Peter just gave me the CG Kindle to play with and I love it. To get books, instantly, on a very readable screen is amazing. I bought two books I wanted to read but didn’t really want to own hard copies of — when you have limited shelf space, you limit your book purchases — and I’m enjoying the device immensely. However, I’ve discovered the design decision behind its major flaw — the next and previous buttons being in a horrible position. Here is my theory.

The geeks currently using the Kindle now are readers. They respect books and don’t like to fold them or otherwise mangle them. They are epitomized by the image above — respectful, intelligent, and ready to learn.

She thinks it’s about tanning.

This is where the designers found their inspiration. First, homegirl isn’t going to sit there in that nice chiffon dress for very long and doesn’t read much so she holds the book at the bottom, ensuring she has to move her hand every page. Heck, she may even fold the book over, cracking the spine. She’ll hold it anywhere but the sides, but her opposable thumbs are free to tap the left and right margins at will. Therefore, we can presume that Amazon’s designers are illiterate.