I'd have picked up the View, except it was heavier than the Galaxy Tab, and a ton more expensive than the Fire. Now my daily e-reader is the Nexus 7 best of both worlds, light and inexpensive.
If HTC were to do it now, I wouldn't want an all aluminium chassis actually, that's far too heavy. At that size if you want to go with premium materials, you have to switch to Carbon Fiber, or maybe a Magnesium Alloy. Seriously at 7 inches or bigger, weight becomes a MUCH more serious issue than material feel.