Oasis Ergonomics Discussion

[NullNix]

Originally Posted by disconnected

What? My hand must not be constructed like yours. I can't even imagine that configuration, never mind get my hand into it.

I'd take a photo, but... the Kindle's in the way!

... hm, maybe two photos, one from underneath?

[Nate the great]

It's too thin for me as well.

Originally Posted by emellaich

Well, I've had my Oasis for a couple of hours and I like it enough to keep it ... but the ergonomics were not quite what I've been expecting. I'm writing this for those of you who have commented about aging joints/grips. I wonder if any of you other Oasis owners have had similar reactions.

The issue is that the grip is not quite as good as I expected. The bulge isn't big enough to hold and the angled bevel where the cover connects is smooth and slippery enough that I can't grasp the bulge. As a result I am still left 'pinching' the edge to get a firm grip. The wider edge does help, but it doesn't make it effortless.

I find that in order to make sure it doesn't slip out of my hand I need to get some part of my hand underneath the bottom of the device. Interestingly, all of the pictures on the Amazon page show a bottom grip. I suspect you would need to reverse the page buttons for this kind of grip (see pics from amazon.com oasis page below).

Speaking of page buttons, they are excellent and are a much more consistent method of page turning than the voyage buttons or using a touch screen.

[HarryT]

Originally Posted by Nate the great

It's too thin for me as well.

I find that many modern readers are. That's one reason I always use a cover - the added thickness makes it much more comfortable to hold.

[willdude]

Just my two cents, but after a couple days with the Oasis, I'm not a big fan of the ergonomics relative to my PW1. I like the bulk and wide bezels for gripping of my PW1 in the Amazon leather case. The Oasis is a bit too thin to hold comfortably without a case, even on the wider button side. The case helps a bit in adding heft, but the non-button edge is still a little too thin to comfortably hold one-handed, and it's annoying having to rotate 180-degrees every time I want to change hands. I think a Voyage with physical buttons is more what I'd want, but barring that, I'm leaning toward returning the Oasis for a PW3 for the improved hardware and same form-factor.

[emellaich]

So, here is an idea that I am considering. I wondered about making the angled edge easier to grip. I was thinking about testing if there are actually magnets in the edge. If there are magnets, I would
- cut a strip of magnet off a magnet sheet (available at craft stores).
- On the 'outside' of the strip I would glue something to add grip. Could use fine sandpaper? Tacky rubber? Something else.

Then when I remove the Oasis from the case, I would slap on the mag strip for grip.

Any ideas on what to put on the outside of the mag strip?

[tovare]

I got really into holding it yesterday, and I discovered I´m more a lefty-reader with the cover off. The right arm reserved for coffee :-)

[Nate the great]

Originally Posted by HarryT

I find that many modern readers are. That's one reason I always use a cover - the added thickness makes it much more comfortable to hold.

Yes, which is another reason I find the whole obsession with thin mobile devices to be ridiculous.

[odamizu]

Originally Posted by NullNix

Yeah, I just figured out the other right way to hold it, so it rests on the thumb side of your index finger and the pads of your third, fourth and fifth fingers. Like that, in my hand at least, it tilts so that my thumb contacts the upper page-turn button, my wrist is neither tilted nor bent and the weight goes straight into the palm of my hand. It's sufficiently stress-free in that position that it almost feels like I'm not holding anything at all.

Magic (well, good design).

This is how I hold it, too. As you note, it's almost like holding air

[TallMomof2]

I have large hands and arthritis and I find the Oasis pretty easy to grip.

I rest the bottom on my palm and pinky, the back against the pads of my first three fingers and my thumb on top. It's not so much a grip as a rest. It's the easiest to hold since the original Kindle and better than that because I can hold it left handed which it my preference.

[Bob B]

Originally Posted by emellaich

...Any ideas on what to put on the outside of the mag strip?

Thumbtacks? (point side out, of course)

[emellaich]

Originally Posted by Bob B

Thumbtacks? (point side out, of course)

I don't think that will do it. You are supposed to sit on thumbtacks, not grip them.

Maybe for fingers I could go natural and use thorns from a rose bush?

[nurseshelly]

Originally Posted by emellaich

Well, I've had my Oasis for a couple of hours and I like it enough to keep it ... but the ergonomics were not quite what I've been expecting. I'm writing this for those of you who have commented about aging joints/grips. I wonder if any of you other Oasis owners have had similar reactions.

The issue is that the grip is not quite as good as I expected. The bulge isn't big enough to hold and the angled bevel where the cover connects is smooth and slippery enough that I can't grasp the bulge. As a result I am still left 'pinching' the edge to get a firm grip. The wider edge does help, but it doesn't make it effortless.

I find that in order to make sure it doesn't slip out of my hand I need to get some part of my hand underneath the bottom of the device. Interestingly, all of the pictures on the Amazon page show a bottom grip. I suspect you would need to reverse the page buttons for this kind of grip (see pics from amazon.com oasis page below).

Speaking of page buttons, they are excellent and are a much more consistent method of page turning than the voyage buttons or using a touch screen.

I had the same issues you have when holding on the fatter side.
I end up holding it with one hand with the corner in my palm and then my two bottom fingers in front, my middle finger in back, and my index finger in front. I use the page change buttons with my thumb. Sometimes I reverse my fingers but still have one on the opposite side for stability and use my thumb to change pages.
With the cover on I hold it with all of my fingers in back and turn pages with my thumb and the corner resting in my palm. The cover makes it grip enough that it feels secure. Without the cover I can't hold it this way because it slips.

[Siavahda]

I have been considering buying the Oasis for the ergonomic grip, because I have extremely bad wrist and finger pain, but doesn't the cover erase the ergonomic grip? I was looking at pictures and it looks to me like if you want the grip, you can't be using the cover at the same time because the cover 'fills in' the difference in thickness between the ergonomic 'bump' and the main body of the Kindle.

Is this true? It's seriously disappointing if it is, because a Kindle would never survive my lifestyle without a good cover. It would definitely mean the Oasis isn't for me; I'd happily drop the extra dollars for a good ergonomic Kindle, but if it isn't ergonomic at all with a cover on...

[Jason90]

Originally Posted by Siavahda

I have been considering buying the Oasis for the ergonomic grip, because I have extremely bad wrist and finger pain, but doesn't the cover erase the ergonomic grip? I was looking at pictures and it looks to me like if you want the grip, you can't be using the cover at the same time because the cover 'fills in' the difference in thickness between the ergonomic 'bump' and the main body of the Kindle.

Is this true? It's seriously disappointing if it is, because a Kindle would never survive my lifestyle without a good cover. It would definitely mean the Oasis isn't for me; I'd happily drop the extra dollars for a good ergonomic Kindle, but if it isn't ergonomic at all with a cover on...

I did write up a piece on the other oasis thread in the kindle section of this forum but to reiterate,i had purchased the oasis a little while ago and found it to be the most uncomfortable kindle to date and yes you are right the cover negates the weight and design difference that is suppose to be it's main selling point.

The leather cover is very nice and feels great in the hand mind but for me the voyage trumps it in all ways except for the physical clickable page buttons.

Some people here say it is an improvement but your mileage may vary highly,if there was a way for you to test the oasis in a shop that sells kindles that might be the best option,fail that try to order from a place where you could easily return it in case it does nothing for you.

[odamizu]

Originally Posted by Siavahda

I have been considering buying the Oasis for the ergonomic grip, because I have extremely bad wrist and finger pain, but doesn't the cover erase the ergonomic grip? ....

The Oasis is designed to slide in and out of the cover with ease. If you intend to read with the cover on, you won't get most of the ergonomic benefits.

I have a lot of pain in my hands and fingers, and I slide it out of the cover to read. When I'm done reading, I slide it back into the cover for safe-keeping. It is the most comfortable eink reader I have ever used. YMMV