In Praise of Oasis 2

[HarryT]

Originally Posted by patrickt

For me the device isn't the issue. Can I get the books I want to read conveniently and at a decent price.

I take entirely the opposite approach. It's exceedingly easy to buy books anywhere I wish and, if necessary, convert to the desired format. Hence choice of reading device is all that really matters.

[ElspethB]

Originally Posted by Futuregrace

I like the size of the forma and the comfort lighting, but it feels cheaper than Oasis 2, oddly I’ve so grown to love the inverted text (at night only) that I prefer the Oasis.

I, too, love the inverted text for night reading. My Oasis lives on my bedside table, and I read for many hours comfortably in the dark without bothering my husband. My Oasis is my favorite reading device for that very reason.

[rja214]

I have both the Forma and the Oasis 2 (don't ask). This will sound strange. I think the Oasis is a better made device and the hardware is clearly superior. Yes, the battery life is awful. The dictionary is much better than Kobo's. Yet, I prefer reading on the Forma. The text formatting and comfort light is terrific. Go figure.

Sent from my moto x4 using Tapatalk

[Wearever]

Originally Posted by Futuregrace

Forma has better battery life, but by very little if you have the wifi turned off.

Thanks, that's good to know.

[Braid]

Originally Posted by rja214

I have both the Forma and the Oasis 2 (don't ask). This will sound strange. I think the Oasis is a better made device and the hardware is clearly superior. Yes, the battery life is awful. The dictionary is much better than Kobo's. Yet, I prefer reading on the Forma. The text formatting and comfort light is terrific. Go figure.

I have a similar experience (with the Aura One and Oasis 2). I keep the Oasis 2 with me most of the time for its better dictionary, more accurate touchscreen, better handling of PDF files, and speedier general operation; overall it is the better choice for doing reading for essays. But when it comes to sitting down and reading a book from start to finish, the Aura One is better: text formatting and progress display are just how I like them.

[Buran]

The Oasis series is great. I'd love the Oasis 1 body size with the Oasis 2 waterproofing and a comfort light.

For now, I continue to use my Oasis 2 and I traded in an old and broken Paperwhite for the waterproof one to tide me over for when I want a smaller screen (which is most of the time; the 7" is too big for my tastes).

Originally Posted by stuartjmz

Out of interest, when you were looking at others, what did you think of the Kobo Forma? A bigger screen,waterproof, with buttons, and adjustable comfort light.

As you know from other threads, I tried one recently, testing it side-by-side with the Oasis, and the Forma is the one I preferred.

Oasis Battery life: My sample of 1 was significantly worse than any e-ink reader I've owned or tried, including those tried recently (Kobo Clara, Forma, PW4, and Oasis). It did meet Amazon's advertised usage of roughly 21 hours with wifi off and light level set at 10. But in contrast, my Forma lasted longer with wifi enabled than Oasis lasted with wifi disabled. Although, I don't think Oasis battery life is a show-stopper for anyone provided you are expecting what Amazon advertises. It lasts 'long enough' for extended reading sessions.

The Oasis screen is meh, for me, given the price of $279.99 for my 32GB version. I expected a lot better for a nearly $300 device. It's barely bigger than the PW4 screen, and not visually any better as far as I can tell. For me and my wife, the Forma's larger screen, with better lighting options including natural lighting, was much preferable. We could get the Forma screen to display beautifully using the natural lighting in nearly any conditions.

The real deal killer for me was the slippery, cheap feeling aluminum surface on the Oasis. Ugh, I cannot believe they designed it with such poor ergos and expect people to cough up $250 to $300 for it, or worse, cough up an additional $12 to $50 for a case, which also adds at least 4oz to the weight. Once again, the Forma's grippy surface and design with the slightly bent edge, felt more deluxe and usable--comfortable to hold without being slippery--and the Forma came out on top for ergos in my review.

The only things I ended up preferring about the Oasis are the wonderful inclusion of the Oxford English Dictionary, the better value vs say the Forma (a 32GB Oasis was the same cost as an 8GB Forma), and the easy access to Amazon's ecosystem. But given that I can have all of those things on my PW4 for a lot less money, I didn't have any compelling reason to keep my Oasis around. It has been gifted to someone who will use it.

Hope that OP continues to enjoy using the Oasis. Regardless of my reaction, they're still a deluxe reader and I get why a lot of folks like them. But I confess it surprises me whenever anyone who has recently tried both, prefers an Oasis over a Forma.

[Steve H]

Originally Posted by Braid

I have a similar experience (with the Aura One and Oasis 2). I keep the Oasis 2 with me most of the time for its better dictionary, more accurate touchscreen, better handling of PDF files, and speedier general operation; overall it is the better choice for doing reading for essays. But when it comes to sitting down and reading a book from start to finish, the Aura One is better: text formatting and progress display are just how I like them.

Consider buying an alternative kindle dictionary like Webster's Third New International Dictionary Unabridged( the best I have seen-much better than the standard Kindle Dictionary), Wordnet, or maybe Collins English Dictionary.

[TheSmitty]

Originally Posted by HarryT

I take entirely the opposite approach. It's exceedingly easy to buy books anywhere I wish and, if necessary, convert to the desired format. Hence choice of reading device is all that really matters.

I assume this involves the “shady” business of removing DRM?

[HarryT]

Originally Posted by TheSmitty

I assume this involves the “shady” business of removing DRM?

Depends where you buy from. Some stores have DRM, others don't. I buy a lot of books from Baen, for example, which does not use DRM.

[cd2013]

Originally Posted by TheSmitty

I assume this involves the “shady” business of removing DRM?

Do you also consider it shady to rip a CD you have bought and convert it to mp3? Or to rip a DVD? So you can play the media you have bought on a phone or another device?

[Pajamaman]

Re: the forma feeling cheaper, it is actually cheaper by about $30 but it is also a bigger 8" vs the Oasis 2 7" and the Kobo has the orange light too. I agree metal feels more premium but I'd almost certainly choose functionality and value over cosmetics. That's just me.

Edit: Got the numbers wrong. The Oasis2 is actually $130 more than the KoboF. Yikes That's $CDN. Not sure how that works out in other countries, but the difference is HUGE when you factor in screen size and color light. I hadn't realized the price and spec difference.

[cd2013]

Aren't the Oasis and the Forma a bit too bulky, though? Can you still hold them comfortably for long periods of time, especially when in bed?

[HarryT]

Originally Posted by cd2013

Aren't the Oasis and the Forma a bit too bulky, though? Can you still hold them comfortably for long periods of time, especially when in bed?

The Oasis, yes, absolutely. I can comfortably read one-handed with it for hours on end.

[Tuneraider]

Originally Posted by Pajamaman

Re: the forma feeling cheaper, it is actually cheaper by about $30 but it is also a bigger 8" vs the Oasis 2 7" and the Kobo has the orange light too. I agree metal feels more premium but I'd almost certainly choose functionality and value over cosmetics. That's just me.

Edit: Got the numbers wrong. The Oasis2 is actually $130 more than the KoboF. Yikes That's $CDN. Not sure how that works out in other countries, but the difference is HUGE when you factor in screen size and color light. I hadn't realized the price and spec difference.

Here's the U.S. prices
Oasis 2 $249.99
https://www.amazon.com/All-New-Amazo...1456825&sr=1-2
Kobo Forma $279.99
https://us.kobobooks.com/products/ko...campaign=Forma
Same price at Walmart too