To buy or not to buy, that is the question.
I’m not a tech addict. I don’t upgrade every time a new iPhone comes out. I’d still have my 5s if the screen hadn’t cracked (and by the by, I liked the size better – small hands and all that). I keep my laptops until they are dead (or until my Systems Engineer husband can no longer resuscitate them). And the only reason I have a Mac (which I love so dearly I would never go back) is because my husband gave me one for Christmas 2013. Because $$$. Totally worth it, but I’m cheap.
So, again I say…I’m not a tech addict. The old outdated version is usually good enough for me as long as it’s still working.
Except.
I refused to go Kindle back in the day and got a Nook. But the 2nd version because I didn’t want to be an early adopter. The page turns were slow and awkward and I found I didn’t use it that much (I still don’t).
Then Nook came out with a tablet and I bought it because I WANTED it. Reading AND…right? But the AND options were super limited because it was Nook (and have remained so).
And then an iPad Mini because Apple ecosystem and all the AND. But reading on a tablet is suckish, especially outside.
So I bought a basic Kindle (4th gen). And I loved it. Best reading platform, inside and out. Except…no light for reading in the dark. My husband? Not such a big fan of my leaving the lamp on when he’s trying to sleep, and at the time, I wasn’t such a big fan of clip on reading lights.
So I considered the Paperwhite, but I wanted page turn buttons. And at the time the PPI on the Voyage was better (now they are both 300ppi). And the whole adaptive built-in light? Definite advantage. So I went with the Voyage because those few features were worth the extra $80 to me. And I LOVE my Voyage. Especially with the origami-style case I have because it allows me to read handsfree. Without propping, which isn’t generally possible when reading out in public, and which I don’t always like to do regardless. So, I have been pretty darn happy with my Voyage.
And then Oasis came out. And my eyes grew wide and I got a case of the gimmes.
Because, while I’m not a tech addict, I’m apparently an e-reader addict.
But, also because it has features that are super attractive to me.
FIRST: The battery life is a big one. Amazon says that the batteries on their non-Oasis Kindles last for six weeks. But in truth, that’s only valid for people who read 30 minutes a day, with wireless off, and basically don’t read in the dim or dark (in other words, don’t typically utilize a brighter screen). So assuming all those factors, let’s calculate what we’re really talking about in terms of actual time.
6 (weeks) x 7 (days) = 42 (days) x 30 minutes (reading time daily) = 1260 minutes of reading time, assuming you keep your wireless off and don’t use the adaptive light feature, or basically any light feature at all.
Here’s my reality: I read roughly 2 HOURS a day on average. So for me, the math looks like this: 1260 minutes (max battery life)/120 minutes (2 Hours daily reading) = 10.5 days of battery life.
And again, that’s assuming I keep my wireless off (which I usually do unless I need to sync content), and that I avoid using the brighter light settings (i.e. don’t read in bed in the dark), which I don’t do. What is the point of having an e-reader you can use in the dark if it’s recommended that you avoid doing so to save battery life???
So no, my battery doesn’t last weeks. It maybe lasts a week (9 days if I’m being generous). And I’m lazy and forgetful and an old(er?) college student and I have 5 year old triplets (so maybe less lazy and more tired and forgetful, and maybe stressed and forgetful). So it’s kind of a miracle that any of my devices are ever charged. The less I have to charge something, the happier I am.
Of course, the Oasis is only claiming three additional weeks of battery life, given the same reading conditions. Under “optimal” reading conditions (per Amazon) that translates to:
9 (weeks) x 7 (days) = 63 (days) x 30 minutes (reading time daily) = 1890 minutes or reading time
OR for me it means: 1890 minutes (max battery life)/120 minutes (2 Hours daily reading) = 15.75 days of battery life.
5 more days. Over two weeks in total. Maybe not worth the extra $90 (over the Voyage) by itself, but there are other benefits as well.
SECOND: The charging cover. I can be charging the cover WHILE I’m using the e-reader alone. So there really isn’t any reason for the e-reader itself to ever die on me. And when the e-reader starts to get low, I slap on the fully charged cover and keep going. Easy peasy.
THIRD: The ergonomic design of the e-reader sans cover. I have rheumatoid arthritis. As a reader, this is particularly suckish. I mean, it’s generally suckish overall, but since I’m a reader, being able to hold books, or an e-reader, for an extended period of time is necessary to maintaining my sanity. It’s why I love my origami case so much. But the truth is, my origami case doesn’t do much for me when I’m sitting in a comfy chair at home, changing reading positions seven million times, without having a flat surface to put it on. And I detest propping (as I said before). I have a book/tablet pillow prop thingie, and it’s nice to have it when I need it, but gawd, sometimes I just want to hold the damn book or e-reader with my own two hands (preferably one at a time!) without having to get up and take something for pain. I haven’t been able to physically hold the Oasis yet, but that ergonomic design, the way it transfers weight so that it’s comfortable to hold in one hand (I’ve heard it feels like “nothing”, virtually weightless)? It sounds like a dream come true.
I do realize that benefit is only relevant with the case off. The ergonomics disappear and the weight increases once the charging cover is in place. But my current Kindles (which are light, but not as light as the Oasis is coverless)? They can’t do that at all. Not for a day or an hour or a minute. If it’s as good as I’ve heard, this feature in particular is probably the one that brings on the strongest urge to buy it right this frakkin’ second.
Ugh. But that price tag. I suspect if I buy it and the ergonomics alone are all that is claimed, it would be worth it. Priceless actually. Because of my RA. If not? $290. When I have two perfectly functional Kindles already. I would be so angry at myself for getting sucked in. I mean, how many books could I buy with $290?
So, I wait. And contemplate. And wait. And have inner debates. And wait some more. Because $290.
Has anyone else had a chance to try it out? Love to hear what you think!