Amazon announces Kindle Oasis

[tubemonkey]

Originally Posted by WT Sharpe

It's designed for one-handed holding. The thicker side gives you a place to rest your thumb without obscuring the screen.

That I know, but looking at those pics, one end of the thicker side appears wider than the other end of that same side. It looks to be angled.

[Cinisajoy]

I would say 10,000 would be the absolute fewest they would manufacture. My guess would actually be 100,000.
Since Amazon has millions of customers, I figure at least 1% will be ordering the Oasis.
I am probably figuring way low.
Let me do a bit of figuring.
Brb.
Thus far there are 76 posters in this thread. Of those 76, 4 will be or have pre-ordered an Oasis.
That is 5%. It doesn't sound like much here, but if it holds and Amazon has 5 million customers, they will sell at least 250,000.

[AkiraReader]

Who is the target audience here?

- At this price point, avg consumer will buy an iPad and read from that
- Not enough features to justify any of us to upgrade
- Avg eReader shopper won't spend that much money for a 6" device when they can buy one for $99 that looks REALLY similar

[WT Sharpe]

Originally Posted by tubemonkey

That I know, but looking at those pics, one end of the thicker side appears wider than the other end of that same side. It looks to be angled.

That's so your grip won't slip even after a banana binge.

[BobDyl]

I'm the target market for this device. I have bought the newest, top of the line Kindle every generation going back to the beginning. But ... I have a rueful smile on my face at just how awful this iteration is - I'm hoping Amazon lowers the price of the Voyage (again) because I would pick a second one up to have a brand new backup for my current one. In any case and FWIW:

- Doesn't Amazon know that half the fun of the Kindle is debating case options on Mobile Read for months and years on end? An included cover? - FAIL

- The cover isn't really a cover. If I'm interpreting the images correctly, the cover only covers the thin part of the back of the Oasis. OK, so when I lay my $290 Oasis down on a dirty table (or rock ledge, or sand, or whatever) a good chunk of the actual device is exposed to be scratched up. Sorry, that's not really a cover - FAIL

- A highly distracting, asymmetric design on a device intended to "disappear" when being used. Decades of screen design and refinement have proved that there's no market for asymmetric screen designs. Hence our boring yet invisible rectangles - FAIL

- More problems with asymmetry: one, when reading at night and rolling over from one side to the other, your going to have to flip the damn thing so the screen rotates and the buttons are on the top side. Also, the cover isn't going to work as a stand. How in h*ll is this better than the Kindle Voyage with the elegant Origami cover? - FAIL

- Yet more problems with asymmetry: the damn thing is square, even less pocketable that the current versions - FAIL

- One last problem with asymmetry: it's really and truly fugly - FAIL

- Losing haptic buttons. I know, I know, there are thousands of pages on mobile read lamenting the loss of the physical buttons but I really believe they got it right with the Voyage's (symmetrical) buttons. Utterly silent when reading at night next to your partner, adjustable haptic feedback, highly responsive. No more clicking for me, thank you - FAIL

- Price - FAIL

- Same size screen, resolution as the Voyage and no waterproofing - FAIL FAIL FAIL

So of course I preordered one (just kidding).

Please take all this with a grain of salt, I'm sure some will love this device and defend it to the death ... at least until the 9th generation comes out fixing all the problems of this one. I'm going to buy that one for sure!

[Bob B]

Price is way too high for an e-reader. People complained about the Voyage price! Yes, I understand it includes a charging cover, but please, $300 for an e-reader? They need to offer this without the cover for maybe $140 or less to get my attention. Otherwise, I am perfectly happy with my Paperwhite.

[emellaich]

Originally Posted by ezzkmo

Well that and not wanting to pay to manufacture tens of thousands and have them just sit and collect dust either. I feel like the first run is always limited to "test" the waters and see how many actually get ordered.

Remember the Fire Phone? Yeah me either.

Yeah everyone pretends its a conspiracy to run out early, but its also basic math. Say your margin is 30% on a hundred dollar device,

If you have one more in inventory than you can sell you lose $70. If you have one too few you lose a sale and it costs $30. Its cheaper to be under stocked.

This is overly simplistic, but writedowns like the fire phone are expensive. Shortages on hot products can be made up with later deliveries as long as demand doesn't disappear. Which it doesn't, a hot product in short supply becomes even more attractive.

[Kolja]

I just ordered one knowing I have the option to cancel. I don't want to decide that I want it and then have to wait a month to get it. I ordered the WiFi without special offers with the merlot case. There is no shipping date at this time even with pre-ordering.

[SCION]

I just ordered the Wi-Fi/3G model. Been wanting the flush glass screen. Passed on the Voyage (tried 7 units) due to "seeing" yellowish brown discoloration in the top 1/2, 1/3 of display. Was waiting on the Voyage 2. Hope this works for me. Delivery date is 4/27.

[Crhis]

I've pre-ordered even at the jacked up UK exchange rate. Does no-one here every try to hold their Kindle above them in one hand while they lie down? Even sitting down with my legs out I struggle to hold my Voyage in one hand for any significant length of time before I wind up scrunching my knees in to rest it on.

I use my Kindle for an hour plus every day and I'm happy to pay for any upgrades to something that I hold in my hands so often.

[emellaich]

If you are using it naked, I wonder how it will lay down on a table? Flat with the screen cantilevered in the air, or tilted over resting on the edge of the screen and the edge of the bulge?

Hopefully flat or pressing the buttons would be a pain.

[Cinisajoy]

At BobDyl,
To you it is a fail. To others, no.
This ereader is nothing more than a new option.
It will please some but not others.

Oh and for the record, I won't be getting one.
Design is ok, cover is ok.
But I really don't need a lighted ereader. Mine works just fine.

[the.Mtn.Man]

Originally Posted by strico

There it is:
http://www.amazon.com/New-Leather-Ch...&redirect=true

That price.

[BobDyl]

Originally Posted by Cinisajoy

At BobDyl,
To you it is a fail. To others, no.
This ereader is nothing more than a new option.
It will please some but not others.

Oh and for the record, I won't be getting one.
Design is ok, cover is ok.
But I really don't need a lighted ereader. Mine works just fine.

Cinisajoy - yep, those are my opinions, thanks for reminding me.

[tubemonkey]

Originally Posted by WT Sharpe

That's so your grip won't slip even after a banana binge.

...right now, I'm on a tuna kick. So dry hands since the water springs out