Kindle Oasis: To Buy or Not To Buy

seanyyz · 07-24-2016, 01:33 PM

I currently have a paperwhite that is a few years old. When I got it I thought Amazon had really nailed it. I could not imagine how reading a novel on an e-reader could get better.

I only have two issues with it: the lack of page turning buttons and how frequently you have to charge it. It seems to need a charge more often than I would like.

I find the price of the Oasis kind of steep and to make matters worse I need the 3G (I just do).

Is the reading experience really much better with the Oasis? I would be interested in hearing from Oasis readers on their experience.

Sirtel · 07-24-2016, 01:55 PM

I don't have a Paperwhite, but I have the Voyage and the Oasis. I wouldn't say that reading on the Oasis is a much better experience than reading on the Voyage. They're both good and I don't really prefer one to the other. The text on my Voyage is a tiny bit darker and sharper, but only a tiny bit. The Oasis, OTOH, is more comfortable to hold. I alternate between them.

I'm one of those people who just have to have page turn buttons, I dislike turning pages with touchscreen. The Voyage's page turn sensors do their job almost as well as the Oasis' buttons.

If you want a new reader with page-turn buttons, then you could also get the Voyage. It's a bit cheaper than the Oasis, but the reading experience is about as good, IMHO. Of course, it's all a matter of personal opinion and preference. There are those who prefer the Voyage, those who prefer the Oasis and those who consider the Paperwhite or even a basic kindle good enough.

Dr. Drib · 07-24-2016, 01:56 PM

Please update your Device Info.

Thank you.

JSWolf · 07-24-2016, 01:58 PM

You would have to charge the Oasis more than the PW. The Oasis battery is going to die much sooner than your PW because the batter gets charged from the cover and will need many more charges and thus will not last as long.

If you really want page turn buttons, you'd be better off getting a Voyage. The Oasis is way too expensive to the trade-offs you have to put up with. Plus, a lot of them cone with very noticeable light cones. So forget the Oasis and get the Voyage if you want pager turn buttons.

NullNix · 07-24-2016, 03:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JSWolf

You would have to charge the Oasis more than the PW. The Oasis battery is going to die much sooner than your PW because the batter gets charged from the cover and will need many more charges and thus will not last as long.

I think when seanyyz says 'charge' he means what most of us mean by 'charge', i.e. 'how often will I be tied to a wall socket due to running out of power', not 'how often will I put the Kindle in its case' which for me at least happens whenever I'm not reading it (it's that convenient to snap it in, a fraction of a second, if that). It's convenient enough to do that that I have only run out of device power when actually *trying* to: normally, it never gets below about 40%, and even that requires a fairly epic reading session. The case recharges it without my even noticing.

I can say that my Oasis is tied to a wall socket no more often than my PW1 was, perhaps a little less often -- there's not much in it. (And it really is much more comfortable to hold!)

If you think you might run short of power, turn the light off: it appears that the little device battery lifetime is perhaps as much as doubled by doing this, which would give you >60--70hrs lifetime on the cover battery.

If you have an old (pre-300dpi) PW, then *any* current PW-class Kindle (a PW, Voyage, or Oasis) will provide a noticeably better reading experience simply because the screen has got much better. Also, those horrible delays indexing things? They're gone, and the indexer seems to take only a few minutes to index each book these days. What wonders faster CPUs and more RAM can do

Strether · 07-24-2016, 03:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JSWolf

If you really want page turn buttons, you'd be better off getting a Voyage. The Oasis is way too expensive to the trade-offs you have to put up with. Plus, a lot of them cone with very noticeable light cones. So forget the Oasis and get the Voyage if you want pager turn buttons.

Anything JSWolf has to say about a Kindle you'd do well to ignore, since he has never owned one. Though others disagree, the haptic page turns on the Voyage never worked well for me and I turned them off and used touch to turn the pages. Those page turn buttons on the Oasis, on the other hand, work very well. If money isn't the issue, I'd suggest going with the Oasis, which is very comfortable in your hand. Frequency of charging is about the same for the two devices, it seems to me.

Jim

JSWolf · 07-24-2016, 06:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by NullNix

I think when seanyyz says 'charge' he means what most of us mean by 'charge', i.e. 'how often will I be tied to a wall socket due to running out of power', not 'how often will I put the Kindle in its case' which for me at least happens whenever I'm not reading it (it's that convenient to snap it in, a fraction of a second, if that). It's convenient enough to do that that I have only run out of device power when actually *trying* to: normally, it never gets below about 40%, and even that requires a fairly epic reading session. The case recharges it without my even noticing.

What I was saying is that the battery inside the Oasis will need more charging than the battery inside the PW or Voyage. More charging means less battery life overall. If I am not mistaken, I'm thinking it could be 1/2 as less.

Quote:

I can say that my Oasis is tied to a wall socket no more often than my PW1 was, perhaps a little less often -- there's not much in it. (And it really is much more comfortable to hold!)

But the battery inside the Oasis is charged more via the USB port and the case.

seanyyz · 07-24-2016, 06:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JSWolf

Others disagree because you are wrong.

Have you ever owned and used a Kindle Paperwhite or Oasis? I'm not trying to be confrontational, just trying to assess how much weight to put on divergent opinions.

Cinisajoy · 07-24-2016, 06:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by seanyyz

Have you ever owned and used a Kindle Paperwhite or Oasis? I'm not trying to be confrontational, just trying to assess how much weight to put on divergent opinions.

No, JSWOLF does not own a kindle.

Atunah · 07-24-2016, 06:59 PM

I have a PW, Voyage, Oasis, several other kindles. I charge my Oasis less often then my Voyage, although not by much. I charge my Oasis way less often than the PW1 we have in the house, its the first version.

So no, the Oasis does not need to be charged more than a Voyage, given you use the same settings on light and wifi.

Anyone that actually has a Oasis and uses it knows that when you charge the Oasis, it means you charge the package. Cover and device. They are one unit when together. I read outside of the cover almost all of the time.

I am not concerned in the least about the battery in the Oasis. I still have a K1 that works, I have a K3 that works, a button basic that works. I have a fire tablet 2012 that works. None of my batteries in any of my kindles or tablets have yet died. That is not a concern. It is especially not a concern considering Amazon's customer service.

Now to the actual question that was asked by OP as they did not ask about anything with battery. I much much prefer the buttons on the Oasis. I must have buttons on my e-readers. I have a Voyage, but I was never totally happy with the haptic. The way they work and mostly where they are and the bezel. It was hard for me to put my thumb there comfortably for long term reading. Its a joy with the Oasis. Wider bezel and my thumb now just lays there and I have no strain on my fingers or wrist.

But that is a personal thing. Its a fine device for many.

krazy4katz · 07-24-2016, 10:09 PM

I like the "buttons" on the Voyage better than a touch screen. I turned off the haptic feedback because it felt weird and wasn't really necessary. After all, I can see when the page turns! I don't have to feel it. I increased the sensitivity of the "buttons" to the highest level.

That said, for those who prefer to hold their reading device with one hand and like real buttons, the Oasis may be worth it. I have no experience with it and prefer holding my device with both hands.

odamizu · 07-25-2016, 12:25 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by seanyyz

...Is the reading experience really much better with the Oasis? I would be interested in hearing from Oasis readers on their experience.

I have an Oasis and a Voyage.

I love the ergonomics of the Oasis. I find it much more comfortable to hold than any other reader I've owned.

However, I prefer the screen on my Voyage, which is a little sharper and crisper. (Neither my Oasis nor my Voyage have perfect screens, so if you're looking for perfection, you may be disappointed.)

I don't use the page-turn buttons much, but given a choice, I prefer the haptic buttons on the Voyage a teeny bit more than the real buttons on the Oasis. But this is really personal preference.

I don't pay much attention to battery life, but I feel like I have to charge the Voyage more often than the Oasis. (And as others have noted, "charging the Oasis" means charging the Oasis and cover as a unit.)

JSWolf · 07-25-2016, 04:53 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by seanyyz

Have you ever owned and used a Kindle Paperwhite or Oasis? I'm not trying to be confrontational, just trying to assess how much weight to put on divergent opinions.

I know someone who used to have a Kindle Touch but has switched to a PW3. So yes, I do have some experience.

The thing is, what I've been saying about the battery has nothing to do with this being a Kindle. It's just simple battery logic.

If you get say 500 charges from a battery before you start to lost capacity, then the battery in the Oasis will start to lose capacity sooner than a PW3 or Voyage because the battery in the Oasis holds less charge and needs to be charged more often using the batter in the case. So for every full charge you get with a PW3 or Voyage, the Oasis gets 2 charges. So that will bring the battery life of the Oasis to roughly half that of the PW3 or Voyage. This is something that most people do not think of. So basically, you are paying more for a device that has less of a shelf life due to the way the battery designed.

John F · 07-25-2016, 05:57 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JSWolf

I know someone who used to have a Kindle Touch but has switched to a PW3. So yes, I do have some experience.

The thing is, what I've been saying about the battery has nothing to do with this being a Kindle. It's just simple battery logic.

If you get say 500 charges from a battery before you start to lost capacity, then the battery in the Oasis will start to lose capacity sooner than a PW3 or Voyage because the battery in the Oasis holds less charge and needs to be charged more often using the batter in the case. So for every full charge you get with a PW3 or Voyage, the Oasis gets 2 charges. So that will bring the battery life of the Oasis to roughly half that of the PW3 or Voyage. This is something that most people do not think of. So basically, you are paying more for a device that has less of a shelf life due to the way the battery designed.

FWIW, the Reader appears to have a 250 mAh battery, and the cover has a 1290 mAh battery.

From the first post in this thread:

https://www.mobileread.com/forums/sho...d.php?t=272987

pdurrant · 07-25-2016, 06:37 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JSWolf

The thing is, what I've been saying about the battery has nothing to do with this being a Kindle. It's just simple battery logic.

The question is, whether this possible reduction in battery lifetime will actually kick while the device is in actual use.

If (plucking figures from the air) the Voyage battery lifetime is ten years, and the Oasis is five years, is that really a cause of concern?

07-24-2016, 01:33 PM	#1
seanyyz Connoisseur Posts: 69 Karma: 2068472 Join Date: Jan 2011 Location: Toronto, Canada Device: Kindle Oasis	Kindle Oasis: To Buy or Not To Buy I currently have a paperwhite that is a few years old. When I got it I thought Amazon had really nailed it. I could not imagine how reading a novel on an e-reader could get better. I only have two issues with it: the lack of page turning buttons and how frequently you have to charge it. It seems to need a charge more often than I would like. I find the price of the Oasis kind of steep and to make matters worse I need the 3G (I just do). Is the reading experience really much better with the Oasis? I would be interested in hearing from Oasis readers on their experience.

07-24-2016, 10:09 PM	#11
krazy4katz Addict Posts: 367 Karma: 1552656 Join Date: Feb 2009 Device: [Kindle 1, Kindle 3 (KK)], Kindle Voyage, iPad Pro	I like the "buttons" on the Voyage better than a touch screen. I turned off the haptic feedback because it felt weird and wasn't really necessary. After all, I can see when the page turns! I don't have to feel it. I increased the sensitivity of the "buttons" to the highest level. That said, for those who prefer to hold their reading device with one hand and like real buttons, the Oasis may be worth it. I have no experience with it and prefer holding my device with both hands. Last edited by krazy4katz; 07-24-2016 at 10:12 PM. Reason: added more explanation

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07-24-2016, 01:55 PM	#2
Sirtel Grand Sorcerer Posts: 10,129 Karma: 224760044 Join Date: Jan 2014 Location: Estonia Device: Kobo Sage & Libra 2	I don't have a Paperwhite, but I have the Voyage and the Oasis. I wouldn't say that reading on the Oasis is a much better experience than reading on the Voyage. They're both good and I don't really prefer one to the other. The text on my Voyage is a tiny bit darker and sharper, but only a tiny bit. The Oasis, OTOH, is more comfortable to hold. I alternate between them. I'm one of those people who just have to have page turn buttons, I dislike turning pages with touchscreen. The Voyage's page turn sensors do their job almost as well as the Oasis' buttons. If you want a new reader with page-turn buttons, then you could also get the Voyage. It's a bit cheaper than the Oasis, but the reading experience is about as good, IMHO. Of course, it's all a matter of personal opinion and preference. There are those who prefer the Voyage, those who prefer the Oasis and those who consider the Paperwhite or even a basic kindle good enough.

07-24-2016, 01:56 PM	#3
Dr. Drib Grand Sorcerer Posts: 44,747 Karma: 55645321 Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Peru Device: Kindle: Oasis 3, Voyage WiFi; Kobo: Libra 2, Aura One	Please update your Device Info. Thank you.

07-24-2016, 01:58 PM	#4
JSWolf Resident Curmudgeon Posts: 73,975 Karma: 128903378 Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Roslindale, Massachusetts Device: Kobo Libra 2, Kobo Aura H2O, PRS-650, PRS-T1, nook STR, PW3	You would have to charge the Oasis more than the PW. The Oasis battery is going to die much sooner than your PW because the batter gets charged from the cover and will need many more charges and thus will not last as long. If you really want page turn buttons, you'd be better off getting a Voyage. The Oasis is way too expensive to the trade-offs you have to put up with. Plus, a lot of them cone with very noticeable light cones. So forget the Oasis and get the Voyage if you want pager turn buttons.

07-24-2016, 06:59 PM	#10
Atunah Wizard Posts: 1,817 Karma: 23400001 Join Date: May 2012 Location: USA Device: K1/K3/BasicK Voyage/Oasis1/Oasis3	I have a PW, Voyage, Oasis, several other kindles. I charge my Oasis less often then my Voyage, although not by much. I charge my Oasis way less often than the PW1 we have in the house, its the first version. So no, the Oasis does not need to be charged more than a Voyage, given you use the same settings on light and wifi. Anyone that actually has a Oasis and uses it knows that when you charge the Oasis, it means you charge the package. Cover and device. They are one unit when together. I read outside of the cover almost all of the time. I am not concerned in the least about the battery in the Oasis. I still have a K1 that works, I have a K3 that works, a button basic that works. I have a fire tablet 2012 that works. None of my batteries in any of my kindles or tablets have yet died. That is not a concern. It is especially not a concern considering Amazon's customer service. Now to the actual question that was asked by OP as they did not ask about anything with battery. I much much prefer the buttons on the Oasis. I must have buttons on my e-readers. I have a Voyage, but I was never totally happy with the haptic. The way they work and mostly where they are and the bezel. It was hard for me to put my thumb there comfortably for long term reading. Its a joy with the Oasis. Wider bezel and my thumb now just lays there and I have no strain on my fingers or wrist. But that is a personal thing. Its a fine device for many.

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