Advice on making the Oasis 3 less horribly cold to hold?

[NullNix]

So I just got an Oasis 3, because I had to, because my Oasis 1's battery is finally giving up the ghost, after years of constant use, and it was on sale for £50 less than usual. The display is lovely and the battery looks kinda reasonable, more reasonable than I expected.

Unfortunately... holy crap is this thing viciously cold! It's been warming at room temperature for hours and the stupid aluminium back means it's still like holding an ice cube straight out of the freezer. I am *not* raising the temperature of my house to 25C or whatever this thing demands the room temperature be to not freeze your hands off. My house is usually more like 15C, and even that is on the warm side for me.

I know people have found ways around this with lightweight stick-on backs of various sorts... so, does anyone have a recommendation of something to make this better without making the thing much heavier? 'cos this is a deal-killer for me: I'm not using it to read with if it freezes my hands the whole time I use it, nor if I've got to read it in its case the whole time.

What the hell was Amazon *thinking*? Searing cold makes the out-of-the-box experience the least ergonomic Kindle I've ever bought, and I include in this the Kindle 1. (Probably they were thinking 'everyone lives in Southern California and has room temperatures of 25C or higher'.)

[Deskisamess]

My Kindles live in covers. When my Oasis 2 was new and I was waiting on a cover, I put a strip of gaffer tape on the back to add some grip. It worked really well.

But once a cover goes on, I leave them on unless I’m changing it for another one.

[NullNix]

Originally Posted by Deskisamess

My Kindles live in covers. When my Oasis 2 was new and I was waiting on a cover, I put a strip of gaffer tape on the back to add some grip. It worked really well.

But once a cover goes on, I leave them on unless I’m changing it for another one.

The problem is that the cover makes it so much heavier that from my perspective there's no point buying an Oasis at all: the Paperwhite (nice and plastic) is lighter! So I expect to be carrying it in the cover, but not *reading* it in the cover.

Hm, what about sellotape, maybe that'll work, or duck tape or masking tape or something. It's not as if I can hurt the back, it's made of metal...

[Deskisamess]

They sell decal type stickers designed just for that. Search for "Skinomi" on Amazon.

[Tomk2]

skate board tape should make it less slippery.

[JSWolf]

I don't get it. People bought heavier pBooks and have heavier devices like older Readers and tablets. Yet here we now have people complaining that a case that is negligible in weight makes a different. RUBBISH!

@NullNix, just buck up and get the case. It will make the Oasis 3 easier to hold and the weight difference is negligible.

[Sirtel]

Originally Posted by NullNix

The problem is that the cover makes it so much heavier that from my perspective there's no point buying an Oasis at all: the Paperwhite (nice and plastic) is lighter! So I expect to be carrying it in the cover, but not *reading* it in the cover.

Hm, what about sellotape, maybe that'll work, or duck tape or masking tape or something. It's not as if I can hurt the back, it's made of metal...

I use TalonGrip sheet strips. They ship internationally, the material is pretty cheap, but resilient and comfy to grip.

[Deskisamess]

I need a cover to give some thickness to hold on to.

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by Sirtel

I use TalonGrip sheet strips. They ship internationally, the material is pretty cheap, but resilient and comfy to grip.

Can't have them. they add weight.

[ilovejedd]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

I don't get it. People bought heavier pBooks and have heavier devices like older Readers and tablets. Yet here we now have people complaining that a case that is negligible in weight makes a different. RUBBISH!

I never could read paper books single handed. It was something I just had to live with then because I had no other choice (except not read). However, I remember wishing for a device like the Paperwhite back in those days.

Used to be I also carried 5 or more manga volumes in my backpack. Now I can carry hundreds of them plus hundreds more of ebooks in a fraction of the volume and weight. I much prefer the situation now compared to before. Just because we've acclimated to something doesn't mean it's ideal.

Besides, the additional weight isn't all that negligible. In the Kindle's case, covers often add ~50% the weight of the device.

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by ilovejedd

I never could read paper books single handed. It was something I just had to live with then because I had no other choice (except not read). However, I remember wishing for a device like the Paperwhite back in those days.

Used to be I also carried 5 or more manga volumes in my backpack. Now I can carry hundreds of them plus hundreds more of ebooks in a fraction of the volume and weight. I much prefer the situation now compared to before. Just because we've acclimated to something doesn't mean it's ideal.

Besides, the additional weight isn't all that negligible. In the Kindle's case, covers often add ~50% the weight of the device.

How is an additional 4.5oz a big deal? Yes a case will add weight. But in most cases it's negligible.

A 460 page MMPB is 1lb2oz. So a weight 11.1oz is a lot lighter then your average pBook. And if you have a problem with an 11.1oz Reader, get an origami case and use it as a stand to alleviate the weight.

[NullNix]

Originally Posted by Deskisamess

They sell decal type stickers designed just for that. Search for "Skinomi" on Amazon.

Ha ha!!! That looks like just the ticket. *Thank* you!

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by NullNix

Ha ha!!! That looks like just the ticket. *Thank* you!

Skins do not make your Oasis easier to hold. A case does make your Oasis easier to hold.

[NullNix]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

I don't get it. People bought heavier pBooks and have heavier devices like older Readers and tablets. Yet here we now have people complaining that a case that is negligible in weight makes a different. RUBBISH!!

The thing about the past is that it's the past: when I was younger and my RSI was not so bad. One reason I use Kindles is that many ordinary paper books, particularly hardbacks, are too heavy for me to hold now.

@NullNix, just buck up and get the case. It will make the Oasis 3 easier to hold and the weight difference is negligible.

I *have* the case (for protection when carrying around outside). The weight difference is not negligible:

Oasis 1, no case: 129g
Oasis 3, no case: 188g
Oasis 1 plus case (leather): 233g
Oasis 3 plus case (fabric so I don't have to be so damn careful with it): 300g

Astonishingly, the Oasis 3 case on its own is heavier than the Oasis 1 case despite having no battery. I guess the significantly increased surface area is to blame... no wonder they didn't want a battery in there as well: it would probably be getting on for half a kilogram.

I can't read the Oasis 1 with its case for extended periods without putting it down because the weight is too great. So the same is certainly going to be true of the heavier Oasis 3 case. (However, the Oasis 3 sans case does appear to be light enough that I can read without too much pain, though I wish it was lighter. The increased weight is annoying but not devastating. The freezing cold back is a different matter. Bring on the skin!)

I wish they still made the Oasis 1. Oasis 3: no benefits that I care about, significant disadvantages. Thanks, Amazon.

[NullNix]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

Skins do not make your Oasis easier to hold. A case does make your Oasis easier to hold.

The question is, does the skin reduce the rate of heat transfer. All it needs to do that is to be made of plastic. Huge heavy cases do *not* make the thing easier to hold if you have RSI and cannot hold objects more than 150g or so for extended periods without pain.