New Oasis...

ReaderGeeked · 06-19-2019, 04:14 PM

I know for a fact I'll be moving on from the Forma and Aura ONE to the new Oasis (warm light... solid build!) Anyone else considering? Warm light was the only holdout for me.

That said, the rest of the family will stay on Kobo Clara HDs given the upgradability and cheap as chips reader price.

gldnbrwncouches · 06-19-2019, 04:37 PM

The warmer lighting option is a decent start, but I'll be sticking with Kobo for now. When I tested the Oasis 2 against other readers a few months ago, including my new Forma, I found that the Kindle devices just aren't for me. The warmer frontlight is a plus for the new Oasis, but just not enough to make me give up the Overdrive integration, Pocket integration, and library management options that Kobo gives me.

The build quality on my past devices have each been good enough that I haven't really needed something more and the aluminium was nice on the Oasis, but slippery in my hands. Despite the smaller screen size and other drastic differences, even the Clara HD is a win over the Oasis for me, but that's likely a very personal preference. If something were to make me switch to Amazon, it would likely be some of the book options they have that others don't.

ReaderGeeked · 06-19-2019, 08:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by gldnbrwncouches

The warmer lighting option is a decent start, but I'll be sticking with Kobo for now. When I tested the Oasis 2 against other readers a few months ago, including my new Forma, I found that the Kindle devices just aren't for me. The warmer frontlight is a plus for the new Oasis, but just not enough to make me give up the Overdrive integration, Pocket integration, and library management options that Kobo gives me.

The build quality on my past devices have each been good enough that I haven't really needed something more and the aluminium was nice on the Oasis, but slippery in my hands. Despite the smaller screen size and other drastic differences, even the Clara HD is a win over the Oasis for me, but that's likely a very personal preference. If something were to make me switch to Amazon, it would likely be some of the book options they have that others don't.

Agreed, it’s very personal. To qualify my preference, I do not use Overdrive, rarely use Pocket. I do like the experimental browser on Kobo better than Kindle — certain blogs I visit (that cannot be scraped) reflow better.

Library management I can live with. Yes, the automatic collection/shelves management within Calibre is very nice, I will miss that. The Oasis was slippery to me too, until I found a great case (Moko... strangely) that negated that. Overall, I find the Oasis to be iPad-esque, including all the Apple-like limitations. Unfortunately even though the warm light won me over to Kobo, the unevenness of it (I read a lot at night) gets on my nerves.

That said, if the Oasis warm light is even and maintains the nice contrast over the Kobos, I’m in — all in.

rashkae · 06-19-2019, 10:39 PM

I tried switching back to Amazon for a bit, just to keep current. The recent updates to Amazon firmware (sideloaded fonts and ajustable 'boldness' have gone a long way to making the devices very comparable now. But Kobo has also made large changes to their reader, and frankly, just reading and relaxing was much more enjoyable with the Kobo, so I switched right back after 2 books. The amazon built in fonts are just horrible compared to the ones that comes with Kobo,, Admitedly, I like my e-reader to resemble the paper books I'm so familiar with. Bookerly or Caecilia are perfectly readable, but not nearly as aesthetically pleasing as either Georgia or Malabar. And Amazon Baskerville just looks horrendous.

Also, the Battery life on the both the Forma and H2O is *much* better than the Oasis 2. the Oasis battery lasts long enough to get the job done, (ie, it's never run down on me if I charge after a long reading session/weekend.), *but* you're always aware of it and thinking about having to remember to plug it in for a bit next time you have chance. With the Kobos, I can just forget about even checking for a long time.

The only thing I really like about the Amazon devices now are the covers.. if you fork out the extra money for Amazon's premium covers, be they water proof for real leather, you get a truly great quality, and dare I say, luxurious cover (as pointless as that might be.). Kobo Covers are horrendously cheap, and I can't think of any reason to buy a Kobo cover vs one of the many less expensive knockoffs, (which are easy to find on Amazon!)

Edit: It's worth mentioning, if you enjoy tinkering/customzing your devices, Kobo is much more owner friendly. You're welcome to mess with the firmware as much as you like without having to fight against the maker. Jeff Bezos, on the other hand, is under the impression that he still personally owns your Kindle, no matter what you paid him for it.

ReaderGeeked · 06-20-2019, 12:50 AM

Well, the one reason I would keep a Kobo is for the origami folding/stand covers. Sure, they are cheap but they do the job...

mathil · 06-20-2019, 03:42 AM

Nope, not buying it. I have owned a PW3 for years now and it's been sitting on a shelf unused, even with the most recent updates - I keep going back to my Glo HD. I can patch my Kobos to get the perfect reading experience, substitute the internal SD card and battery, borrow books from the library, use Pocket, have a huge customisation choice with fonts/line height/margins (even with the recent updates the Kindle doesn't even get close to it) - not to mention the fact that I don't want my main ereader to be linked to a company like Amazon, with its closed ecosystem. Also, all of my library is stored in Calibre in EPUB format and that allows me to read my books on my phone as well as my reader without using the Kindle app.
I haven't tried the ComfortLight but I don't feel the need for it, personally - I just turn the light lower and that's enough not to bother my eyes.

John F · 06-20-2019, 06:32 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ReaderGeeked

I know for a fact I'll be moving on from the Forma and Aura ONE to the new Oasis (warm light... solid build!) Anyone else considering? Warm light was the only holdout for me.

That said, the rest of the family will stay on Kobo Clara HDs given the upgradability and cheap as chips reader price.

The holdout for me is the Kobo reading software (formating options), so I won't be getting a new Oasis.

forster01 · 06-20-2019, 05:16 PM

well errrr....i dont understand the point... all the reasons you said - warm light(?) solid build(?)- you have that on kobo too. two years ahead of kindle... or i may be wrong? only difference is audobooks and amazon ecosystem. what would be the advantage (except it is a brand new device)? I would be waiting for few months and see what kobo will produce. IMHO I dot see any of the advantages of buying a new amazon device right now, when forma and KA1 are still top devices.

and go ahead, wish you luck with the new device.

jauke · 06-27-2019, 03:13 PM

I’m a bit torn. The build quality of the Oasis is far superior to the Forma, but I much prefer the Kobo firmware.

ps67 · 06-27-2019, 04:09 PM

I Own a Paperwhite and then I bought my KAO because I wanted a bigger screen device. I like some good firmware update in Kindle (custom fonts ecc.) and the new light, but I won't buy a Kindle Oasis 3 because I like reading with a larger screen, and 7" is not large enough. Now my PW3 is my second reader, I use it only when the KAO is not comfortable to take with me.

lumpynose · 06-27-2019, 04:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jauke

I’m a bit torn. The build quality of the Oasis is far superior to the Forma, but I much prefer the Kobo firmware.

Absolutely. Amazon's Kindle user interface is a slap in the face, like opening a DOS box on Windows.

HarryT · 06-27-2019, 05:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by lumpynose

Absolutely. Amazon's Kindle user interface is a slap in the face, like opening a DOS box on Windows.

Perhaps it’s a question of familiarity? I had Kindles, bought a Kobo H2O and went back to Kindles because I far preferred the Kindle reading experience to that of the Kobo.

The important thing is that each of us has a device we’re happy with. Our choice doesn’t have to be the same as someone else’s.

julesy · 06-29-2019, 12:00 PM

The comfort light definitely is a plus. I wanted to try a different ereader so I recently acquired the Pocketbook Touch HD 3 that has the smartlight (similar to the comfort light). I do like the smartlight since I read a lot in bed at night and in my bubble bath with the lights out (candlelit

), my heart is still dedicated to my Kobo that does not have the warm light. I think Kobo is just a much, much better ereader than anything else out there. Much more user-friendly.

06-19-2019, 04:14 PM	#1
ReaderGeeked Junior Member Posts: 8 Karma: 10 Join Date: Oct 2018 Device: Forma, Aura One, Clara HD, Oasis 2, Voyage, Paperwhite 4 & 3...	New Oasis... I know for a fact I'll be moving on from the Forma and Aura ONE to the new Oasis (warm light... solid build!) Anyone else considering? Warm light was the only holdout for me. That said, the rest of the family will stay on Kobo Clara HDs given the upgradability and cheap as chips reader price.

06-19-2019, 10:39 PM	#4
rashkae Wizard Posts: 1,147 Karma: 5061953 Join Date: Jun 2011 Location: Ontario, Canada Device: Kobo Aura HD	I tried switching back to Amazon for a bit, just to keep current. The recent updates to Amazon firmware (sideloaded fonts and ajustable 'boldness' have gone a long way to making the devices very comparable now. But Kobo has also made large changes to their reader, and frankly, just reading and relaxing was much more enjoyable with the Kobo, so I switched right back after 2 books. The amazon built in fonts are just horrible compared to the ones that comes with Kobo,, Admitedly, I like my e-reader to resemble the paper books I'm so familiar with. Bookerly or Caecilia are perfectly readable, but not nearly as aesthetically pleasing as either Georgia or Malabar. And Amazon Baskerville just looks horrendous. Also, the Battery life on the both the Forma and H2O is much better than the Oasis 2. the Oasis battery lasts long enough to get the job done, (ie, it's never run down on me if I charge after a long reading session/weekend.), but you're always aware of it and thinking about having to remember to plug it in for a bit next time you have chance. With the Kobos, I can just forget about even checking for a long time. The only thing I really like about the Amazon devices now are the covers.. if you fork out the extra money for Amazon's premium covers, be they water proof for real leather, you get a truly great quality, and dare I say, luxurious cover (as pointless as that might be.). Kobo Covers are horrendously cheap, and I can't think of any reason to buy a Kobo cover vs one of the many less expensive knockoffs, (which are easy to find on Amazon!) Edit: It's worth mentioning, if you enjoy tinkering/customzing your devices, Kobo is much more owner friendly. You're welcome to mess with the firmware as much as you like without having to fight against the maker. Jeff Bezos, on the other hand, is under the impression that he still personally owns your Kindle, no matter what you paid him for it. Last edited by rashkae; 06-19-2019 at 10:54 PM.

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06-19-2019, 04:37 PM	#2
gldnbrwncouches Enthusiast Posts: 40 Karma: 132 Join Date: Mar 2019 Device: Kobo Forma, Libra H2O & Clara HD, Nook ST w/GL, GL+ (2015), Kindle PW4	The warmer lighting option is a decent start, but I'll be sticking with Kobo for now. When I tested the Oasis 2 against other readers a few months ago, including my new Forma, I found that the Kindle devices just aren't for me. The warmer frontlight is a plus for the new Oasis, but just not enough to make me give up the Overdrive integration, Pocket integration, and library management options that Kobo gives me. The build quality on my past devices have each been good enough that I haven't really needed something more and the aluminium was nice on the Oasis, but slippery in my hands. Despite the smaller screen size and other drastic differences, even the Clara HD is a win over the Oasis for me, but that's likely a very personal preference. If something were to make me switch to Amazon, it would likely be some of the book options they have that others don't.

06-20-2019, 12:50 AM	#5
ReaderGeeked Junior Member Posts: 8 Karma: 10 Join Date: Oct 2018 Device: Forma, Aura One, Clara HD, Oasis 2, Voyage, Paperwhite 4 & 3...	Well, the one reason I would keep a Kobo is for the origami folding/stand covers. Sure, they are cheap but they do the job...

06-20-2019, 03:42 AM	#6
mathil Evangelist Posts: 439 Karma: 287725 Join Date: Sep 2014 Location: Europe Device: Kobo Aura H2O/Glo HD/Libra 2, Kindle PW3/PW5	Nope, not buying it. I have owned a PW3 for years now and it's been sitting on a shelf unused, even with the most recent updates - I keep going back to my Glo HD. I can patch my Kobos to get the perfect reading experience, substitute the internal SD card and battery, borrow books from the library, use Pocket, have a huge customisation choice with fonts/line height/margins (even with the recent updates the Kindle doesn't even get close to it) - not to mention the fact that I don't want my main ereader to be linked to a company like Amazon, with its closed ecosystem. Also, all of my library is stored in Calibre in EPUB format and that allows me to read my books on my phone as well as my reader without using the Kindle app. I haven't tried the ComfortLight but I don't feel the need for it, personally - I just turn the light lower and that's enough not to bother my eyes.

06-20-2019, 05:16 PM	#8
forster01 Groupie Posts: 195 Karma: 82624 Join Date: May 2013 Device: Kobo Forma, Kobo Aura One, Kobo Aura HD, Kindle, Amazon Fire HD	well errrr....i dont understand the point... all the reasons you said - warm light(?) solid build(?)- you have that on kobo too. two years ahead of kindle... or i may be wrong? only difference is audobooks and amazon ecosystem. what would be the advantage (except it is a brand new device)? I would be waiting for few months and see what kobo will produce. IMHO I dot see any of the advantages of buying a new amazon device right now, when forma and KA1 are still top devices. and go ahead, wish you luck with the new device.

06-27-2019, 03:13 PM	#9
jauke Junior Member Posts: 2 Karma: 10 Join Date: Jun 2019 Device: Kobo Forma	I’m a bit torn. The build quality of the Oasis is far superior to the Forma, but I much prefer the Kobo firmware.

06-27-2019, 04:09 PM	#10
ps67 Guru Posts: 732 Karma: 7025494 Join Date: Aug 2017 Location: Italy Device: Kindle Paperwhite, Kobo Elipsa, Pocketbook Color PB633, Inkpad Color	I Own a Paperwhite and then I bought my KAO because I wanted a bigger screen device. I like some good firmware update in Kindle (custom fonts ecc.) and the new light, but I won't buy a Kindle Oasis 3 because I like reading with a larger screen, and 7" is not large enough. Now my PW3 is my second reader, I use it only when the KAO is not comfortable to take with me.

06-29-2019, 12:00 PM	#13
julesy hedgehogs love to read Posts: 30 Karma: 1613354 Join Date: Apr 2015 Location: Maryland, USA Device: Pocketbook Touch HD 3, Kobo H2O, Samsung Galaxy Tab A7	The comfort light definitely is a plus. I wanted to try a different ereader so I recently acquired the Pocketbook Touch HD 3 that has the smartlight (similar to the comfort light). I do like the smartlight since I read a lot in bed at night and in my bubble bath with the lights out (candlelit ), my heart is still dedicated to my Kobo that does not have the warm light. I think Kobo is just a much, much better ereader than anything else out there. Much more user-friendly.

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