Got the Kindle Oasis

[NullNix]

Originally Posted by crossi

I've been tempted by the Oasis. I tried it out in the Amazon Bookstore and really liked the feel of it and the buttons. If they added more memory and a home and menu button I might go ahead and buy. My Kindle keyboard is still going strong though so I'll probably wait until it goes, the oasis drops in price or adds the additional features I want. For now I'd rather the 60 books I could buy instead for the same money.

Originally Posted by badgoodDeb

Since you are talking about the spare case for the Oasis (that I mentioned), you MUST include the fact that it's 75% of the Oasis's battery capacity, too. [I forget the actual percentage.] The Oasis itself has a small battery, so it is lightweight, for arthritic hands or such. When you set it down, you set it into the case, to recharge the smaller battery.

So, it's $90 for a battery, not just for a case.

It's also not that much more expensive than Amazon's official cases for other Kindles (which really are *way* overpriced).

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by Hollow Man

The font is a lot better on these newer devices, plus the front light, which, if adjusted properly, makes the thing look more like a printed page.

-HM

The problem is that Amazon is touting Bookerly as their new main font and the problem is that it doesn't have enough weight. It looks washed out and when the light is on, it can look even more washed out. I've seen this on the Paperwhite. The font does look a little washed out.

Amazon goes an makes one font too heavy and the one they want you to use, they leave too light.

[JSWolf]

$90 for an extra case which you don't need because the case comes with the Oasis.

[badgoodDeb]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

$90 for an extra case which you don't need because the case comes with the Oasis.

Unless you dropped yours in the toilet. Then, a replacement would be nice to have.

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by badgoodDeb

Unless you dropped yours in the toilet. Then, a replacement would be nice to have.

The solution to that problem is don't do it. Besides, chances are if you did drop your cover in the toilet, the Oasis would go with it and you won't need a replacement cover as the Oasis is now not going to work.

[Ravensknight]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

The solution to that problem is don't do it...

[Pajamaman]

Whatever you do, don't drop it down the toilet.

re. font. Another user commented that fonts on the PW3 are thinner/fainter on the PW2 due to the higher resolution. So I would expect the same issue with the Oasis. On the other hand the Voyage is meant to be clearer than the Oasis, presumably due to the different screen tech. Really Amazon should install Caecilia Bold as default. Their insistence on skinny fonts makes no commercial sense.

[Pajamaman]

Originally Posted by NullNix

It's also not that much more expensive than Amazon's official cases for other Kindles (which really are *way* overpriced).

I agree, but its still fricking expensive.

[NullNix]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

The solution to that problem is don't do it. Besides, chances are if you did drop your cover in the toilet, the Oasis would go with it and you won't need a replacement cover as the Oasis is now not going to work.

Ah, but that's why you bought a guarantee / replacement thing. If you smash your Oasis and its cover (say, a car drove over it), the guarantee covers the Oasis but *not* the cover. Hence this.

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by NullNix

Ah, but that's why you bought a guarantee / replacement thing. If you smash your Oasis and its cover (say, a car drove over it), the guarantee covers the Oasis but *not* the cover. Hence this.

Given that the cover comes with the Oasis, I would think when you got a replacement Oasis, you'd get a replacement cover.

Are you sure a replacement Oasis would not also have the cover?

[NullNix]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

Given that the cover comes with the Oasis, I would think when you got a replacement Oasis, you'd get a replacement cover.

Are you sure a replacement Oasis would not also have the cover?

Yes. I got one following an incident in which I learned that aerospace-quality material engineering wossname does not protect the thing from being run over, cover and all. There is no cover with the replacement: the guarantee does not cover it, only the device itself.

[littlefoot59]

Recently I got bitten by the gadget-upgrade bug and I decided to replace my perfectly fine Paperwhite 2 with a newer model. I ordered a Paperwhite 3, a Voyage and an Oasis for comparative testing. After a few days of deliberation the Voyage emerged as the clear winner. There was no reason to replace my Paperwhite 2 with a Paperwhite 3 just in order to have a slightly crisper screen but no other advantages. And while the bold design of the Oasis might have a lot of appeal for many and I applaud Amazon for finally bringing back mechanical page-turn buttons, I personally don't like the Oasis. And this has nothing to do with the steep prize tag. I don't like the concept of having to separate the Kindle from it's cover in order to take full advantage of the ergonomic rewards, since I have to put it back into it's cover frequently for recharging. And since Amazon doesn't sell the covers without the Oasis I have to take really good care of it. What if I lose it, damage it or simply don't like it anymore? That shouldn't be a problem with the cover of a device. But the cover of the Oasis is almost like a second gadget which I need for operating the reader. And when I use the Oasis mostly with the cover there is not much of a weight difference to the Voyage anymore: the covered Oasis weighs 240g while my Voyage with a selfmade autosleep cover weighs 255g.
For me there isn't much wrong with the Voyage. I like it's sleek and slim design, the crisp and evenly lit screen of my reader and most of all the self-regulating brightness. For me that's one of the main selling point since no other Kindle has got this feature. I'm less enamoured with the virtual page press buttons. It took me a while to get used to them and they are no substitute for well placed mechanical page turners. IMO the Kindle Keyboard is the gold standard here. But after a few experiments I found a way to make good use of the virtual buttons. I use them now in combination with the touchscreen page turners. While the virtual buttons aren't perfect the Voyage is definitely a better device because of them.
While not perfect the Voyage is the best Kindle I ever had in my hands. But everybody has different priorities. The Oasis might be better suited for those who use it mostly at home without a cover. Personally I don't like the look of the naked Oasis because it's so alien an non-book like. But others like exactly that feature. Since none of the three readers I tested is exactly cheap, it's always good to test them personally. Hopefully the Voyage will stay with me for a while.
My wishes for a future Kindle: A reader very much like the Voyage but with real mechanical page turners, and additionally to the selfregulating brightness feature I'd like to see a selfregulating bluelight filter - which other high end readers already have. Personally I don't need a waterproof Kindle. In the bathtub and on the beach I put it in a ziplock bag and be done with it. The Voyage definitely works in a ziplock bag. My next project will be a selfmade waterprotective cover which makes use of a replaceable ziplock bag.
What I don't need: ever shrinking readers. I don't like Amazon's idea of reducing an ereader to a single leaf. It gets really uncomfortable to hold such insubstancial devices. And for a good reading experience I need a minimum of substance in my hands. The bezel of the Voyage is already on the small side for me. I'm more comfortable with the Voyage since I've put it in a light cover of my own design. I can hold it better and the page press system works better for me.

[littlefoot59]

I just read that US Amazon does sell Oasis covers separately now. That's good news for Oasis owners. The bad news is the price tag of course.
I encourage everybody who feels tempted to buy the Oasis: if you can afford it then give it a try! Otherwise you might always feel envious. And it might be the right device for you after all. I'm glad that I tried it out. Because now I know for sure that the Oasis is not for me

[Coops]

Recently got an Oasis also - my 'old' Sony PRS-T3 is still fine... but I'd been getting worried about what I'd do to replace it when the time came.

At least... that's my, to be quite honest, feeble excuse for treating myself.


Since the days of my 505 then 350 Sony, have always preferred and used page turn buttons - so the Oasis tempted me over to the Amazon side...

And the backlight... 'tis good.

The nubuck/suede brown cover is lovely.

No bevel / flat screen, decent font and okay typesetting ( compared to some hideous screenshots i've seen of past Kindles with enormous gaps - lack of hyphenation? ).

So, pleased, I am.

I do not carry it in my back pocket.

[TimeEffect]

I do like my Voyage, despite in my heart wanting the Oasis for the buttons alone.

The issue with the gradient on the Voyage bugs me to no end and its really upsetting that I cant keep exchanging it since I bought it in US and Im in Canada, and they wont ship to me.

I can get used to the gradient, but I cant help but wonder if I could get one that doesn't seem so drastic, as I cant help but feel mine is on the middle to high end of the issue, while I see others say they dont notice the gradient, or its very faint.

Regardless, I enjoy the page press buttons, even lighting, and no bezel, so I can't see myself buying a Paperwhite.

However, regarding the fonts-- yes, it certainly feels washed out and coming from Kobo, I am failing to understand why Kindle doesn't let you side load fonts or customize them.

Is there an actual reason other than Amazon just wanting to be in control of the software?