I see what you mean, Odyssey.
The thing is that I like the Zaurus basic design for a reader. I'm not trying to convert a Zaurus into a reader, I'm trying to use the Zaurus basic design as a stepping stone for what would be the ideal reader. Keep in mind that I am not intending to ever build such a device anywhere but in 3d.
Hinges between functional sections of the design would introduce weaknesses that I dont' want to deal with (ribbon cables passing between encased segments, etc). Everything is encased in one location here.
I agree with your reasoning for the most part. I do, however disagree with your recommendations and the conclusions you come to. A bit of background might be in order, so you'll understand why I settled on this design.
I don't like Ebook readers. Until a few weeks ago, I didn't like ebooks at all. I don't like to read a novel on a computer screen, nor do I want something bigger and bulkier than your average paperback novel to carry.
Given my current state of joblessness, I decided to give the Baen Free Library a shot to satisfy my voracious appetite for reading material. This actually served two purposes: the book are free and the Zaurus is backlit, so I can read in the dark, thus not disturbing my wife whilst I read at night.
I grabbed some etext reader software and found that some would allow me to rotate the screen sideways. This seems more natural to me when reading. I've never been very good at keeping up with narrow columns when reading.
I started reading. at first, I didn't have a problem. I just kind of accepted that the device was a bit inconvenient for reading. Its a PDA, not a novel, after all! However, after a while, I began thinking about how to improve the situation. Normally, I read one handed, with the other hand behind my head. With the Zaurus in its current form, I couldn't do that, because there was no way to comfortably hold the Zaurus securely AND be able to twist a finger around to apply direct pressure to the D-Pad. The D-Pad was too close to the right edge (bottom edge if I'm holding the Zaurus the way it was intended to be used) of the device. What I needed was to move the D-pad and other controls away from that edge.
Further, I hold books with my left hand, not my right. In the interests of non-exclusivity, I figure everything should have bilateral symmetry, so that someone else could use the device the other way 'round.
It didn't take long before I was playing with my Zaurus trying to get a feel for what was 'right'. The slide cover made an excellent cantilever, but it still moved the controls I wanted out of reach. The keyboard was absolutely useless. The screen, however, was the perfect size (albeit not the perfect resolution). Most of these problems could be aleviated by moving the D-pad over to replace the keyboard. The obvious added benefit is that the buttons are all covered, and thus the device can't be accidentally activated in your pocket or in a bag or briefcase.
Basically, I decided to keep the basic design of the Zaurus (and all the benefits the design has) whilst simplifiying the specific details (thus alleviating the problems the design has). No radical redesign, or 'ground up' design need be done. This basic design pretty much represents what I would consider an ideal ebook reader.
Kasperl, the stylus represents a special problem: I had intended to remove the touch screen as an input device. No touch screen, no stylus. The emphasis is on pure reader functionality, storage capacity and battery life on the technical side and useful industrial design on the physical side. I wanted to avoid the temptation toward inclusive designs, which I consider to be a failing of PDAs as Ebook readers. A reader doesn't need an address book or a keyboard. All it needs is a way to open a file, close a file, bookmark a file, page through the file, and maybe (MAYBE) follow links to other related files.
