Pure Ergonomic genius

[PMikeP]

The sad thing about ergonomics done well is that nobody notices! Whereas, if you screw something up so that a product is unusable, everyone notices. So I thought I'd sing the praises of the bezel design of the Nook HD+, which just struck me the other day.

See, I had read some (non-mainstream) review of the HD+ where the reviewer was griping because he didn't like the looks of the raised bezel around the screen on the Nook HD+. He thought the glass should extend across the face, like it does on my Galaxy Tab 2.

But have you noticed that, when you're holding the HD+ in your hand, that you aren't sending false touches to the screen? I've read that Apple had to put some software in the iPad to mitigate this. Others in the Android world (like, with the Galaxy Tab 3, simply gripe that they can't hold their Tablets in portrait mode without constantly causing a page flip due to a false touch.

But that raised bezel on the HD+ is subtle. It keeps your fingers away from the screen just enough so that there are no false touches!

Doesn't require any software. Doesn't require any leaning (how to hold the tablet.) Brilliant!

 

[barth2]

Yeah I like it too.

The only thing is it does not allow slide in gesture. Though that doesn't seem to be something that's used in android (it is used plenty in ios)

Unfortunately, b&n is so poorly run and their market share so small they're not going to get much props or respect for what they get right.

 

[cvh-hofbauer]

well done b&n, indeed.

Sent from my GT-I9505G using xda app-developers app

 

[wellersl]

Now imagine if you will, this device with a genuine Tablet UI. Near Nirvana until Google decided to do us all a favor.

 

[an123]

Yes the bezel does help in holding the tablet...though I am scared of gripping it too hard!


Excellent industrial design overall...at the current selling price, I would rate it better than any other tablet (based on price/performance or price/features ratio)...more so after installing CM11
.....A light sensor and a front camera would have killed the competition (at negligible cost to manufacture)

 

[PMikeP]

Unfortunately, b&n is so poorly run and their market share so small they're not going to get much props or respect for what they get right.

Their loss, our gain. I bought my HD+ (CPO) for $120 a few weeks ago from Fry's Elec. Before that, I was hankering for an HP Slate 8 Pro, with it's 4:3 aspect ratio screen. But HP wants almost 3 times as much for their 8 Pro, and it has a fatal flaw!

I wish I had bought a HD+ for $99 on Black Friday, but the xda developers (and the CM developers) weren't as far along with ROM development as they are now. There was the brick bug problem with TRIM and it didn't seem like it would work. But now that all that's behind us, if prices dip again, I might buy a second one. I don't know that anyone is ever going to make a 3:2 screen again, even tho it's close to the "golden ratio" and arguably the best AR for tablets. (Okay, the guy says Apple got it right with 1.6. But for moving maps in airplanes, 1.5 is better. )

 

[PMikeP]

The only thing is it does not allow slide in gesture. Though that doesn't seem to be something that's used in android (it is used plenty in ios)

I'm confused. In Google Play, I can come from the left outside, off the bezel, and "slide in" to open the left slide out menu. Is that a "slide in" gesture? Or is a "slide in" gesture something else? I've never used iOS, so I don't know.

 

[barth2]

I'm confused. In Google Play, I can come from the left outside, off the bezel, and "slide in" to open the left slide out menu. Is that a "slide in" gesture? Or is a "slide in" gesture something else? I've never used iOS, so I don't know.

You're right. A flat bezel does make the slide in gesture a bit easier. But I think nook makes the right trade-off.

I also think the curved edge makes the nook more comfortable to hold. In the tech review game, however, it's all about looking cool and how many mm thick you can get down to, so nook loses again.

I only wish that B&N had also gone off the beaten path w.r.t. aspect ratio and picked 4:3 instead of 16:10. I think 4:3 is a lot better for web, email, reading, and even games (on small screen). That's 80-90% of what I do with a tablet. The only thing wide screen is good for is watching tv/movies. But that's what I have my big screen tv for.

 

[JeauxAdam]

You're right. A flat bezel does make the slide in gesture a bit easier. But I think nook makes the right trade-off.

I also think the curved edge makes the nook more comfortable to hold. In the tech review game, however, it's all about looking cool and how many mm thick you can get down to, so nook loses again.

I only wish that B&N had also gone off the beaten path w.r.t. aspect ratio and picked 4:3 instead of 16:10. I think 4:3 is a lot better for web, email, reading, and even games (on small screen). That's 80-90% of what I do with a tablet. The only thing wide screen is good for is watching tv/movies. But that's what I have my big screen tv for.

Not to nitpick but this is 3:2 ratio. At least the HD+ is.

I do agree that for pretty much ANYTHING other than media consumption 4:3 is the way to go. Even then, 16:9 shows aren't too bad.

Sent from my Nook HD+ using xda app-developers app

 

[Darrian]

I get "false touches" on my HD+ a lot. So much so that sometimes I have to turn the screen off and back on to get it to register a real touch. I think it has to do with the metal sides conducting bioelectricity. So the bezel may be great, but it certainly doesn't serve much purpose aside from comfort in holding the device.

 

[episode96]

Not to nitpick but this is 3:2 ratio. At least the HD+ is.

I do agree that for pretty much ANYTHING other than media consumption 4:3 is the way to go. Even then, 16:9 shows aren't too bad.

Sent from my Nook HD+ using xda app-developers app

Agreed, 4:3 seems to me to be the best form factor for a tablet overall. I've actually always been curious about this. Is there any consensus out there on why Android manufacturers mostly go with 16:10 instead? Do they just want to be purposefully different to the iPad, or are they making an educated assumption of some sort that a majority of users will use their tablets mostly for watching video?

 

[barth2]

Agreed, 4:3 seems to me to be the best form factor for a tablet overall. I've actually always been curious about this. Is there any consensus out there on why Android manufacturers mostly go with 16:10 instead? Do they just want to be purposefully different to the iPad, or are they making an educated assumption of some sort that a majority of users will use their tablets mostly for watching video?

I think maybe originally it was just to be different from apple. But this was one thing Steve Jobs got right.

to me a lot of apps just feel better in 4:3. Take gmail. Pretty much the same app on ios and android in term of basic layout and functionality. But it looks more proportionally pleasing on my ipad than the nook. The message list is less cramped vertically, with right amount of white space. The message pane feels right, not too wide and short. Probably has something to do with the golden ratio and all that.

I can't find any 4:3 android tablet that isn't from a no name Chinese manufacturer. ditto Windows metro. The whole widescreen thing started when movie makers wanted to differentiate from tv. then HDTV came along and wanted to more closely resemble the movies (and differentiate from SD). They should've thought twice about replicating widescreen in a small multi-purpose hand held device.