# Living with the Kindle Oasis -- one month in. (Semi-long term impressions)



## Betsy the Quilter (Oct 27, 2008)

OK,

I've had my KO for just over a month now and thought I'd post some reflections on how I've found it to use. Meant to post this on the 27th, one month to the day after I got mine, but the holiday weekend got in the way!

For this thread, I invite others who've had their Oasis a month or more to post their impressions! If you're not quite there--you'll be there soon!

I have the Oasis WiFi with Merlot cover. Call sign: Calypso 

*Screen*: I still like the screen very much--I keep it at level 11 pretty much all of the time--day, night, light, dark--and mine is very even to my eyes. I don't see much in the way of the cones/scallops from the side--or at least I don't notice them at this level; I did see them when I got it, when the light was at a higher level.

*Ergonomics*: I read left-handed most of the time, if I'm holding it. Which I do most of the time. I've found that when I do switch hands, I don't rotate the device--I just use the touch screen. It's less awkward for me to do that than to rotate it. I suppose I could keep practicing doing the rotation and it would be second nature eventually, but using the touch screen is second nature now.

I do put it in a stand some times, while at the table. When I do, I use this stand:

 
SUNWORLD Smart Phone and Tablet Stand - Foldable Vertical and Horizontal Mount for iPhone / iPad / Samsung Galaxy / HTC One and all Mobile Phones Black

It was $1.47 with free shipping when I got it, but is $3.50 now and is only free shipping if bought as an add-on item.

This item, which looks the same to me, is currently $1.76 with free shipping:
Smart Phone and Tablet Stand - Foldable Vertical and Horizontal Mount for iPhone / iPad / Samsung Galaxy / HTC One and all Mobile Phones Red 


I already had a similar stand to these that I had gotten several devices ago. The Oasis only fit in the slot of that one without the cover. I thought I'd get another one to tuck in my purse. The black stand's slots are wide enough to put the Oasis in with the cover on. The black stand weighs half an ounce, so very light, and would fit easily in a pocket.

*Buttons*: The page turn buttons are in a good place for me. When I first got it, I tended to hold it with my thumb between the top and bottom buttons. Now I mostly hold it with my thumb just below the bottom button (which is "forward" for me.). I still wish the power button was on the back, like on the Voyage (one of the things I like better about the Voyage) because I still tend to let it go asleep with the cover folded back, which means I either need to unfold the cover and then open it again, or press the button at the bottom. I can find the button at the bottom a little easier than I could find it in other devices that had similarly located buttons--it seems to protrude a bit more. I wish there were a home button. . The page turn buttons make me want a home button even more!

*Operation*: Twice since I've owned it I've had to do a restart (Press & hold the power button until the popup with Cancel | Restart | Screen Off appears) because it got laggy. Everywhere--selecting books, adding books to collections, turning pages in a book which was the largest problem! I've currently got 51 books on the device, not all downloaded at once. Could be indexing. If it happens again, I'll check to see if something is indexing. Once I've done the restart, it has been very peppy. Page turns (except when lagginess develops) seem crisp and the page refresh works well for me.

*Battery life*: I'm currently doing sort of a long term study of battery use and life which I'll post about in the Oasis battery life thread, but I've been happy with the battery life. I keep WiFi on all the time, and, as I've said, the light is pretty much always at 11, and I've got it typically set at either the 2d or 3D smallest font choice--which affects how often one turns pages--requiring a screen refresh, which draws battery.

I've been reading a lot lately, and I've been charging it up about every five days. Mostly I've been reading with taking it out of the cover and then placing it in the cover to recharge a bit. This last time, I've been reading it with the cover on since the last charge on the 25th. But I haven't been reading as much either--lots of stuff going on this week, including one day where I really didn't read anything. My experience does seem to indicate that the device draws from its own battery first and then is recharged from the cover battery.

I do check, when replacing the cover, to make sure that I'm getting battery percentage readings for both device and cover (by tapping on the gear in the top menu). I've had a couple occasions where, when putting the cover on, the percentages don't show which I assume means that the cover isn't seated perfectly. Re-seating it has resolved that. A couple of times, I actually got a warning from the device that the cover wasn't seated perfectly.

Which brings me to, *Cover on or cover off*? 

I like it either way. It's amazingly light and comfortable without the cover. But it's also amazingly light and comfortable with the cover, just not quite so light as without the cover. I don't really have a preference, except that I'm really lazy, so I do tend towards leaving the cover on and just taking it off if I think about it.

*I skinned mine* with a custom skin from http://www.DecalGirl.com. I made sure, when putting the skin on, that it was completely flush with the back, including the part that transitions from thin to thick that has the charging contact on it, and have had no problems that result from the skin.

So, after using it as my sole reading device for the last month, I'm extremely pleased with the device. It's the right one for me!

I'll add other stuff as it occurs to me!

Betsy


----------



## ShinyTop (Apr 25, 2016)

I, too have had my Oasis for a little over a month. I have the Merlot cover.  The cover feels good and has a nice leather smell.

I have been very happy with my screen.  If I look for it I can see a smudge (cone) at one point.  If if am not looking for it I cannot see it so in my book it does not count. I did switch to Helvetica for the heavier font.  I read at either the 2nd or the 3rd font size.  I read at brightness level 14 which is lower than the 18 I read at with my Voyage.

I read most often with my right hand holding the Oasis without the cover.  When I with I switch easily to the left.  When reading at my computer desk I will occasionally place it in my tech-mate stand.  When I do I put it in the cover so it does not lean due to the thicker right side. I find it very comfortable to read in bed where I lay on my side and read with the Oasis in my right hand.  My Voyage used to tilt easily and often fall when reading one handed in bed.

I think I have charged my case and battery 4 times in the month I have owned it.  When reading a good book I will read hours a day.  When reading a so-so book maybe only an hour a day until I reach the point where I read to get thru the thing.  

The only time I read it in the cover is when standing it in the stand.  It is just too easy and convenient to read one handed without the cover.

I am very pleased with it.  So pleased that I bought another for my son.  An excellent device.  Kindles with front light are so nice to read with that when reading a printed book I find myself looking for a place to read with enough light.


----------



## Betsy the Quilter (Oct 27, 2008)

ShinyTop--

Thanks for your "semi-long term" assessment!  And thanks for reminding me that I meant to mention the little stand I use.

I'll add that to my OP.

Betsy


----------



## Ann in Arlington (Oct 27, 2008)

I think I'm close to a month.  Merlot, wifi only, purchased from Best Buy, still just called "Oasis".

First week or so I carried it around pretty much wherever I went.  Wanted to asses portability/usability while out and about. Since then, though, it's been my downstairs device. It lives next to my reading spot in the family room.  My Voyage is my upstairs device and moves from my bedroom to the office to the kitchen to my purse and is the device that goes out with me.

Buttons are nice, though I don't find that I care much one way or the other. The Voyage ones always worked fine for me and these do as well. The only physical button I REALLY want is for the Home screen.  I have mostly had the bottom one as forward, but lately switched it just to see if it works better that way. I have 'em on the right or the left; I do flip it -- that's a nice feature. Thing is, I don't tend to actually HOLD it -- I lean it against my leg. Because the most comfortable way for me is with my hand open and it resting there like, well, a book.  That works great for the Voyage, but for the Oasis it's just a little too wide to work -- and the weight all ends up being at the outside. Sometimes I do flip it over and put the weight in my palm -- but then it's a backwards book and I have to fold the cover back and actually GRIP the thing, which is less comfortable for me. So, instead, I rest it on my leg, and then I end up turning pages with a touch anyway because it's just easier.

It has gotten laggy once or twice which was always fixed with a re-start. At least once it sort of spontaneously re-started -- or maybe I held the button too long. But, even so, the lagginess is in selecting a book or playing in collections. Once in a book, there's never been any issue with page turns. In the newspaper, it is sometime slow to go to the next article -- not page turns, but a swipe to go to the start of the next article. But, in general, it works exactly as advertised and as expected. 

I've noticed no flaws in the screen or lighting whatsoever. Light is usually around 14, I think, and I use the 4th from smallest print size most often. WiFi always on. I've charged it maybe 4 times since I got it? Generally let it run to nearly dead and then charge it up, but if it's kinda low I might plug it in at night before I go up to bed.

I keep the cover on -- even when I start getting low battery warnings. It's not comfortable to hold with out it for me, and the cover folded back keeps it from sliding when I rest it on my knee. I have one of those little stands -- actually I have several tucked here and there -- but the resting on knee works best for me.

Bottom line: I'm glad I've got it. It's a fine device. It's definitely better than the PW in terms of weight, but I can't honestly say that, for me, it's better than the Voyage. It's lighter -- but not significantly, and the balance isn't ideal for me. I won't be returning it, though I did think about it. But I'd bought from Best Buy vs Amazon and didn't want to go through their system AND, I sold my PW back to Amazon for $50 and I do wan to have two eInk devices for redundency. All things, considered, though, especially considering the extra money, I would recommend the Voyage first if weight/size is the main consideration, and the PW if it's price. (Or the basic if it's REALLY price.) The Oasis is high end and top of the line, but for the dollar difference I think the Voyage gets the edge.


----------



## Betsy the Quilter (Oct 27, 2008)

Ann in Arlington said:


> I think I'm close to a month. Merlot, wifi only, purchased from Best Buy, still just called "Oasis".


BUT...not quite there. Pretty sure you got yours more than three days after I got mine.


----------



## Betsy the Quilter (Oct 27, 2008)

Ann in Arlington said:


> It has gotten laggy once or twice which was always fixed with a re-start. At least once it sort of spontaneously re-started -- or maybe I held the button too long. But, even so, the lagginess is in selecting a book or playing in collections. Once in a book, there's never been any issue with page turns. In the newspaper, it is sometime slow to go to the next article -- not page turns, but a swipe to go to the start of the next article. But, in general, it works exactly as advertised and as expected.


Yeah, on mine, even the page turns got slow. I probably wouldn't have worried about the lagginess otherwise. I'll add that to my OP so it's clear.

Betsy


----------



## larryb52 (Nov 18, 2009)

thanks for all the nice write ups, great info!


----------



## The Hooded Claw (Oct 12, 2009)

I'm a couple of days short of a month, but I'll sneak in and hope the mods don't notice.

SCREEN--excellent. Because of gripes from sharp-eyed readers, I carefully ogled my Oasis when I first unboxed it, and if I held my mouth right and the Oasis close to my nearsighted eye, I could barely see faint small scallops along one edge. Since then, I haven't thought about them or noticed them at all. Screen is evenly lit. I couldn't tell you about color tints. I've never noticed, and certainly don't think about 'em when I read.

ERGONOMICS--I'm happy! I have actual physical buttons, which I'm satisfied with for the first time since my original K2. These buttons aren't as good as the K2, but they are very usable. I read one-handed nearly all the time, and do switch hands. Flipping the device over is mildly annoying but I'm getting used to it. I love the reduced weight! I've never used a stand for a Kindle, and don't plan to now.

DESIGN & OPERATION--I'm not as satisfied with the power switch location as I was on the voyage. On the other hand the way I hold this (gripping a bit tighter one-handed), I think I'd bump the power switch accidentally if it was in that former convenient location. The only glitch while operating has been that sometimes I have to hit the power switch more than once. I am not sure if I have a defective switch or I'm just clumsy, but probably the latter. I've never had any lagging or resetting issues.

BATTERY LIFE-- it is acceptable, though I wish the bare device had a little more juice. I have had one long evening of reading where I took the well-charged base unit down to 10%, was desperate to finish the book, so switched to reading with cover on. But usually the battery life is fine as long as I always replace the reader in the case when I'm done. The indicator on the reader is prone to making me think the device is more discharged than it is. A couple of times after reading for just a short time The device seems nearly half discharged. But when I replace it in the cover and look at percentages, the reader will be at 83% or so charge. The combination of reader and cover has excellent battery life, I made it through a nine-day trip without recharging.

READ WITH COVER ON?--I did this one time when the reader was almost discharged and I couldn't quit reading. The notion of deliberately reading with the cover on when not forced to strikes me as bizarre! I'd be more likely to read with a dumbbell in one hand than read with the cover on voluntarily. At least the dumbbell would give me some useful exercise! So I can't really speak to how well this works except to say that it was not intolerable. Glad many of the misguided fools people  who do this are happy with the ability!


----------



## Betsy the Quilter (Oct 27, 2008)

The Hooded Claw said:


> I'm a couple of days short of a month, but I'll sneak in and hope the mods don't notice.


Seeing as how ONE of the mods set such a bad example.......


----------



## stevene9 (Nov 9, 2008)

Love my Oasis but found some unusual things:

I keep losing my location and progress % under "reading progress". I set in and it holds for awhile, but then I find the bottom of the page blank again, even in the same book I changed it 100 pages ago.

Once in awhile as my hand approaches the forward button, the page will flip forward without my touching the screen or the button. I think this may have to do with a slight static electricity charge in my finger. At first I thought I must have touched the screen by accident, but after studying it I'm sure that is not the case.

Neither of these are a big deal, but they are unusual.

Steve


----------



## Kathy (Nov 5, 2008)

stevene9 said:


> Love my Oasis but found some unusual things:
> 
> I keep losing my location and progress % under "reading progress". I set in and it holds for awhile, but then I find the bottom of the page blank again, even in the same book I changed it 100 pages ago.
> 
> ...


I'm experiencing the same thing with the reading progress indicator. I think it's happening when I go to the home screen or settings. When I come back into the book it seems to disappear or change my preference. Annoying but not a deal breaker.


----------



## Betsy the Quilter (Oct 27, 2008)

Kathy said:


> I'm experiencing the same thing with the reading progress indicator. I think it's happening when I go to the home screen or settings. When I come back into the book it seems to disappear or change my preference. Annoying but not a deal breaker.


I've had that happen, too, now that y'all mention it. I'm going to keep an eye on it and see if I can figure out when it's happening...

Betsy


----------



## Ann in Arlington (Oct 27, 2008)

Betsy the Quilter said:


> I've had that happen, too, now that y'all mention it. I'm going to keep an eye on it and see if I can figure out when it's happening...
> 
> Betsy


I've had it happen as well . . . I've always assumed that I accidentally touched that corner. The real annoyance is that if it goes blank, I have trouble getting it back to what I want, which is time in chapter. I have to go through the menu as it stops toggling with a touch there.

And, you'll note, I said it was close to a month . . . mine was delivered on May 2 -- so it's been 4 weeks. If it was February it WOULD be a month.


----------



## Betsy the Quilter (Oct 27, 2008)

Ann in Arlington said:


> And, you'll note, I said it was close to a month . . . mine was delivered on May 2 -- so it's been 4 weeks. If it was February it WOULD be a month.


But, it's NOT Feb and it's NOT been a month! And look, you also led Claw astray!!!      

Yeah, I assumed I'd touched a corner, too, and find it hard to reset. I'm going to try to keep an eye on it.

Betsy


----------



## Gone 9/21/18 (Dec 11, 2008)

My Voyage loses my reading progress preference setting all the time (I like time left in book). I've always assumed I'm accidentally touching that corner in a way to flip it. Of course I have trouble changing it on purpose to put it back.


----------



## The Hooded Claw (Oct 12, 2009)

Betsy the Quilter said:


> But, it's NOT Feb and it's NOT been a month! And look, you also led Claw astray!!!


Yes, I am a good little boy led astray by evil companions! Not my fault at all!


----------



## Betsy the Quilter (Oct 27, 2008)

The Hooded Claw said:


> Yes, I am a good little boy led astray by evil companions! Not my fault at all!


I know, Claw *sadly*


----------



## Ann in Arlington (Oct 27, 2008)

ellenoc said:


> My Voyage loses my reading progress preference setting all the time (I like time left in book). I've always assumed I'm accidentally touching that corner in a way to flip it. Of course I have trouble changing it on purpose to put it back.


See, and I've never lost it with the Voyage. Maybe it's to do with how I hold it?



The Hooded Claw said:


> Yes, I am a good little boy led astray by evil companions! Not my fault at all!


Pay no attention to Betsy and her     . . . . .


----------



## Kathy (Nov 5, 2008)

The reading progress indicator on the Oasis doesn't change by touching the corner or at least it doesn't for me. I was going to settings or the Home screen while reading a book and it seems like if you leave the book to do something else and then return it looses the setting. At least that is what I've noticed so far. I've been reading a book and not leaving it and the setting has stuck so far.


----------



## Ann in Arlington (Oct 27, 2008)

Kathy said:


> The reading progress indicator on the Oasis doesn't change by touching the corner or at least it doesn't for me. I was going to settings or the Home screen while reading a book and it seems like if you leave the book to do something else and then return it looses the setting. At least that is what I've noticed so far. I've been reading a book and not leaving it and the setting has stuck so far.


I've been able to change it by touching the corner, but it seems like you have to do it just right. And, as I noted earlier, if it's showing nothing, I have a really hard time getting it to toggle off that.

Sometimes I leave the book open when I put the device down, and sometimes go back to home, or have switched to another book. I've not noticed any correlation between when I lose my preferred progress indicator and when it sticks. Mostly, it sticks.


----------



## Wisteria Clematis (Oct 29, 2008)

ellenoc said:


> My Voyage loses my reading progress preference setting all the time (I like time left in book). I've always assumed I'm accidentally touching that corner in a way to flip it. Of course I have trouble changing it on purpose to put it back.


I've only had my oasis for slightly over one week but am sneaking in to say that in a week's time I've lost my reading progress preference at least half a dozen times! Not a really big deal to reset it but it is a little curious. Somehow reassuring to know that it may not be my fault!


----------



## Atunah (Nov 20, 2008)

never mind. Nothing to see. 

Apparently I am too early for the rules


----------



## Betsy the Quilter (Oct 27, 2008)

None of you people can follow the rules.     

Betsy


----------



## stevene9 (Nov 9, 2008)

Betsy the Quilter said:


> None of you people can follow the rules.
> 
> Betsy


Rules, rules - what are they?

Steve


----------



## Tatiana (Aug 20, 2010)

stevene9 said:


> I keep losing my location and progress % under "reading progress". I set in and it holds for awhile, but then I find the bottom of the page blank again, even in the same book I changed it 100 pages ago.


I am having the same problem. It is annoying, but not something I am going to complain to Amazon about.


----------



## The Hooded Claw (Oct 12, 2009)

stevene9 said:


> Rules, rules - what are they?
> 
> Steve


They're for other people!


----------



## Betsy the Quilter (Oct 27, 2008)

*warms up cattle prod*


----------



## Ann in Arlington (Oct 27, 2008)

Tatiana said:


> I am having the same problem. It is annoying, but not something I am going to complain to Amazon about.


Hmm . . . . I wonder though . . . . I thought the reading progress hiccup was a one off -- something I'd inadvertently done -- but so many people are reporting the same thing I wonder if there's a glitch. It might be smart for us all to let them know via [email protected]


----------



## Kathy (Nov 5, 2008)

Ann in Arlington said:


> Hmm . . . . I wonder though . . . . I thought the reading progress hiccup was a one off -- something I'd inadvertently done -- but so many people are reporting the same thing I wonder if there's a glitch. It might be smart for us all to let them know via [email protected]


I agree. It happens a lot on mine. I admit that I've been loading books on it and switching between books. I like mine on page number and some books do not have that option, so I'm thinking that may be one of the issues. I'm going to watch it for the next couple of days so that I can report exactly what is causing the issue.


----------



## kschles (Feb 10, 2011)

I also see my reading progress change. I like to keep it at "minutes left till the end of the chapter," but frequently find it changed to "total time left till the end of the book." Since I sometimes hold the bottom of the Oasis in that area, I figured it was me changing it inadvertently. Now I'm feeling paranoid - like a mysterious force is changing my setting. This feeling could also be attributed to the fantasy books I'm currently reading, The Mistborn  Trilogy. 

Other than that, I'm loving my Oasis. The screen seems fine. I also keep the brightness setting at 11. I usually have the wifi turned off, so my battery life (combined) is pretty fantastic. I have the top button as my forward button, and like to rest my thumb on top of the button while holding the kindle. Some gentle pressure and I can change pages without moving my hand. After trying the Oasis in and out of the cover (walnut, looking a little distressed these days; but I like the character), I prefer reading the Oasis without the cover. Love that fact that the cover is so easy to detach and put back on.

I've always been a little obsessive about cases. I tend to order multiple cases to try out until I find one I like. I thought owning the Oasis would spare me this weird ritual. It has, except I discovered Decalgirl skins. Oh good gosh, why do they have so many?


----------



## KindleMur (Feb 16, 2009)

I too am losing my progress info. I like minutes left in chapter. It looks there is no rhyme or reason for the anomaly. Update time, I know you can do it Amazon 😋


----------



## LauraB (Nov 23, 2008)

Kathy said:


> I agree. It happens a lot on mine. I admit that I've been loading books on it and switching between books. I like mine on page number and some books do not have that option, so I'm thinking that may be one of the issues. I'm going to watch it for the next couple of days so that I can report exactly what is causing the issue.


It happens a lot on mine too. Also I am getting the error message frequently, about the battery case not being connected. I am actually thinking about sending the oasis back and getting a backup second voyage. This reader seems to have a lot of issues for me. Also the black coloring along the edge of both the kindle and cover seems to be coming off in small random areas.

Edited to add: I received mine on release day, so must be within rules.


----------



## Betsy the Quilter (Oct 27, 2008)

LauraB said:


> Edited to add: I received mine on release day, so must be within rules.


 

No cattle prod for Laura!


----------



## LauraB (Nov 23, 2008)

Betsy the Quilter said:


> ;
> 
> No cattle prod for Laura!


----------



## nikkidog (Apr 8, 2016)

LauraB said:


> It happens a lot on mine too. Also I am getting the error message frequently, about the battery case not being connected. I am actually thinking about sending the oasis back and getting a backup second voyage. This reader seems to have a lot of issues for me. Also the black coloring along the edge of both the kindle and cover seems to be coming off in small random areas.
> 
> Edited to add: I received mine on release day, so must be within rules.


I would send it back. It is to expensive to have all of those problems. You probably know this but, you can ask for a replacement, refund or gift card.


----------



## LauraB (Nov 23, 2008)

nikkidog said:


> I would send it back. It is to expensive to have all of those problems. You probably know this but, you can ask for a replacement, refund or gift card.


I called them today and started the refund process. I'll mail it to them later today. I already printed label. I have a voyage as well as the oasis and am just going to keep reading the voyage. I don't see any difference in screens, and I have to charge the oasiss about 2x week, instead of 3 with voyage so not that big a difference in battery, for me, to make it worth it. And they said wouldn't have 3G Merlot to replace it with until August. Just overall too much trouble for me between having to keep calling and checking, living with quirks until August and then being outside return window if that one doesn't work out.


----------



## northofdivision (Sep 7, 2010)

I've now had my eyes on three Oasis' and I can catch the scallops in all of them as well as the half/half lighting which a small minority has complained about. That said, i'm over it and if i keep the lighting at around 12-14 it's very very minimal and I can easily get lost in the Oasis and in most conditions the screen is perfect and beautiful. The weight distribution and the real buttons really work for me as well as the way the case charging works. I find myself not taking it out of case as much as I have when outside with other Kindles in  the past (I treat it a little more tenderly than with Kindles in the past) and the battery life really seems pretty spectacular. 

A tiny gripe: I like reading laying flat on my back with a blanket in parks holding up a Kindle into the sky. I noticed that I actually like when I let my arm fall so the Kindle is a bit upside down. With the Oasis, it keeps ending up slightly angled down right at the point where the Oasis flips the text. It's 1 environment out of 100 that I read but I'm hoping a future firmware update will give you the option to turn off rotation. 

That aside, the Oasis is incredible and I am very very pleased with it. Best Kindle yet in my opinion. Well worth the $$$'s.


----------



## LauraB (Nov 23, 2008)

I think the oasis is worth the $. I just don't feel like messing around until August with the one I have with the issues, between paint (or whatever the black is  coming off edges) and leaving small grey areas, and the pop up message about battery, plus the 4-5 second delay when I open case (which I do not understand because it has same software as my voyage and it doesn't have a delay). 

When they are back in stock I will probably buy another. But for now just returning defective one and reading on voyage since I am 1 day before end of return window.


----------



## LauraB (Nov 23, 2008)

I just had the most bizarre thing happen. This thing is going back! I was reading a book about Macbeth and the dictionary switched to Japanese. While trying to fix that I got a letter on home screen that says "Dear developer, your kindle is no longer a test kindle and is unable to test items previously signed by authorized developers. 

If you want your kindle to be a test kindle again please contact the developer. 
Thank you, 
Your Kindle team. " 

I have never had it set to be test kindle. Was supposed to be new kindle, I called Amazon kindle tech support and they knew of those kinds of letters but were clueless on why I got the letter on my kindle or why my kindle decided Japanese would be best language for my dictionary. I only go to kindle store, nothing else on 3G or wifi, not even the goodreads. 
I am reading a book about Macbeth, no Japanese language involved. I think it has a ghost


----------



## northofdivision (Sep 7, 2010)

LauraB said:


> I just had the most bizarre thing happen. This thing is going back! I was reading a book about Macbeth and the dictionary switched to Japanese. While trying to fix that I got a letter on home screen that says "Dear developer, your kindle is no longer a test kindle and is unable to test items previously signed by authorized developers.
> 
> If you want your kindle to be a test kindle again please contact the developer.
> Thank you,
> ...


You definitely got a crappy one. Return it and complain and they'll likely send a replacement within a few days. I did it with both my Paperwhite 2 and my Voyage and got a replacement faster than they said they would. I know this one has demand but really, that sounds like one that should not have gone out to a consumer.


----------



## NightReader (Apr 25, 2010)

LauraB said:


> I am reading a book about Macbeth, no Japanese language involved. I think it has a ghost


Tee-hee-hee. You're reading a book about Macbeth and you have a ghost. That's kind of funny.

But back to your Kindle. Did it come registered to you? I would try a full reset and re-register before I gave up, if the screen is good.


----------



## KindleMur (Feb 16, 2009)

Still having problems with minutes left in chapter and odd page numbers. Has anyone gotten a customer service person from Seattle lately? I delt with an agent from the Philippines regarding an obvious voyage firmware problem and got no satisfaction for 2 weeks and then got an agent from Seattle who had a new Voyage in my hands in 2 days. 

I will most likely need to get my Oasis replaced unless it is a software problem that can be solved with an update. 

I will start the process tomorrow.  

Mur


----------



## Betsy the Quilter (Oct 27, 2008)

I've been reading a lot the last few days and had the "minutes left" disappear just once.  I'm still trying to figure out if it's something I'm doing or the device...

Betsy


----------



## larryb52 (Nov 18, 2009)

I think that Amazon has gotten too big and has rushed the Oasis and for some reason has totally lost ability on getting the product in good working order to the public. Personally I find it unacceptable to sell something than not be able to replace a defective product for months. For another to advertise this as a caddy of readers and have issues is beyond me. Three hundred dollars is not a large sum but more than the average reader. The whole thing is out of hand and Amazon is to blame. I understand that engineers have to make a buck but where does it end...Oasis is a nice reader but was came with my hype that IMO it does not live up to, especially if you have a slight screen issue and you just accept it, not good doing business like that...


----------



## northofdivision (Sep 7, 2010)

I would argue that 300 dollars IS actually a lot of money.  if i buy a 50.00 dollar piece of electronic hardware (Let alone 300+) and something is wrong, I expect for some immediate exchanges/fixes. and agree completely with you, larryb52, it's very surprising to me that they would not replace the device sooner. and disappointed. i've always had excellent service with them so it's shocking. perhaps as a workaround, just straight up return it and go buy one at BestBuy.


----------



## Ann in Arlington (Oct 27, 2008)

The last time there was a kindle shortage was when the first one was released back in November of 2007. Then there was a shortage the following fall after Oprah declared it her favorite thing.

The first time it was a clear case of grossly underestimating demand. The second time, it was a case of not being prepared for the "Oprah Effect".  I figure they knew she was giving them away, 'cause she had to get them from them, but maybe didn't calculate on her viewers wanting to order one as well! Plus, by that time they were working on a second gen device so had no intention of ordering up an more of the first gen devices.

Since then, they've not had a problem -- they've had a pretty good handle on what demand would be like and there have only been very short periods where maybe one version of a device would be out of stock.  

But with the Oasis, it's like they have been surprised by the demand! Or maybe they're having manufacturing issues -- it does seem like if you're good with a black cover, there is little wait, if you want the brown, or the Merlot, well, they're just not available! 

As to faulty devices, that's to be expected to some extent -- it would be cost prohibitive for them to completely inspect each device before shipping. I will note, however, that while it seems there have been a fair number of complaints here, it's very likely only a small percentage of the people who've bought the Oasis. As is often the case, the people without a problem just get on with reading and we only really hear from the people that have a device that isn't quite right. So it's not a statistical sample. But, even so, the people who've shared here have mostly been very happy and, really, only a few have reported 'faults' -- screen or lighting issues, manufacturing defects, or software malfunction.

All that said, it is unfortunate that the supply is such that they're having trouble even replacing those. Usually they seem to keep some back for replacements, so that if you get one that doesn't work, they can immediately send one out to you. I don't expect everything I buy to be perfect first go 'round -- though I actually have had very few cases where something I bought didn't work -- but when that happens I DO expect to be able to quickly and easily return/replace it. THAT is where Amazon has missed on this device release, I think -- given their track record, there must be something even they didn't expect somewhere in the process that's causing the problem. I doubt we'll ever know what, however.


----------



## Betsy the Quilter (Oct 27, 2008)

Ann in Arlington said:


> I don't expect everything I buy to be perfect first go 'round -- though I actually have had very few cases where something I bought didn't work -- but when that happens I DO expect to be able to quickly and easily return/replace it. THAT is where Amazon has missed on this device release, I think -- given their track record, there must be something even they didn't expect somewhere in the process that's causing the problem. I doubt we'll ever know what, however.


Agree^. I think Amazon wayyyyyy underestimated demand for a premium device. I think, after the PW and the Voyage screen issues, they would have had a feel for how many devices would be returned for screen issues. And, initially, at least some of our membership got replacements fairly quickly. But now, the delays are not acceptable.

I do think probably that most people who've gotten their devices are satisfied, based on reports here and knowing that, in general, people are more likely to complain about stuff than to post that they're satisfied. I know I'm certainly satisfied with my release-day Oasis.

Betsy


----------



## Atunah (Nov 20, 2008)

Betsy the Quilter said:


> I've been reading a lot the last few days and had the "minutes left" disappear just once. I'm still trying to figure out if it's something I'm doing or the device...
> 
> Betsy


That is what I keep thinking. It has stuck now where it is suppose to be for the last 2 charging cycles. It only went away a few times. So maybe because I am holding it with the corner in my palm, some of my skin touches the corner? I do know that the corner is way more responsive than say on my Voyage, which doesn't always register my touch there. So I barely have to touch it there to change the settings to time left, or page.

So far its the only quirk for me, if it is a quirk.

I do think they underestimated the demand for such a premium device. And they been struggling to get more in. Stuff like that comes by ship from China right? Big containers? Google tells me travel time 2 weeks to a month. So even if they get production up, they still have to figure that one in and then to get them to the warehouses.

I guess since the device is so different in design as the others, they didn't think it would sell out.


----------



## Ann in Arlington (Oct 27, 2008)

Atunah said:


> I guess since the device is so different in design as the others, they didn't think it would sell out.


AND the higher cost. Before release that was the biggest negative comment I saw -- people saying Voyage was pretty expensive compared to PW and then the Oasis that much more?

I guess a lot of people really really want those buttons!


----------



## Atunah (Nov 20, 2008)

Ann in Arlington said:


> I guess a lot of people really really want those buttons!


Yep. This was me after the announcement


----------



## stevene9 (Nov 9, 2008)

Betsy the Quilter said:


> I've been reading a lot the last few days and had the "minutes left" disappear just once. I'm still trying to figure out if it's something I'm doing or the device...
> 
> Betsy


Everyone seems to have the same problem. It can't be all of us, it must be a glitch in the device or software. I doubt returning a unit for a new one will change anything. I suspect the people who haven't had this problem are people who haven't noticed it. While I hope Amazon can fix it with a software update in the future. it doesn't bother me enough that I would give up my Oasis because of it, not even close.

Steve


----------



## Geoffrey (Jun 20, 2009)

I'm only a week old and jumping in purely because of the stands. I've ordered, but not yet received, an AmazonBasics stand that looks like it will do the job nicely and kinda looks robo enough for it to be fun.



It was just under $8 and it should work on my other devices as well as the Oasis so that's the best plus for me. The proof will be whether it stands nicely on an uneven surface like a bed; I often read sprawled out on my stomach with a chin pillow propping me up so it needs to stand on it's own devices or it's broken


----------



## larryb52 (Nov 18, 2009)

well called again and I was told to return it and reorder so its in the UPS system for return and I'm sorry I could not secure a replacement within the 30days I have no idea why they advertise it when you can't get that. So the Oasis turns into a crap shoot of order and hope you get a good one...this is not the way Amazon use to be and with the prices of e books going up makes you wonder if this is the same Amazon that started in the late 90's and I'm tired of the customer service folks being from countries that say my name wrong, kind of insulting....


----------



## Betsy the Quilter (Oct 27, 2008)

stevene9 said:


> Everyone seems to have the same problem. It can't be all of us, it must be a glitch in the device or software. I doubt returning a unit for a new one will change anything. I suspect the people who haven't had this problem are people who haven't noticed it. While I hope Amazon can fix it with a software update in the future. it doesn't bother me enough that I would give up my Oasis because of it, not even close.
> 
> Steve


I'm tending to think it's neither a glitch in the device (at least not what I think of as a glitch) or in the software, though I don't have enough data to really even convince myself.

I just had it happen for the first time in a while...and I didn't notice it when it happened, but the "time left in book" was gone when I woke up my device--and one of the last things I had done in my last reading session was to rotate the device, which I don't often. I read left handed mostly, when I rotated it, the corner with the narrow bezel under my left thumb has the "time left in book" and I suspect I brushed it without thinking.

This is a different device, with a very narrow bezel around three sides, and a "rotation" option that people aren't used to. I'm wondering if that's the problem, at least for some of us. With that very narrow bezel, hitting it in the wrong place could cause the issue even without rotating it. EDIT: And I'll note that if one reads it right handed, the "time left/page/location" is in the corner with the narrow bezel on both sides.

This is just a working hypothesis for me right now--but I'm going to be paying more attention to it.

Betsy


----------



## KindleMur (Feb 16, 2009)

I have decided to wait for now and not return my Oasis because of time left in chapter anomaly. I am going to make certain it isn't me touching the screen. I've been consciously not coming close to the screen with a finger. I have read a few hours with no problem. Here's hoping. 

Report later


----------



## Betsy the Quilter (Oct 27, 2008)

KindleMur said:


> I have decided to wait for now and not return my Oasis because of time left in chapter anomaly. I am going to make certain it isn't me touching the screen. I've been consciously not coming close to the screen with a finger. I have read a few hours with no problem. Here's hoping.
> 
> Report later


Thanks, KindleMur!

Whether this is indeed a glitch in the device or a consequence of the very narrow bezel and the ability to rotate, one option would be for Amazon to add a setting that allows us to "lock" the "time left/page/location" setting that we prefer.

Betsy


----------



## KindleMur (Feb 16, 2009)

I placed my Oasis in a stand so that I could not touch the screen in any way. Result = no time left anomalies. I read for about 3 hours this evening. Maybe I participated in the glitch. Betsy,your suggestion for a lock method could fix this with a software update..

Holding my horses in the mean time. 

Mur


----------



## HappyGuy (Nov 3, 2008)

I'm thinking the time to end of chapter/time to end of book/location issue you have been having is software related. I read on my Fire and, until you all mentioned it I never noticed, but I see it switching (randomly?) between the options. Seems to happen to me only when I close the Fire or the book - that is, it doesn't seem to happen while reading.


----------



## Betsy the Quilter (Oct 27, 2008)

HappyGuy said:


> I'm thinking the time to end of chapter/time to end of book/location issue you have been having is software related. I read on my Fire and, until you all mentioned it I never noticed, but I see it switching (randomly?) between the options. Seems to happen to me only when I close the Fire or the book - that is, it doesn't seem to happen while reading.


Noting, of course, that the Fires have totally different software from the eInk Kindles. 

I'm starting to think that perhaps we need a separate thread to discuss this? Maybe in Tips, Tricks and Troubleshooting, where we could discuss dealing with end of book/location issues across models?


----------



## Andra (Nov 19, 2008)

My 3G Walnut Oasis arrived on May 4th so I am not now officially past the one-month mark 

I have used it pretty much every day since it arrived, with a minimum time of about an hour up to several long reading stretches of 6-7 hours. I find that I have to charge it every 4-5 days, and that is a little more frequently that I have to charge my Voyage.
I am still experimenting with reading it in the case vs nekkid. It's almost too thin, even with the thicker part, for me to hold comfortably, but I keep trying. I think it's more a matter of balance and I haven't gotten it just right yet. I did change the page forward button to be on the bottom. LOVE the buttons. I thought the Page Press sensors on the Voyage were pretty good, but I definitely like actual physical buttons better. I hold my Kindles in my left hand - that's a throwback to the original Kindle where the entire right side was a page forward button so it was easier to pick it up without turning a page if you used your left hand. If I am reading while it's plugged in, then I switch it over so the cable connects on the top.
The cover is nice. I'm still not certain that I made the right choice with the Walnut cover, but I haven't seen a Merlot one in person yet, so it's hard to say. I did skin the Oasis and the feel is better and there are fewer fingerprints.
Regarding the reading progress indicator in the lower left corner - mine does disappear from time to time, but I am pretty sure I am doing it by touching the screen. Of course if I try to change the setting deliberately that way, it doesn't work consistently. The issue is worse with my Voyage - probably because of the thinner bezel.
For me, it's definitely a keeper and if something happened to it, I'd be looking for a way to replace it as soon as possible.


----------



## Betsy the Quilter (Oct 27, 2008)

Andra said:


> My 3G Walnut Oasis arrived on May 4th so I am not officially past the one-month mark .


I think you meant "now" so, yes, you are. And if you meant "not," then, no, you are. 

Thanks for the long term impressions--I'm a left-handed reader, too, and your experiences are similar to mine.

Betsy


----------



## Andra (Nov 19, 2008)

Betsy the Quilter said:


> I think you meant "now" so, yes, you are. And if you meant "not," then, no, you are.
> 
> Thanks for the long term impressions--I'm a left-handed reader, too, and your experiences are similar to mine.
> 
> Betsy


I read over that post at least three times and didn't catch that one. Thanks! It's fixed now.


----------



## BettyR (May 11, 2010)

I got my Oasis about a month ago, with the Walnut cover.  I too lose my location occasionally, and can't figure out why.  I think I must be accidentally pressing at the bottom of the page.

Anyway, I love my Oasis.  I hadn't had a nice cover before, and I love being able to hold it like a book.  It is such a luxurious feel!  

I had the Voyage previously, and I have noticed a couple of very minor things.  The first is that the screen on the Oasis feels silkier.  It just has a smoother feel than the Voyage.  The second minor thing is that the bottom bezel is narrower than the Voyage.  This means when I am on the treadmill, the last line of text almost gets clipped off by the ledge on the treadmill.  And when I read in bed, the Oasis is supported on my chest, and the last line is a bit lower than what it was on the Voyage.
Notice I said "minor"....I can still read the last line.  It's just that I have to tilt my head down a bit.  

The rest of my observations are similar to what others have reported.  No adaptive light control, but longer battery life if I leave it in the cover.  All in all, I am very happy with my purchase.


----------



## Betsy the Quilter (Oct 27, 2008)

BettyR said:


> I got my Oasis about a month ago, with the Walnut cover. I too lose my location occasionally, and can't figure out why. I think I must be accidentally pressing at the bottom of the page.
> 
> Anyway, I love my Oasis. I hadn't had a nice cover before, and I love being able to hold it like a book. It is such a luxurious feel!
> 
> ...


Two things--you could read with it in landscape mode at night or on the treadmill--and put the wider bezel at the bottom. Or, on your treadmill, you could put a pencil in the ledge below the Oasis to raise it up a bit (if I'm picturing your setup correctly). Glad you're loving your Oasis!

Betsy


----------



## kschles (Feb 10, 2011)

For the last three to four days, I've been VERY careful how I hold my Oasis. During this time I did not have any occurences of the bottom left screen indicator changing information (mine is set to minutes left until the end of the chapter). I really do think the problem is user error, but the very thin bezel design of the Oasis has proven to contribute to the headache.


----------



## Betsy the Quilter (Oct 27, 2008)

kschles said:


> I really do think the problem is user error, but the very thin bezel design of the Oasis has proven to contribute to the headache.


I've come to think this, too--along with, at least for those who do it, the rotating of the device. . We've not had either the very thin bezel or the ability to rotate with other devices (at least not since the DX was introduced yea these many years ).

Betsy


----------



## KindleGirl (Nov 11, 2008)

I've had mine for over a month and have to say I love just about everything about the Oasis. I love having the buttons back and being able to switch hands and keep reading. I find myself doing that a lot depending on how I am sitting or laying, and it is so seemless to flip and keep going. I haven't written down when I charge the battery, but it does seem like I am charging it every 4-5 days, which is more than my Voyage. Not a big deal since I can just plug it in at night anyway, but not sure it's an improvement for me. I do miss the adaptive light feature though. If I had one thing I could change on the Oasis, I would ask for that back. Otherwise, I find it easy to hold and love the size and weight. The Oasis is very much a step up from the Voyage, for me. I've loved all of my kindles, but this has to be my favorite I think.


----------



## Betsy the Quilter (Oct 27, 2008)

KindleGirl said:


> The Oasis is very much a step up from the Voyage, for me. I've loved all of my kindles, but this has to be my favorite I think.


I agree.

Seems like every 4-5 days is about what most people are finding.

Betsy


----------



## Andra (Nov 19, 2008)

I will add that DH got his wi-fi only Oasis the day that I got my 3G version.  He more closely resembles the person Amazon uses to estimate battery life.  He reads maybe 30 minutes a day.  I made sure it was fully charged when he got it and he is still on the original charge.


----------



## Betsy the Quilter (Oct 27, 2008)

Andra said:


> I will add that DH got his wi-fi only Oasis the day that I got my 3G version. He more closely resembles the person Amazon uses to estimate battery life. He reads maybe 30 minutes a day. I made sure it was fully charged when he got it and he is still on the original charge.


Remind me again how long that's been? . I'm soooo lazy.

Betsy


----------



## Andra (Nov 19, 2008)

Betsy the Quilter said:


> Remind me again how long that's been? . I'm soooo lazy.
> 
> Betsy


"His" came from Best Buy on releast day and I used it until mine arrived. So he has been using it on a single charge since he got it on May 4th.


----------



## The Hooded Claw (Oct 12, 2009)

I have been puzzled by the reports of "minutes remaining " disappearing or having other anomalies. Never noticed such issues on my Oasis. I finally remembered to pay repeated attention to the issue during a long reading session last night. No problem whatsoever with disappearing or changing times or percent remaining. I guess I'm just lucky!


----------



## Betsy the Quilter (Oct 27, 2008)

The Hooded Claw said:


> I have been puzzled by the reports of "minutes remaining " disappearing or having other anomalies. Never noticed such issues on my Oasis. I finally remembered to pay repeated attention to the issue during a long reading session last night. No problem whatsoever with disappearing or changing times or percent remaining. I guess I'm just lucky!


After being very careful with my Oasis over time, I've come to the conclusion that the issues with that, at least the ones I was having, were accidental touches caused by the very narrow bezel and rotating it. If you're more adept than I, you probably won't have any problems. 

Betsy


----------



## GBear (Apr 23, 2009)

Betsy the Quilter said:


> After being very careful with my Oasis over time, I've come to the conclusion that the issues with that, at least the ones I was having, were accidental touches caused by the very narrow bezel and rotating it. If you're more adept than I, you probably won't have any problems.
> 
> Betsy


I wonder if the extra "handle area" of the case helps, or maybe exacerbates, the issue. Are people seeing this more with or without the case on?


----------



## The Hooded Claw (Oct 12, 2009)

GBear said:


> I wonder if the extra "handle area" of the case helps, or maybe exacerbates, the issue. Are people seeing this more with or without the case on?


With one exception during a marathon reading session that drained the Oasis, I've never even considered reading with the case on. Whether that is tied to my lack of time and location problems I don't know.


----------



## Betsy the Quilter (Oct 27, 2008)

GBear said:


> I wonder if the extra "handle area" of the case helps, or maybe exacerbates, the issue. Are people seeing this more with or without the case on?


I don't think the extra handle affects it one way or the other, except in that that's where the buttons are, so it affects how it is held. I *think* that most people hold their Oasis with their right hands; that puts the "time left/location" in the lower left hand corner surrounded by a narrow bezel, which makes it that much easier to touch accidentally. I also think, in my case, a couple times when I rotated it from my left hand (my usual reading hand), I've touched the time left/location by accident.

Betsy


----------



## stevene9 (Nov 9, 2008)

Betsy the Quilter said:


> After being very careful with my Oasis over time, I've come to the conclusion that the issues with that, at least the ones I was having, were accidental touches caused by the very narrow bezel and rotating it. If you're more adept than I, you probably won't have any problems.
> 
> Betsy


In my case I don't think it is accidental screen touching. I never rotate the screen. I almost always read with the Oasis (in the case) laying on a table in front of my chair. I am right handed and only touch the kindle to touch the buttons on the right side. If I accidentally touched the screen, it would be on the right side in the middle of the page where the buttons are. And lastly I have tried to pay attention to where I touch when I do touch the Oasis. On my unit the page location change happens quite frequently. Further I have tried to change the reading progress by touching the screen on the bottom left, and it is very very difficult to accomplish, even when I am really trying to do it.

Steve


----------



## Betsy the Quilter (Oct 27, 2008)

stevene9 said:


> In my case I don't think it is accidental screen touching. I never rotate the screen. I almost always read with the Oasis (in the case) laying on a table in front of my chair. I am right handed and only touch the kindle to touch the buttons on the right side. If I accidentally touched the screen, it would be on the right side in the middle of the page where the buttons are. And lastly I have tried to pay attention to where I touch when I do touch the Oasis. On my unit the page location change happens quite frequently. Further I have tried to change the reading progress by touching the screen on the bottom left, and it is very very difficult to accomplish, even when I am really trying to do it.
> 
> Steve


I can change mine pretty consistently by touching it just barely on the place where the info should be but catching the edge of the bezel, too. I'll post a video.

EDIT: Added the video. Please ignore the background audio of my hubby talking.





Since I've been trying to keep track, every time I've noticed that the time/loc has disappeared has been when I know I fumbled it, or had it fall against my body while reading at some point or rotated it or just not being careful how I held it before I noticed it was gone. And it's only been about twice in the last five or so days. Based on my experiences and other reports here, I've convinced myself that it is not something that's a universal problem--but, as with anything else, there could be problems with individual devices.

Betsy


----------



## Betsy the Quilter (Oct 27, 2008)

stevene9 said:


> In my case I don't think it is accidental screen touching. I never rotate the screen. I almost always read with the Oasis (in the case) laying on a table in front of my chair. I am right handed and only touch the kindle to touch the buttons on the right side. If I accidentally touched the screen, it would be on the right side in the middle of the page where the buttons are. And lastly I have tried to pay attention to where I touch when I do touch the Oasis. On my unit the page location change happens quite frequently. Further I have tried to change the reading progress by touching the screen on the bottom left, and it is very very difficult to accomplish, even when I am really trying to do it.
> 
> Steve


Steve,

I've been thinking a lot about your device since you posted this. Have you talked to CS about it? Have you seen it disappear while the device was open?

I've done all kinds of testing with opening and closing the cover and rotating the device and waking it up when it falls asleep with the cover open, and the only consistent thing I've found on mine has been that it changed after I've been pretty sure there were accidental touches. 

Betsy


----------



## Kathy (Nov 5, 2008)

Well I'm officially at the one month plus a couple of days. I admit it tool me longer to get used to the Oasis but I love it. I wasn't really interested in the buttons but they are so nice. I find myself using them most of the time. Love the size and weight. I think my favorite thing is the screen rotation. My right gets tired easily and when it does I just flip it over. I've been on vacation and doing a lot of reading. The battery life is really good. I read about 8 hours before having to put it back on the case to charge the Oasis up. It charges quickly when needed. All in all I really love it and haven't gone back to Voyage since I received it.


----------



## Andra (Nov 19, 2008)

I haven't seen this mentioned before, but if you are putting your cover back on your Oasis and then checking to be sure it's charging, maybe you don't have to do that.  I've noticed that when I put the cover on, the light on the power button lights up briefly - like it's telling me that it's connected.


----------



## Atunah (Nov 20, 2008)

Andra said:


> I haven't seen this mentioned before, but if you are putting your cover back on your Oasis and then checking to be sure it's charging, maybe you don't have to do that. I've noticed that when I put the cover on, the light on the power button lights up briefly - like it's telling me that it's connected.


Well that is something I didn't know. Thanks for that. Blinks 3 times. I don't have the issue too often, but once in a while it seems it isn't charging when I put it in, unless I take it out and in again. I can just look at the light now. Never noticed that.


----------



## Betsy the Quilter (Oct 27, 2008)

Atunah said:


> Well that is something I didn't know. Thanks for that. Blinks 3 times. I don't have the issue too often, but once in a while it seems it isn't charging when I put it in, unless I take it out and in again. I can just look at the light now. Never noticed that.


I'll have to watch that. I've had times when I got a popup that said the cover wasn't seated properly but when I checked for charging in the menu, it showed both cover and Oasis, and other times when I found it wasn't seated when I dolidn't get the message. I'll have to keep an eye on it for awhile and see if it is consistent. Good tip!

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


----------



## DD (Nov 9, 2008)

Betsy the Quilter said:


> OK,
> 
> I've had my KO for just over a month now and thought I'd post some reflections on how I've found it to use. Meant to post this on the 27th, one month to the day after I got mine, but the holiday weekend got in the way!
> 
> ...


Betsy, thanks for the great review. I have a question about holding the KO without the cover....does it have a bit of 'grip' or tacky feel to it or is it very hard and slippery where you hold it? I've been known to be a bit of a 'butter fingers'.


----------



## The Hooded Claw (Oct 12, 2009)

DD said:


> Betsy, thanks for the great review. I have a question about holding the KO without the cover....does it have a bit of 'grip' or tacky feel to it or is it very hard and slippery where you hold it? I've been known to be a bit of a 'butter fingers'.


I'm not Betsy, but I'll answer anyway!

It is very hard, not tacky at all (It isn't slippery--An iPhone is slippery). But the oasis is not at all tacky or grippy. Dropping it when holding it other than in the reading position is definitely possible, but working against butterfingers is the shape of the body. Being thicker on one side than the other seems odd, but it makes the Oasis fit my hand very well. There is a ridge on the back where my fingers fall right into place for a firm, easy grip in the reading position. If you have a reasonable grip strength at all, dropping it from the reading position would be unlikely in my opinion.


----------



## The Hooded Claw (Oct 12, 2009)

This picture shows what I'm talking about. My fingers curl around the thick side of the Oasis, and my fingertips end up lined up with and gripping along the ridge between the thick part and the thin part.

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk


----------



## DD (Nov 9, 2008)

The Hooded Claw said:


> I'm not Betsy, but I'll answer anyway!
> 
> It is very hard, not tacky at all (It isn't slippery--An iPhone is slippery). But the oasis is not at all tacky or grippy. Dropping it when holding it other than in the reading position is definitely possible, but working against butterfingers is the shape of the body. Being thicker on one side than the other seems odd, but it makes the Oasis fit my hand very well. There is a ridge on the back where my fingers fall right into place for a firm, easy grip in the reading position. If you have a reasonable grip strength at all, dropping it from the reading position would be unlikely in my opinion.


Thank you for your clear explanation. That is very helpful.


----------



## Kathy (Nov 5, 2008)

DD said:


> Betsy, thanks for the great review. I have a question about holding the KO without the cover....does it have a bit of 'grip' or tacky feel to it or is it very hard and slippery where you hold it? I've been known to be a bit of a 'butter fingers'.


I have nerve damage on my left side that causes me to drop things suddenly. I like holdin the Oasis with my left hand and resting it in my right hand. It is so light that even if my left hand opens involuntarily I don't drop it. I just close my right hand over the edge. Of course this is when I'm sitting down reading so I don't have to worry about it hitting the ground. I have knocked it off of the table a couple of times but the cover seems to protect it.


----------



## Gone 9/21/18 (Dec 11, 2008)

I've now had my Oasis for 31? 32? days so thought I'd report here.

I'm still in love with it and am going to Amazon right after this to get the SO turned off because I don't love them. Actually if they just didn't have that swipe to get going feature when the device first wakes up, I could live with them, but that single small thing irritates me _every single time_ I have to do it.

Still wish the Merlot covers were bright even though it's pretty as is. My big problem with the cover is that it's book style while I like, prefer, want a fliptop. I now have a couple of stands that fix that on surfaces. I still haven't solved the problem well enough to make me happy for reading in a chair , when holding makes my hands hurt so I want to be able to prop the thing in my lap, wedge between my legs, etc. I probably will work something out.

I still love, love the longer battery life (I read in the cover). However, one thing I think could be improved is when the cover runs down, the cover/device combo ought to switch to using the device battery and wait until that runs down before starting to demand recharging.

I didn't expect the ease of flipping the device so that the buttons are on the other side to matter, but it's a great feature, and I use it often.

As I said in the Initial Impressions thread, my screen is either perfect or I'm just too oblivious to see that it's not. I use a setting of 17 when reading in a room with lights on and go down as low as 8 at night in bed with no lights on. The only time I can see cones is if I use landscape orientation, and I have used it more than I expected. I might even make it my regular reading orientation if it weren't that the book itself goes to landscape and everything else stays at portrait, which is another minor irritant. Anyway, even in landscape, the cones aren't obvious enough to bother me.

My screen does have more of a cream tone, whereas my Voyage is a stark white. I prefer the Oasis.

I love, love, love the real buttons. I do wish they were on both sides like the good old days, but these will do, thank you. I also wish they worked for everything. If older models like the Kindle Keyboard had buttons that worked for everything, you'd think newer models could too. It's like landscape not being landscape for everything. I assume it keeps the cost of the device down because otherwise, why cut that corner?

One problem I'm having and never did before is that sometimes every so many pages, the page turn is so slow I start to think I didn't press the button right. I have page refresh on and always have had on every device, but this makes me think it's what you'd see if you didn't have that on. Turning page refresh off makes no difference. Rebooting clears it up for a while. I saw a post from someone (Betsy? Ann?) saying they reboot their Kindle regularly. I've hardly ever done it on purpose. My Kindles crashed once in a great while and did it on their own, but I never just rebooted for the heck of it. If this proves a chronic problem, I think I'll call Amazon and see if anything can be done about it, but I guess if I have to reboot every so often that's what I'll do.

I need and use 3G and the Oasis doesn't seem to find a connection as fast as my other devices on awakening, but I'm hoping getting rid of the SO will improve that. I had SO on the Voyage but can't remember if that affected it. I did have to send my first Voyage back because the modem stopped working reliably.

So, I'm happy. I like it better than either the PW I had or the Voyage I still have. If the KK had a light.... Well, it doesn't.


----------



## amyberta (Dec 14, 2009)

I've had my Oasis about a month now and I am very happy with it. I have no problem with the screen, I have the light on at 14. The only thing I don't like is, I read with the cover and the battery goes down quickly and I have to recharge it every few days.


----------



## Gone 9/21/18 (Dec 11, 2008)

P.S. I can't believe how fast the SO came off. I paid to have them off on Amazon, got a message I had to connect to wifi to "complete the process," which would mean a day or two since I'd have to take it to the library with me. No more than a minute or two later, I got a message on the Oasis that the SO were gone, and boy are they. It wakes so fast I don't even get a look at the screen saver. I know wake up was never that speedy on any of my other devices.


----------



## Atunah (Nov 20, 2008)

ellenoc said:


> P.S. I can't believe how fast the SO came off. I paid to have them off on Amazon, got a message I had to connect to wifi to "complete the process," which would mean a day or two since I'd have to take it to the library with me. No more than a minute or two later, I got a message on the Oasis that the SO were gone, and boy are they. It wakes so fast I don't even get a look at the screen saver. I know wake up was never that speedy on any of my other devices.


I really enjoy it a lot more without the SO. I took them off as soon as I decided for sure I would keep this Oasis. I think a week or so. It is fast. Only time its a bit slower is if it goes into the deep sleep. It will say waking up, but even that takes very little time.

I am so glad you like your Oasis. I know that you, like myself, like real buttons. So I was really hoping you like it as much as I do. Although I do read without the cover, the idea is the same. And its not that I hate my Voyage, but when I use it now, usually only when charging the Oasis, I can't wait to get back to the Oasis. Such a pleasure to use with the real buttons and I like the shape in my hands and the flipping.

I have finally settled on having the forward button being the bottom. The first few weeks I used it with the top as forward. But I realized my thumb fits right in between the buttons, and the bottom part of my thumb is stronger and easier just to press on the button that way. I guess the thumb is just a tad closer to the lower button than the top. Very comfortable now. They are in the perfect spot for me that way. Any lower, or higher on the 2, or a larger space in between them, and it wouldn't work so well anymore for me.


----------



## Betsy the Quilter (Oct 27, 2008)

Ellen, 

Glad you're finding so much pleasure with your Oasis.

I had a question about the SOs, and sent an email to Amazon...and without asking they took the SOs off and never really answered the question...  

Everyone is different.  Having SOs really didn't matter to me and still doesn't.  In fact, I kind of prefer the book ads to the screensaver images and have been toying with turning them back on.  . Every time I thought about buying them out, I thought about the books I could by with that money and it wasn't worth a tap.  I compared the tap to removing the bookmark on a paper book.  But that's me.  I'm glad there's a way to remove them for those that want to.

Betsy


----------



## Gone 9/21/18 (Dec 11, 2008)

Betsy the Quilter said:


> I had a question about the SOs, and sent an email to Amazon...and without asking they took the SOs off and never really answered the question...


Well, rats, if I'd known that, I'd have given it a try. 

My justification is the bonanza I got from the recent book settlement.

I understand the way you feel about the SO. I really think I'd have left them if it weren't for the requirement to swipe to get going. That obvious attempt to force me to look at the advertisement never stopped irking me and is the reason the SO had to go.

Atunah, I see what you mean about when it wakes from a deep sleep. It does take long enough I get a good look at the screen saver. That's also when it takes a noticeable time for the modem to hook up and the 3G to be ready.


----------



## The Hooded Claw (Oct 12, 2009)

I also have noticed the slow start from  deep sleep. I don't know if it actually takes longer then on older models, but I definitely notice it more on the Oasis! Swiping SEEMS to add more time, and based on these reports, sounds like it really does. But it isn't enough of a problem to get me to pay twenty bucks to get rid of it. Maybe I will try contacting Amazon and see if they remove it for free.


----------



## Ann in Arlington (Oct 27, 2008)

Models before Oasis didn't have a 'deep sleep'.


----------



## The Hooded Claw (Oct 12, 2009)

Ann in Arlington said:


> Models before Oasis didn't have a 'deep sleep'.


I'd forgotten about that! So it is real, not just me being paranoid.


----------



## Betsy the Quilter (Oct 27, 2008)

I do want to reiterate that I didn't ASK Amazon to remove the SOs.  I wasn't even complaining about them.  I didn't expect them to remove them.  

Betsy


----------



## Rasputina (May 6, 2009)

ok so I've had my Oasis for a month now ( well a couple days early), and I really love it. It's so light when reading out of the cover. Since I skinned it it's not nearly as slippery and I've managed to find a holding position that's comfortable. I think I do charge it more than my PW2, which I haven't read from since I got the Oasis. 

Love the much whiter screen than my PW2. I love the auto page flip as I do switch reading hands pretty often especially since I'm actually using the buttons and reading in portrait after reading in landscape forever. The buttons on Oasis are designed much better than on my first gen kindle. I don't think the bezel design and buttons make reading in landscape comfortable though. But it's so light and small, reading in portrait works for me now. 

Even though I balked at the price ( even though it was cheaper than the first gen kindle I have)  I'm glad I ordered.


----------

