Forma build quality ? Plus Oasis question

[Fif23]

Hi there !
So I want to trade my old Sony reader for something larger in the 7-8" area.

I see a few options here...
1. Kobo Forma, but I read about how cheap it's made, lifted screens allow dust inside, rotten rubber casing.... Melts in the heal. So compared to the Oasis build it's kinda of a bummer to shed out 300 bucks+ for this one. Convince me otherwise ?

2. Oasis, I think it's pretty cool - But there's no way to lock the orientation ? Are they serious ? What if I lay on my side to read in bed ? It will shift to horizontal but I still need it vertical because my head--->Screen is still vertical


3. There's also the Mars I assume at that size, but it's not as streamlined as the two above.... There's even the MONTE Cristo which is an aluminum unibody but only 6" and won't be comfortable.


Any input on this ?
I don't mind waiting, I still have a working Sony, so if anything nice is supposed to launch let me know

[davidfor]

Originally Posted by Fif23

1. Kobo Forma, but I read about how cheap it's made, lifted screens allow dust inside, rotten rubber casing.... Melts in the heal.

As someone who spends far to much time here, I have never seen any of these problems reported against the Kobo Forma. Can you point to the reports of these issues?

[Smt]

I can only comment on the oasis as that is the only one in your list I own. It will not change to horizontal when put on its side. I read in bed every night laying on my side and the screen is fine. To put it in horizontal mode you have to manually change it.

As someone who owns and has been testing a Forma against an Oasis, I can't speak to how either one holds up over time. However...I haven't experienced *any* of the problems you mention with a Forma. It is a beautiful device, built with quality, and I don't think anyone would go wrong buying one. Far from viewing the softy grippy material as 'cheap' or' 'non-premium' as I see some reviewers have said, I feel the Forma is more thoughtfully designed for ergonomics than the Oasis. The grippy material makes it non-slippery and easy to hold onto without a case, which is a big advantage in my book. It also has a nicer screen and lighting system (considering the natural lighting options, which Oasis does not have), more screen real estate so you can read documents with complex layouts easier, and is more comfortable to hold for extended reading sessions. It also has demonstrably better battery life, in my testing with wifi/BT off on both, and light set to comparably low levels.

I'm not even remotely implying the Forma is 'better' than the Oasis. There are many factors to look at when buying, and the Oasis has things it does better than the Forma. But I'm just saying the Forma is a quality ereader, and is totally competitive with the Oasis.

BTW, Forma has a nice auto-rotate feature built in, and you can even go into dev mode and change the angle setting at which it will auto-rotate.

[HarryT]

Originally Posted by Fif23

2. Oasis, I think it's pretty cool - But there's no way to lock the orientation ? Are they serious ? What if I lay on my side to read in bed ? It will shift to horizontal but I still need it vertical because my head--->Screen is still vertical

No, it will not. Did you actually try this?

It auto-switches between left-handed and right-handed use - ie the screen flips through 180 degrees. It does NOT automatically switch between portrait and landscape orientation.

Originally Posted by maximus83

Far from viewing the softy grippy material as 'cheap' or' 'non-premium' as I see some reviewers have said, I feel the Forma is more thoughtfully designed for ergonomics than the Oasis.

This is something that puzzled me for a long time in mobile device reviews - metal (or glass) anything always = "premium", plastic or other synthetic always "cheap", regardless of ergonomics or efficiency. A mobile phone with a grippy back is "cheap", while an an all-glass one that the reviewer might concede is a nightmare to hold and a drop magnet is "premium".

The Forma and the Oasis are both out of my budget, but for me, one of the biggest "wins" for the Forma over the Oasis when I was looking for a new reader was the soft, grippy material. Especially after reading so many complaints about how hard to hold and icy cold the "premium" Oasis was, on its own Amazon.com review pages

[JawadLeLogeur]

I've used the Forma for months now and I'm very happy with it. It doesn't feel cheap at all and I haven't noticed any of the issues you've mentioned with it. Ultimately I would suggest you find and compare them for yourself in a physical store, you'll immediately know which one you do want.

The Likebook Mars is a bit apples to oranges compared with the other two. I would recommend it only if you already have a specific Android function in mind.

[Fif23]

Thanks for the comments
I feel better about the Forma now ! Just one thing nobody addressed, the goosebump type rubber- I have a mouse like that, and after a couple months, it catches enough dead skin that it is impossible to wipe it off. You can use a toothbrush but after a few times the goosebumps turn flat and "worn".

Anyone noticed that with the Forma ?

[DNSB]

Originally Posted by Fif23

Thanks for the comments
I feel better about the Forma now ! Just one thing nobody addressed, the goosebump type rubber- I have a mouse like that, and after a couple months, it catches enough dead skin that it is impossible to wipe it off. You can use a toothbrush but after a few times the goosebumps turn flat and "worn".

Anyone noticed that with the Forma ?

No. However, I only used it coverless for a few days before the cover arrived.

[Fif23]

Deal !
Sounds good. Where did you all get your forma ? I'm down

BTW DNSB - Could you quickly describe your Aura One vs Forma experience ?

[mickeymammoth]

I have used the Oasis 1 and Oasis 2 for a couple of years, and the ergonomics of it have been a real bummer. I had replaced the Kindle Voyage with the Oasis, but it didn’t feel like a real upgrade, mostly due to how much harder it is to hold. I liked the larger size of the Oasis 2, but the slick back still makes it hard to hold, and what is the point of an ereader that is hard to hold! When a fellow book club member showed up with the Forma, I was impressed and decided to upgrade. I love the Forma in comparison to the Oasis. The grippy back and overall shape is much more ergonomic, and it has a larger screen. It also has night shift lighting, which is an improvement. I like that you can adjust the lighting by dragging the left side of the screen, and it has more font customization. It’s also nice to show the book cover when it’s asleep. The Oasis doesn’t auto-flip into horizontal, while the Forma does. But you’re absolutely right; due to reading sideways in bed, I had to lock it vertically. The Forma has a few issues that were not deal killers for me: there is a brighter band of light on the left side that is annoying at first, but easy to ignore when you’re reading. The Kindle has more even lighting. For me, when I tap the Forma screen to change pages, I feel like 5 or 10% of the time , it accidentally selects the text for highlighting; this is weird since normally you have to press and hold to highlight. I haven’t seen anyone else complain about this bug, though. In conclusion, I am a power user, and I like the Forma much better.

[DNSB]

Originally Posted by Fif23

Deal !
Sounds good. Where did you all get your forma ? I'm down

BTW DNSB - Could you quickly describe your Aura One vs Forma experience ?

Other than the page buttons, the reading experience is pretty much a toss-up -- the .2 inch extra screen size is only noticeable when I hold them side by side. The Forma's lighter weight (33 g) is noticeable after holding it for a few minutes. The only negative about the Forma, for me, is that with the extra width due to the page buttons, the Forma is too wide to go in my jacket pocket so I'm using my Clara HD more on the road.

I was lucky in that the dark bar on the edge of the screen that seems to have caused quite a few complaints is very minimal on mine (one of those you can see it if you look for it but it doesn't bother my reading).

Mine was purchased at Chapters. The store is close to me and it was handy to be able to open the box and power it up in store to see if the were any out of box issues.

Edit: Sadly, I'm now trying to justify a second Forma. My wife borrowed mine for a few days and now is suffering from the belief that a transfer of ownership has occurred.

[HarryT]

Originally Posted by mickeymammoth

I have used the Oasis 1 and Oasis 2 for a couple of years, and the ergonomics of it have been a real bummer. I had replaced the Kindle Voyage with the Oasis, but it didn’t feel like a real upgrade, mostly due to how much harder it is to hold. I liked the larger size of the Oasis 2, but the slick back still makes it hard to hold, and what is the point of an ereader that is hard to hold!

Interesting. I too went from a Voyage to an Oasis and I love the ergonomics of the Oasis. I have mine in a case, which makes it very comfortable to hold. Did you try using a case?

Originally Posted by HarryT

Interesting. I too went from a Voyage to an Oasis and I love the ergonomics of the Oasis. I have mine in a case, which makes it very comfortable to hold. Did you try using a case?

Just illustrates how usability is in the mind (or hand) of the user. I get where you're coming from, but I too have landed on the Forma. After a few days of testing an Oasis 2 (including now with a case) against the Forma, I still prefer the Forma and decided to keep it. My Forma without a case is 4oz lighter than the Oasis with a slim light case. The Forma also has that soft grippy surface and rounded corners and edges. And that slightly angled, wider ledge where the buttons are, makes it easier to hold onto. This to me is a big advantage for the Forma, as I have a neuropathy that makes hands go numb if I hold anything with sharper edges and any significant weight in one position for very long. Also the Forma has 2 other things I just find irresistible: that big, pretty screen with natural lighting option, and better battery life and better wifi management (I don't have to constantly turn off wifi to preserve battery life).

[mickeymammoth]

Originally Posted by HarryT

Interesting. I too went from a Voyage to an Oasis and I love the ergonomics of the Oasis. I have mine in a case, which makes it very comfortable to hold. Did you try using a case?

Yes, I did use an Oasis case, but I always took it off while reading because of the weight. I also have the Forma case but I only use it when I need a stand. It’s not nearly as nice as the Oasis case which came on and off with magnets. Anyway, back to ergonomics. The voyage had a larger bezel, so holding with my left or right hand worked well. The Oasis has a very slim bezel on the right so it’s hard to hold with my right hand without touching the screen. Flipping it for right handed reading for some reason wasn’t appealing; probably because of the 2 seconds that action requires. I’m not sure now (because I gave the Oasis to my son) but the Forma bezel might be larger? It’s also quite thin, but holding it is easier because of weight/grippy back.