Amazon announces Kindle Oasis

[Bookbot]

I appreciate the justifiable concerns regarding price. However, for me there are three design/feature enhancements that make a big difference:

1) Better front lighting. All Kindles to date have featured very inconsistent lighting which is very distracting to me. For this reason, I currently use a Kobo. It remains to be seen, but if the new Oasis LED arrangement eliminates this then I would consider that a significant improvement.

2) The clean front. Not having "Kindle" branding on the front removes another significant distraction. No printed book has the name of the publisher/printer/distributor in large letters at the bottom of every page. Again, this is why I currently use a Kobo.

3) Physical buttons. The tactile nature of physical buttons for page turning is - in my opinion - the definitive interface for ebooks.

I accept the Oasis meets my niche requirements rather than those of others. The three features/design updates would have been in my top five wish list - so the Oasis represents the best Kindle to date for me.

[Yolina]

Originally Posted by Bookbot

I appreciate the justifiable concerns regarding price. However, for me there are three design/feature enhancements that make a big difference:

1) Better front lighting. All Kindles to date have featured very inconsistent lighting which is very distracting to me. For this reason, I currently use a Kobo. It remains to be seen, but if the new Oasis LED arrangement eliminates this then I would consider that a significant improvement.

2) The clean front. Not having "Kindle" branding on the front removes another significant distraction. No printed book has the name of the publisher/printer/distributor in large letters at the bottom of every page. Again, this is why I currently use a Kobo.

3) Physical buttons. The tactile nature of physical buttons for page turning is - in my opinion - the definitive interface for ebooks.

I accept the Oasis meets my niche requirements rather than those of others. The three features/design updates would have been in my top five wish list - so the Oasis represents the best Kindle to date for me.

Your 2) and 3) are the only things I like about the Oasis I put skins my Kindles (quality matt ones from Decalgirl) to take care of the logo.
That great big obnoxious logo on both sides of the cover for the Oasis is the stuff of nightmares though

[issybird]

Jeff has been spinning that line about getting lost in the story and the device disappearing since the first Kindle. I pretty much buy it, but I also bought it many devices ago. That said, the biggest factor for me in regard to the device disappearing is a bigger screen, so I'm not tapping/swiping/button-pushing as frequently.

As an aside, I don't know how mimicking the feel of a book spine in your hand means the device is fading into the background. Why would aspects of reading paper books that have nothing at all to do with the act of reading itself factor into design?

[Shane R]

Originally Posted by aceflor

The more information I get on the Oasis, the more I like my Voyage and my H2O.

Originally Posted by Bookbot

I appreciate the justifiable concerns regarding price. However, for me there are three design/feature enhancements that make a big difference:

1) Better front lighting. All Kindles to date have featured very inconsistent lighting which is very distracting to me. For this reason, I currently use a Kobo. It remains to be seen, but if the new Oasis LED arrangement eliminates this then I would consider that a significant improvement.

2) The clean front. Not having "Kindle" branding on the front removes another significant distraction. No printed book has the name of the publisher/printer/distributor in large letters at the bottom of every page. Again, this is why I currently use a Kobo.

3) Physical buttons. The tactile nature of physical buttons for page turning is - in my opinion - the definitive interface for ebooks.

I accept the Oasis meets my niche requirements rather than those of others. The three features/design updates would have been in my top five wish list - so the Oasis represents the best Kindle to date for me.

Originally Posted by lkmiller

I'm fine with others who think the features and the price are worth it, but I'm personally disappointed. It's like they used a focus group of people that are my absolute polar opposites.

Ain't diversity grand?!

[Josieb1]

Originally Posted by issybird

Jeff has been spinning that line about getting lost in the story and the device disappearing since the first Kindle. I pretty much buy it, but I also bought it many devices ago. That said, the biggest factor for me in regard to the device disappearing is a bigger screen, so I'm not tapping/swiping/button-pushing as frequently.

As an aside, I don't know how mimicking the feel of a book spine in your hand means the device is fading into the background. Why would aspects of reading paper books that have nothing at all to do with the act of reading itself factor into design?

I don't recall a physical book disappearing, I still had to turn pages, so I don't get this obsession with the device disappearing tbh.

[Yolina]

Originally Posted by Josieb1

I don't recall a physical book disappearing, I still had to turn pages, so I don't get this obsession with the device disappearing tbh.

But, but, but... MARKETING!

[Shane R]

Originally Posted by Josieb1

I don't recall a physical book disappearing, I still had to turn pages, so I don't get this obsession with the device disappearing tbh.

I think what they mean is that you become so absorbed that you forget everything else, including the medium that the words are carried by.

[Terisa de morgan]

Originally Posted by Shane R

I think what they mean is that you become so absorbed that you forget everything else, including the medium that the words are carried by.

That happens to me if I like the book aside of the device. If my eyes go to a point which is not the books, the fault is not in the device but in the book.

[Josieb1]

Originally Posted by Terisa de morgan

That happens to me if I like the book aside of the device. If my eyes go to a point which is not the books, the fault is not in the device but in the book.

Exactly! It's got nothing to do with the device or book but all to do with the story.

[Shane R]

Petition.

https://www.change.org/p/amazon-offe...e-kindle-oasis

Do not think this will have a big effect.

[Atunah]

Well for me the shape of this kindle would hopefully help me from getting cramps. So with that I don't get distracted by having to shake out my wrists or constantly change hands. I do get in the story sometimes and forget and then I have pain the rest of the day in my wrists. I think its not just the thickness on that end, its also the part where the thickness ends, so the fingers have something to "grab' onto. That to me is part of the wedge feeling. Besides the weight distribution.

So yeah, I can get lost in a story, I just like to do with without pain after.

[issybird]

Originally Posted by Josieb1

I don't recall a physical book disappearing, I still had to turn pages, so I don't get this obsession with the device disappearing tbh.

Originally Posted by Yolina

But, but, but... MARKETING!

We're on the same page, ladies. What's a page?

[DiapDealer]

The fault does not always lie with the book if my eyes (or mind) get distracted. One device-only issue that has always plagued me is page-turn failures due to touch-screen sensitivity. That never happened to me with physical page-turn buttons. I have no experience with haptic buttons, but the foolproof page-turns provided by physical buttons are definitely something that would help a device "go away" for me.

[disconnected]

I've ordered one because even screen lighting is the single most important feature to me and, to be honest, because it's a new gadget.

The marketing-speak of the product page very nearly kept me from ordering it though.

My hands are weak enough that I mostly use both hands to hold my ereaders (and often prop them against a pillow as well). I normally have both thumbs resting against the front of the reader, below the screen, and let go with my right hand to tap the screen to turn the page. It's not the most efficient method but it's the easiest way for me.

I'm not at all sure the bottom bezel of the Oasis is going to be wide enough to hold it like that. Or that in trying to find a comfortable holding position I'll be accidentally pressing the page buttons (the manual doesn't say whether or not they can be disabled). I'm also not sure that flipping it so the power button is on the bottom is going to make it too easy to accidentally putt it to sleep when it's resting on something -- the power button appears to stick out rather than being flush with the device, or recessed.

I almost cancelled last night around three am when all the doubts started creeping in but I guess I'll wait at least until some of the early reviews from actual customers start coming out before doing anything rash.

[Jason90]

Originally Posted by Shane R

I think what they mean is that you become so absorbed that you forget everything else, including the medium that the words are carried by.

But for me unless the book isn't very interesting i never consciously think about the kindle,when your mind is busy enjoying and learning something it usually fixates itself onto that.

If people have physical pain holding a pw3 or voyage i guess they will appreciate the sacrifice of battery over formfactor out of necessity.