumb of that hand. I was originally concerned about the lack of page turning keys in the PW, but the experience is actually very much like Kindle 3 and 4, which have thinnish bezels like the PW. On all of them I put four fingers behind the device and use my palm to balance the bottom right corner of the device. Then I hold the device with my thumb, around middle way of the right-side bezel, and then move that thumb from the holding position on the bezel to click pages forward. On the K3/K4 I move the thumb right to click the physical key, on the PW I move the tumb left to softly touch the side of the screen. The movement is surprisingly similar on all of these devices, the direction is just different.

So, not a problem at all for right-handed use, either lying down or sitting up, which is how I use my Kindles most of the time. The leather cover adds useful heft and bulk to it, the Amazon cover actually increases the bezel size too, so it is easier to hold onto. Obviously PW is heavier than K4, but I don't find the weight problematic. I do tend to rest my hand or the device against my lap/bed though, so I wouldn't know about prolonged holding up. The only issue that springs to mind in my use is going backwards. As far as I can tell the only way to do that is by clicking the left side of the PW screen. Holding it right-handed, that isn't really practical, so in those cases I use my second hand - but that's so rare for me, it is no problem. (If I were to hold the Kindle left-handed, I could reach both back and forward touch zones with the left hand's thumb, but clicking forward would be a little harder there. I prefer using the right hand.)

But I must admit I don't have experience from holding it above me, other than just now trying it with the PW. You can use the side of your thumb to touch the screen and never lift the thumb from the bezel, it seems like it could work just fine. I'd be more concerned about the weight (so check what your preferences are on that) than the touch screen, I doubt personally I'd like to hold even the K4 single-handedly above me when reading. I probably need to hit the gym. 

For a little more overall detail, you can check out my first experiences with the PW here:
http://www.kboards.com/index.php/topic,128453.msg1910248.html#msg1910248


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## Miss Moneypenny (Aug 7, 2010)

I LOVE reading with with one hand on my PW! It's a much better experience than my K2. Even the merest swipe of my thumb on the right side of my PW from left to right makes the page go back, and tap or right to left makes it advance.  I used to have to hold my K2 exactly where the button was but on the PW my thumb can be anywhere on the right side. I pull the cover all the way back and hold it very comfortably.


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## FearIndex (Oct 10, 2012)

Miss Moneypenny said:


> I LOVE reading with with one hand on my PW! It's a much better experience than my K2. Even the merest swipe of my thumb on the right side of my PW from left to right makes the page go back, and tap or right to left makes it advance. I used to have to hold my K2 exactly where the button was but on the PW my thumb can be anywhere on the right side. I pull the cover all the way back and hold it very comfortably.


You are right, indeed swiping left to right on the right-side touch zone goes one page back, while tapping or swiping right to left goes one page forward. I had only tried to swipe right to left which would have felt more natural to me for reversing, but it only went forward... Now I can use it fully with just my right hand. Thank you for the tip!  (I am yet to read all the manual, I intend to though.)


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## Heifzilla (Dec 29, 2010)

LaraAmber said:


> It might be 25% heavier, but you won't notice. We're talking very little weight.
> 
> The touch interface is definitely not a "non-feature". It's wonderful for looking up definitions and selecting footnotes. Instead of toggling up and then over until I find the correct word or little number, I just touch it. So much faster and less a disruption in your reading. It also makes getting around the Kindle store faster. After having touch on my last two Kindles, I would probably get frustrated if I went back to a toggle.


Totally. I used my PW for a few days then had to go back to my KK to set things up for my son...and it was SO annoying to use the buttons. I also have long nails so it's always been a pain to try to just keep a nail on the little outside toggle without hitting the center button, so I am loving the touch interface for sure and do not want to go back. I do think that Amazon would have a seriously awesome winner, though, if they made a PW with page turn buttons. People like those page turn buttons and while I don't find moving my thumb over to change pages a problem, some people do. Plus, just having the option of page buttons would be nice. Amazon, take note!


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