I can't point to any studies (though I imagine that they must have done some internally) but it is an interesting point you raise, to wit: why does a device with variable font size, ostensibly a huge selling point for the boomer market, have such a cramped keyboard?
My father, who just turned 60, was one of the very first Kindle owners - #40 or something like that, early enough that they gave him a free replacement after he broke the first. He has since purchased v2. He's reads voraciously, and is inseparable from his kindle. He mentioned to me, from the first, that he loves the fact he can change the font size. His eyesight is not terrible, but he has always worn glasses, and he keeps the kindle display at what's probably around 16pt-18pt. I have not asked him specifically about his opinion of the KB, but he praises the bookmark and notation features. One can assume, then, that the KB is at least serviceable. Though I am hardly a fan of the Kindle's physical design, compromising on the keyboard between space and usability makes sense to me. One must ask what % of users are going to mark up what they're reading. If I am right to assume it is a vast minority, then the preference for screen size, which can then accommodate more characters in large font sizes, makes a far better value proposal to visually impaired users than a robust input device. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Posted from the new ixda.org http://www.ixda.org/discuss?post=42188 ________________________________________________________________ Welcome to the Interaction Design Association (IxDA)! To post to this list ....... [email protected] Unsubscribe ................ http://www.ixda.org/unsubscribe List Guidelines ............ http://www.ixda.org/guidelines List Help .................. http://www.ixda.org/help
