Oasis 3 lighting gradient

[SusanReads]

I'm very OCD when it comes to my e-reader screens, so I just want one with lighting I can live with or it will bother me forever.

I had a Paperwhite 4 that was completely even. Too bad I hated the swiping after I was used to the Voyage. But I don't think it's too much to ask the lighting of an e-reader to be even. I mean, you stare at the screen for hours every day (or at least I do), I would like it if manufacturers could get that one thing right. E-readers have been around for a while but the screens are still a gamble.

[Wearever]

Originally Posted by Deskisamess

The Oasis is expensive. If the lighting is uneven enough to easily see and photograph, it should be returned IMO. I realize some of this may be subjective, but not when a photo shows it that clearly.

Amazon uses returned devices for warranty replacements, or refurbs. This probably in increases the likelihood of getting one with the same problem.

My Oasis 2 is near perfect as far as the lighting goes. The battery life chomps, but that doesn't bother me.

Same on my Oasis 2 . It's the reason I kept it. Not for the battery but the screen.

[NullNix]

Originally Posted by BionicGecko

My two cents on this; I think that when one looks at a book, the variations in lighting are consistent with how the light falls on other objects in the room. The brain expects the unevenness as it knows that the part closer to the light source(s) will be brighter.

On an e-ink device, the unevenness brings a kind of cognitive dissonance; the screen is not “supposed” to be brighter here or there, because that’s not how the light is oriented in the room.

I do realize it sounds petty, and I wish it didn’t bother me, but it really does!

That makes a lot of sense, and may explain one reason why the Oasis moved its lights to the side (it gives the same sort of uneven illumination that you get with a book). Of course, that means the unevenness is visible on *every line* rather than once per page. You win some, you lose some... and I can easily see why some people might be annoyed by the one variant but not the other.

[rcentros]

Originally Posted by BionicGecko

Indeed; from what I gather the Voyage is lit from the top though (or is it the bottom), so the gradient is mostly top-down? If that's the case, I suppose it's less distracting than having a drop in brightness at every line read?

In my case, my Voyage has no noticeable gradient at all. My Tolino Vision 4 has a very slim and slightly noticeable area the very bottom (where the lights are) but it does not reach the text (not even the page count text) — the lighting is otherwise completely even. If the new Oasis you received has the same kind of noticeable gradient as the first one you pictured, I would return it as well.

[rcentros]

Originally Posted by NullNix

That makes a lot of sense, and may explain one reason why the Oasis moved its lights to the side...

I think they moved the lights to the side because of the design of the Oasis required it. I believe everything (including the PC board and battery) have been moved to the side as well. (May be wrong, I'm just guessing.)

[NullNix]

Originally Posted by rcentros

I think they moved the lights to the side because of the design of the Oasis required it. I believe everything (including the PC board and battery) have been moved to the side as well. (May be wrong, I'm just guessing.)

Oasis 1 teardowns showed that literally the only thing outside the bulge was the screen and necessary stuff around that. I doubt they've changed that too much.

[BionicGecko]

So just a quick follow-up, I received my third Oasis, and I’m quite sad to say it also has an uneven screen lighting. The left-right gradient itself is maybe a tad less visible than on the 2nd one I received, however the whitish spots on the side where the buttons are are more obvious (I attach a picture for those who wonder what I mean, it’s quite visible on the top-right corner but it really covers the whole right side).

Incidentally I also bought this used Voyage I previously mentioned. The screen itself is definitely better on the Voyage, there is no comparison in terms of contrast and the colour of the screen when the brightness is off. The lighting gradient however is much worse on the Voyage, although I would argue it’s less annoying as it’s top to bottom instead of left-right. I don’t like the tactile buttons on it though, they are not positioned where my hand naturally hold the device. Overall the Oasis still wins because of its bigger screen and better form factor.

So all in all I decided to keep the 2nd Oasis, and will probably juggle between that one and the Voyage. But honestly the gradient is bothersome and I might send it back as well; but I’m not getting a 4th one for sure. I guess I’m just too picky and just can’t be satisfied with the current state of this technology.

Thanks all for your advice!

[JSWolf]

If you aren't happy enough with the three Oasis 3s that you have, you could always move to a Kobo Libra H2O with similar hardware and the same screen size.

[BionicGecko]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

If you aren't happy enough with the three Oasis 3s that you have, you could always move to a Kobo Libra H2O with similar hardware and the same screen size.

I did consider it, but I use the "sync last page read" functionality extensively, with personal documents, over 3G/LTE. Only Kindles allow me to do this unfortunately.

[rcentros]

Originally Posted by BionicGecko

So just a quick follow-up, I received my third Oasis, and I’m quite sad to say it also has an uneven screen lighting. The left-right gradient itself is maybe a tad less visible than on the 2nd one I received, however the whitish spots on the side where the buttons are are more obvious (I attach a picture for those who wonder what I mean, it’s quite visible on the top-right corner but it really covers the whole right side).

Sorry to hear this. I don't have an Oasis to compare to the Voyage, but my used Voyage screen definitely has extremely good contrast and clarity (best of any reader I own). Overall the Tolino Vision 4 is my favorite reader, but it has the advantage of its "warm" light feature, which skews the comparison results.

[SusanReads]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

If you aren't happy enough with the three Oasis 3s that you have, you could always move to a Kobo Libra H2O with similar hardware and the same screen size.

I tested 3 Libras and the light gradient was way worse than the Oasis (left to right AND top to bottom). So for people who are as OCD about the lighting as I am I wouldn't recommend it. Even though it was a pretty good device otherwise. Loved the software.

First picture is of the Libra, and I've added a picture of my Oasis 3. I know the font is different and the Libra pictures is a bit fuzzy at some places, but you can see the difference in lighting pretty well.

[Paperbackstash]

To me neither of the above have gradient issues from those pictures.

Sorry the Oasis did not work out for you though, I'm sure that has become frustrating.

[Sirtel]

Originally Posted by SusanReads

I tested 3 Libras and the light gradient was way worse than the Oasis (left to right AND top to bottom). So for people who are as OCD about the lighting as I am I wouldn't recommend it. Even though it was a pretty good device otherwise. Loved the software.

I agree. While I love my Libra and enjoy reading on it, its frontlight is way more uneven than the light of my Oasis 3.

[pagepack]

Im sending my Oasis 3 back. Image retention even with refresh after every page turn is getting worse. Just contacted Amazon, getting the run around, only had the reader 5 weeks.