Comments after one week with the Oasis

Hollow Man · 12-12-2016, 11:03 AM

Granted there were probably a lot of threads like this back when the Oasis came out, but hey, maybe someone will get something out of it now!

I upgraded to an Oasis last week after deciding it was time to move on from my six year old Kindle Keyboard. It's a big step up in so many ways: the light (which is very even compared to a clip-on light), faster page refreshes, higher resolution screen, variety of fonts, no bezel, and the new Kindle Format 10, to name a few.

The different shape and lower battery life out of the charging cover doesn't bother me. The shape and weight is comfortable, and it's quick if you want to put it in the other hand (which I never do, but if I did, it's fast to respond to the flip). When put back in the cover, it seems to charge to somewhere between 90-94%, then stop charging.

The things that are taking some getting used to are are the color of the screen (which is weird off grey/green/yellow color rather than the grey of my Kindle Keyboard) and the lighter fonts. I got so used to the font of my Kindle Keyboard, which is much heavier/bolder than what's on the Oasis, that it's taking time to get used to. The font "heaviness" seems about the same as my wife's first generation Paperwhite though.

It's been miserable and cold around here, so I can't go out in bright daylight to see what I think of the screen without the light. Indoors the light definitely makes me forget about the weird color of the screen, since I simply set the light to something that makes it white-ish, and not too harsh on the eyes.

At some point I'll just be able to enjoy reading, but right now I'm still in analysis mode!

-HM

JSWolf · 12-12-2016, 11:11 AM

If you have to analyze, then it's not for you. You want a Reader that you just read with and have no need to analyze. Get a Voyage. You'll stop analyzing and get to reading.

Hollow Man · 12-12-2016, 11:15 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JSWolf

If you have to analyze, then it's not for you. You want a Reader that you just read with and have no need to analyze. Get a Voyage. You'll stop analyzing and get to reading.

It's my personality, not the device.

I tried the Voyage. It was very similar, but with those haptic buttons, which I didn't like. I suspect the screen is exactly the same (although possibly a little darker with the fonts if inspected closely, which some here have stated).

i.e. going to a Voyage won't change the fact that I'll still examine it with a sharp eye and find so called "faults".

-HM

Atunah · 12-12-2016, 11:42 AM

I do the same, analyzing everything. When I went from my keyboard to the first lighted kindle, I too had quite a bit of adjusting to do. Unfortunately in my case, I never could get used to the lack of buttons and my first PW was very uneven in light. Then I got the Voyage and the light was much better and at least I had some sort of buttons again. I was never happy though with those faux buttons and I had trouble using them while holding the device without dropping it.

But the Oasis kind of brought me back to the early kindles with true buttons. It is so light I can hold it with no pain. Its perfect for my reading needs.

The screens to look different on the lighted ones. I think you'll get used to it. Think you read for years on one kind of screen, so it takes time. Same with the fonts. I agree that the keyboard and the first basic kindle still have the best font and contrast of the font to my eyes. I think this is both because of the lower resolution and no light layers on them. For me the higher resolution has actually worked against my eyes. Fonts got thinner, maybe sharper, but thinner.

But it is what it is and I got used to it after a while. I can't read without a light anymore so its a moot point. Playing with the light level was something I did and I have now settled at #10 for me inside and #8 at night reading in bed with a side lamp. I need the screen just a bit "whiter" but not glowing. As soon as it glows, I know its turned on too high. I have treated all my lighted kindles this way. I compared it to my keyboard and its really only a couple of shades lighter than the keyboard the way I have my light set. Just enough to make it have good contrast. If I "see" the light, its too high.

But that is a personal thing.

Sirtel · 12-12-2016, 11:43 AM

Glad you like your new Oasis.

I still analyze my Kindles every time I open the cover, but that doesn't stop me from enjoying the reading. I would do it with any other reader too, if I owned one. Some people just are weird like that.

Hollow Man · 12-12-2016, 11:53 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Atunah

I need the screen just a bit "whiter" but not glowing. As soon as it glows, I know its turned on too high. I have treated all my lighted kindles this way. I compared it to my keyboard and its really only a couple of shades lighter than the keyboard the way I have my light set. Just enough to make it have good contrast. If I "see" the light, its too high.

Same here. When it's obviously glowing than it feels too much like an iPad, so I set it to mimic, the best I can, white paper.

The darkness of the fonts are the trickier thing. I mean, it's not as light as my wife's old Kindle 2, but it's a definitely difference from the Kindle Keyboard. I still can't tell if it's darkness of the text thing or a font thing, but I'm leaning towards the latter.

-HM

Hollow Man · 12-12-2016, 11:55 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sirtel

I still analyze my Kindles every time I open the cover, but that doesn't stop me from enjoying the reading. I would do it with any other reader too, if I owned one. Some people just are weird like that.

Yeah, I'm weird like that. I got some kind of perverse pleasure out of staring at all three operating Kindles in the house (how stupid of me not to have gotten the Kindle 2 charged and add it to the mix!) at the same time.

-HM

barryem · 12-12-2016, 03:37 PM

I'm both ways. When I get a new device, Kindle or tablet or laptop, I look it over every which way and compare it with my older devices and that gets me interested in re-examining them as well.

All this is entirely apart from reading. When I read I forget all about that stuff and just read.

I think the lesson is that it's okay for analytical people to read, too.

Barry

kaibob · 12-12-2016, 04:47 PM

Hollow Man. Thanks for the helpful review. I hope you will post an update after spending a few weeks with your Oasis.

Hollow Man · 01-03-2017, 03:18 PM

A few more weeks, a few more thoughts:

I still like the Oasis. I have no desire to get rid of it.

I spent some time converting some titles to KFX format, setting the cover art, and sideloading them to the Oasis. That works nicely, and I thank those on the forums here and out there on various other pages of the Interwebz with the info on how to do that effectively with Calibre.

One title I sideloaded seemed to not want to stay in a collection, but I think it's working now. I blame it on the weirdness of the new cloud collection feature.

The battery life the way I use the thing, with a fully charged cover, is probably between 16 and 25 hours. Yesterday, without the cover (light at 12 or 14, airplane mode), I got about 4-5 hours of reading in before it got to about 10%. My estimation is the cover can fully charge the Oasis 4-5 times before it too needs a full recharge.

The recharging behavior is still peculiar. Once, I plugged both into the wall overnight, and while the cover charged to 100%, the Oasis itself only got to about 88%. After waking it, it started charging again just fine.

Not much else to report. In general, I'm not dwelling on its peculiarities (all electronics have them!), and am just focusing on reading.

-HM

NullNix · 01-04-2017, 06:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hollow Man

The recharging behavior is still peculiar. Once, I plugged both into the wall overnight, and while the cover charged to 100%, the Oasis itself only got to about 88%. After waking it, it started charging again just fine.

Yeah. I'm just assuming the Kindle knows better than I do what it needs -- my old one always charged to precisely 94% unless it was plugged into AC (or the cover ran out, of course), while the new (refurbished) one often does that, but sometimes lets it drop to 80% and sometimes charges it all the way up to 100%. Different battery and/or battery-circuit state of some sort, I guess...

Hollow Man · 01-04-2017, 08:05 PM

Last night I plugged it into the wall and both the cover and Oasis got to 100%. I noticed when I opened it that it was not in deep sleep mode, and I think the time the Oasis got only to 88% while plugged in it was in deep sleep mode.

I also still have problems with one (and only one!) sideloaded book that likes to escape from the collection I've filed it in. This tends to manifest itself when I get a new book directly from Amazon, but not always. If this continues to happen I'll try deleting the book and re-adding it.

-HM

NullNix · 01-05-2017, 10:27 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hollow Man

Last night I plugged it into the wall and both the cover and Oasis got to 100%. I noticed when I opened it that it was not in deep sleep mode, and I think the time the Oasis got only to 88% while plugged in it was in deep sleep mode.

Curious. I thought that not sleeping, and charging to 100%, when plugged in was invariable, but clearly not...

patrickt · 01-05-2017, 12:12 PM

Kindle has reached a level of maturity where we have three truly excellent options for reading: Kindle Paperwhite, Kindle Voyage, Kindle Oasis.

I've not owned the Oasis but I have owned the Paperwhite and voyage. I prefer the Paperwhite. I know people who prefer the Voyage and I suspect some prefer the Oasas.

And, Kindle, bless their little heart, are still sending updates to the Oasis, Voyage, and the last two versions of the Paperwhite. I'm eagerly waiting for the Paperwhite with ten LED lights.

I think it's great since I just want to read.

Pajamaman · 01-05-2017, 03:29 PM

It seems a backward step to me when contrast was darker with fonts in previous generation of devices.

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12-12-2016, 11:03 AM	#1
Hollow Man Addict Posts: 259 Karma: 1645894 Join Date: Feb 2011 Location: Connecticut Device: Kindle Oasis, Kindle Keyboard, iPhone 13 Pro, iPad Air	Comments after one week with the Oasis Granted there were probably a lot of threads like this back when the Oasis came out, but hey, maybe someone will get something out of it now! I upgraded to an Oasis last week after deciding it was time to move on from my six year old Kindle Keyboard. It's a big step up in so many ways: the light (which is very even compared to a clip-on light), faster page refreshes, higher resolution screen, variety of fonts, no bezel, and the new Kindle Format 10, to name a few. The different shape and lower battery life out of the charging cover doesn't bother me. The shape and weight is comfortable, and it's quick if you want to put it in the other hand (which I never do, but if I did, it's fast to respond to the flip). When put back in the cover, it seems to charge to somewhere between 90-94%, then stop charging. The things that are taking some getting used to are are the color of the screen (which is weird off grey/green/yellow color rather than the grey of my Kindle Keyboard) and the lighter fonts. I got so used to the font of my Kindle Keyboard, which is much heavier/bolder than what's on the Oasis, that it's taking time to get used to. The font "heaviness" seems about the same as my wife's first generation Paperwhite though. It's been miserable and cold around here, so I can't go out in bright daylight to see what I think of the screen without the light. Indoors the light definitely makes me forget about the weird color of the screen, since I simply set the light to something that makes it white-ish, and not too harsh on the eyes. At some point I'll just be able to enjoy reading, but right now I'm still in analysis mode! -HM

12-12-2016, 11:11 AM	#2
JSWolf Resident Curmudgeon Posts: 73,998 Karma: 128903378 Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Roslindale, Massachusetts Device: Kobo Libra 2, Kobo Aura H2O, PRS-650, PRS-T1, nook STR, PW3	If you have to analyze, then it's not for you. You want a Reader that you just read with and have no need to analyze. Get a Voyage. You'll stop analyzing and get to reading.

12-12-2016, 11:42 AM	#4
Atunah Wizard Posts: 1,817 Karma: 23400001 Join Date: May 2012 Location: USA Device: K1/K3/BasicK Voyage/Oasis1/Oasis3	I do the same, analyzing everything. When I went from my keyboard to the first lighted kindle, I too had quite a bit of adjusting to do. Unfortunately in my case, I never could get used to the lack of buttons and my first PW was very uneven in light. Then I got the Voyage and the light was much better and at least I had some sort of buttons again. I was never happy though with those faux buttons and I had trouble using them while holding the device without dropping it. But the Oasis kind of brought me back to the early kindles with true buttons. It is so light I can hold it with no pain. Its perfect for my reading needs. The screens to look different on the lighted ones. I think you'll get used to it. Think you read for years on one kind of screen, so it takes time. Same with the fonts. I agree that the keyboard and the first basic kindle still have the best font and contrast of the font to my eyes. I think this is both because of the lower resolution and no light layers on them. For me the higher resolution has actually worked against my eyes. Fonts got thinner, maybe sharper, but thinner. But it is what it is and I got used to it after a while. I can't read without a light anymore so its a moot point. Playing with the light level was something I did and I have now settled at #10 for me inside and #8 at night reading in bed with a side lamp. I need the screen just a bit "whiter" but not glowing. As soon as it glows, I know its turned on too high. I have treated all my lighted kindles this way. I compared it to my keyboard and its really only a couple of shades lighter than the keyboard the way I have my light set. Just enough to make it have good contrast. If I "see" the light, its too high. But that is a personal thing.

12-12-2016, 11:43 AM	#5
Sirtel Grand Sorcerer Posts: 10,142 Karma: 224760044 Join Date: Jan 2014 Location: Estonia Device: Kobo Sage & Libra 2	Glad you like your new Oasis. I still analyze my Kindles every time I open the cover, but that doesn't stop me from enjoying the reading. I would do it with any other reader too, if I owned one. Some people just are weird like that.

12-12-2016, 03:37 PM	#8
barryem Wizard Posts: 2,459 Karma: 68781975 Join Date: Oct 2012 Location: Arkansas Device: Paperwhite 4	I'm both ways. When I get a new device, Kindle or tablet or laptop, I look it over every which way and compare it with my older devices and that gets me interested in re-examining them as well. All this is entirely apart from reading. When I read I forget all about that stuff and just read. I think the lesson is that it's okay for analytical people to read, too. Barry

12-12-2016, 04:47 PM	#9
kaibob Connoisseur Posts: 79 Karma: 1574 Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: Prescott, AZ Device: Paperwhite 3	Hollow Man. Thanks for the helpful review. I hope you will post an update after spending a few weeks with your Oasis.

01-03-2017, 03:18 PM	#10
Hollow Man Addict Posts: 259 Karma: 1645894 Join Date: Feb 2011 Location: Connecticut Device: Kindle Oasis, Kindle Keyboard, iPhone 13 Pro, iPad Air	A few more weeks, a few more thoughts: I still like the Oasis. I have no desire to get rid of it. I spent some time converting some titles to KFX format, setting the cover art, and sideloading them to the Oasis. That works nicely, and I thank those on the forums here and out there on various other pages of the Interwebz with the info on how to do that effectively with Calibre. One title I sideloaded seemed to not want to stay in a collection, but I think it's working now. I blame it on the weirdness of the new cloud collection feature. The battery life the way I use the thing, with a fully charged cover, is probably between 16 and 25 hours. Yesterday, without the cover (light at 12 or 14, airplane mode), I got about 4-5 hours of reading in before it got to about 10%. My estimation is the cover can fully charge the Oasis 4-5 times before it too needs a full recharge. The recharging behavior is still peculiar. Once, I plugged both into the wall overnight, and while the cover charged to 100%, the Oasis itself only got to about 88%. After waking it, it started charging again just fine. Not much else to report. In general, I'm not dwelling on its peculiarities (all electronics have them!), and am just focusing on reading. -HM

01-04-2017, 08:05 PM	#12
Hollow Man Addict Posts: 259 Karma: 1645894 Join Date: Feb 2011 Location: Connecticut Device: Kindle Oasis, Kindle Keyboard, iPhone 13 Pro, iPad Air	Last night I plugged it into the wall and both the cover and Oasis got to 100%. I noticed when I opened it that it was not in deep sleep mode, and I think the time the Oasis got only to 88% while plugged in it was in deep sleep mode. I also still have problems with one (and only one!) sideloaded book that likes to escape from the collection I've filed it in. This tends to manifest itself when I get a new book directly from Amazon, but not always. If this continues to happen I'll try deleting the book and re-adding it. -HM

01-05-2017, 12:12 PM	#14
patrickt Wizard Posts: 1,221 Karma: 8381518 Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: Oaxaca, Mexico Device: Paperwhite 4 X 2	Kindle has reached a level of maturity where we have three truly excellent options for reading: Kindle Paperwhite, Kindle Voyage, Kindle Oasis. I've not owned the Oasis but I have owned the Paperwhite and voyage. I prefer the Paperwhite. I know people who prefer the Voyage and I suspect some prefer the Oasas. And, Kindle, bless their little heart, are still sending updates to the Oasis, Voyage, and the last two versions of the Paperwhite. I'm eagerly waiting for the Paperwhite with ten LED lights. I think it's great since I just want to read.

01-05-2017, 03:29 PM	#15
Pajamaman Wizard Posts: 2,827 Karma: 10700629 Join Date: May 2016 Location: Canada Device: Onyx Nova	It seems a backward step to me when contrast was darker with fonts in previous generation of devices.

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