Bye, Kindle: 3 companies whose e-readers have real buttons
Boy, my wife is mad at Amazon for killing the amazing Oasis line of premium Kindle e-readers. I, too, am upset—he’s about to be upgraded and the holidays are right around the corner.
You love Oasis buttons—visible, tactile, clickable, tried-and-true page-opening buttons. Amazon says it’s going all-in on “forward” devices—meaning no more buttons.
Fortunately in today’s touchscreen-dominated world, several e-reader manufacturers continue to champion the tactile feel of page-turning buttons.
Here are some unsung heroes who keep the tradition alive.
Barnes & Noble
Despite facing stiff competition in the e-reader market, Barnes & Noble has been including physical buttons in its Nook line of devices.
The latest offerings from the GlowLight series of e-readers start at $150 and include modern features like adjustable color temperature and USB-C charging. And buttons, of course.
As a bookseller, Barnes & Noble offers a wide variety of downloadable content in its store. If you’re worried about easily missing out on downloading books to your Kindle, you’ll feel right at home here.
Kobo
Rakuten’s Kobo has emerged as a leading player in the e-reader market by balancing innovation with traditional features.
While not all of its models include physical buttons, its premium devices like the $220 Libra Color and the $270 Sage show a commitment to tactile controls.
These devices also support bonus features like stylus input and note taking.
An onyx box
ONYX BOOX has carved a unique niche by creating a variety of E Ink devices that bridge the gap between e-readers and tablets.
The 7-inch Boox Page costs $220 and puts e-reading features front and center. Under the hood, however, it has a powerful chipset and runs Android, making it ideal for activities beyond book reading such as simple web browsing and third-party app usage.
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