- have you had issues with the connecting the cover for recharging?
Yes. I don't so much mind having to fiddle with it when I attach it, or even while I'm reading, but it sometimes loses the connection while it's just sitting peacefully on a table (I do try to lay it down v e r y gently). The worst part is that, when it's plugged in and charging, a disconnect means that the cover doesn't get charged -- ironic that my smallest, lightest, most portable ereader is occasionally too weak to leave the house. I bought a second cover, but the connection is no more stable so I guess the problem is with the Oasis itself. If the covers could be charged independently I'd at least be able to ensure that one of them would always be charged. Given the choice, I'd be happy to accept enough additional weight and thickness to have the whole battery onboard.
- what kind of battery life do you experience for the KO1 without the cover?
It varies a lot. I seem to require a higher than average amount of light for comfortable reading (about 14 on the Oasis) so I knew the battery life would be on the low side but going from 100% charged to the first low battery warning can take anywhere from two to six hours of reading time.
- how even is the lighting (it would be great to compare against other kindles you may have owned)?
The lighting on mine is the best of all the Kindles I've owned but, judging from what I've read over the years, that isn't a totally reliable predictor of what your specific device will be like, or of how you'll feel about it.
In addition to the Oasis One I have a PW1 (with some gray blotchiness that never bothered me), and a Voyage (with the worst and most annoying gradient I've ever seen on any ereader of any brand -- pretty much unusable for me). I also had an Oasis Two for about a week but I found it so uncomfortable to hold that I hardly noticed the lighting.