[Kulamata]

Untasted though they are, some of us know those grapes must be sour!

I was never interested in the Kindles (low contrast, old eyes) until the PW1, and since then I've also owned PW2, VJR, and soon Oasis. I read in bed, and did very well with the PW's; I thought the PW2 with the genu-wine Amazon case was a superb example of industrial design.

The Voyage with its 300 ppi display's sharper font edges offered an increase in perceived contrast; that part was great. Haptic page-turner-switches and the improved quantum dot LED's were fine, but the variable lighting algorithm got confused (long story, my usage) and I never got comfortable with the Omigame (heh) cover. The alternate book-style after-market Voyage covers were all inferior for various reasons compared to the PW Amazon cover. Had the PW3 arrived before the Voyage, I might have stood pat. (Nah, prolly not.)

So, for all both remaining readers, some Oasis thoughts.

I spent my career in electronic design, primarily telecommunications and audio.

Cost; as has been pointed out, with comparable covers, the Oasis is not as much more expensive than the Voyage as it seems at first glance. Where does the additional cost come in? Only Amazon knows of course, but some hopefully educated guesses:

Two batteries cost more than one, with two sets of charging regulators, and the nifty new connector. Ten LED's; the V upgraded to high efficiency, improved spectrum, quantum dot LED's. I'm guessing that with the emphasis on battery life, the new LED's are even premiumer high efficiency devices.

Heat management. The tighter the layout, the more important heat management/dissipation becomes, and it will cost you one way or another; upgraded components, heat sinks, whatever.

Weight reduction is similar; you won't see the components, but the structurally plated (not cosmetically plated) chassis, and the thinner high strength glass (Gorilla style) and whatever we don't know about will be sapping costs.

Due to the design goals, I'd expect a lot more experimental/prototype designs than usual. Possibly 3D manufactured, but still... and there were possibly several prototype molds as well.

Lower production quantities.

So, all in all, I do not believe that the Oasis is a roaring ripoff, or a turn away from the proven, incredibly successful, Amazon business plan of selling the razor at cost, and selling lots and lots and lots of blades.

So, Ima gonna get my nice cover, one-handed reading comfort, same excellent display, reduced weight, and an adequate merlot.

PS. The PW3 is the sweet spot; an awful lot for the money, does the job really well, and it is all most users will need. But for those with unusual needs, I, for one, am most grateful to Amazon.

PPS. I like the physical design; nice proportions, attractive curves, interesting. Should have fewer inadvertent page flips due to trailing finger syndrome...