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laweijfmvo
zachmu
The Oasis is a great device with one fatal flaw: battery life. For some reason they nerfed the battery relative to the paperwhite so it lasts about a week instead of about a month. Probably won't bother a lot of people but it really bothered me. I read a lot and hate having to think about recharging.
I ended up with the Kobo Libra 2, which has all the same features as the Oasis but also has a month-long battery. I love it overall, great little device. Includes some quality of life features beyond the Oasis, including auto color tone shifting of the front-light in the evening (cool to warm), being able to adjust the light by swiping up the left side of the screen, and more options for progress indicators / headers and footers than the kindle has.
Kobo changes their lineup constantly, which means the Libra 2 has been replaced with a more expensive color version I haven't tried. Color on an e-ink screen is not an interesting feature to me, esp. not when it makes the device more expensive.
hex4def6
I haven't kept up with ereader stuff for many years since I worked on battery life models for kindles, but I will say that keeping your e-reader in airplane mode will increase the battery life significantly.
The reason is that WiFi has a DTIM which basically means that requires periodic wakeups to keep associated with the AP. This burns power.
zachmu
I always keep the radios off, yes.
Even with the radios off, the Oasis struggles to get more than a week of life, it's kind of astounding how bad it is.
rf15
My suspicion is that the reason the battery is so abysmal is because you cannot turn off the backlight entirely. Indefencible design decision that just eats your battery. (older readers were better because they basically only used power to change the current page - now we made them so featureful they lost many of the advantages older models had)
dbuxton
On mine you definitely can make it so that there is no discernable backlight even in pitch darkness. Whether somehow it's still consuming energy I don't know. However I agree that generally the Oasis battery life leaves something to be desired.
thaumasiotes
> For some reason they nerfed the battery relative to the paperwhite so it lasts about a week instead of about a month.
I have a reMarkable 2. The battery lasts forever - if I manually turn it off when I'm done using it. If I don't do that, it will go into an inactive mode, with a bar informing me that it's shut off displayed over whatever was on screen when it went inactive - but in this mode, the battery still drains very quickly.
I can't understand why this should be the case. I know the device has recognized that I'm not using it, because it displays a message telling me so. Why is it remaining on, while pretending to be off, instead of shutting off?
This is the difference between walking away from the device for over a month and having it be mostly charged when I come back to it, or doing the same thing and having it be completely drained and require a lengthy charging period before I can use it at all.
Wowfunhappy
On an E-ink screen, displaying static content uses literally zero electricity. Only updating what's on screen requires power. So, from your post, it's not immediately obvious to me why this inactive mode would cause battery drainage.
In this inactive mode, is anything on screen moving/changing? If not, have you actually noticed battery drainage, or were you making an assumption based on the fact the screen was "on".
bochoh
I found that airplane mode solved my oasis battery issues!
II2II
> Color on an e-ink screen is not an interesting feature to me, esp. not when it makes the device more expensive.
I have both the Libra 2 and Libra Colour, the issue isn't so much cost (in my opinion) as contrast. They should have introduced an upgraded Libra BW at the same time as the Libra Colour to account for that.
cyberpunk
I recently got the colour one, installed koreader on it and there’s even a little button in the settings which drops you to a Linux shell on it.
Why would you want a shell on your e-reader? I don’t know, but it makes me smile ;) I can rsync books to it…
smeej
Will it run native Linux apps? My favorite tool for reading PDFs is Logseq, because I can use colors and it automatically pulls my highlights and notes into a page for the book, but this feature doesn't work on Android.
I've yet to find an eInk (or similar) Linux tablet where I can do this, but it would be a game changer for me.
dyauspitr
Just put it in airplane mode, the battery lasts way longer. The way I read (with calibre to transfer books), means I rarely ever need the internet on the device.
oniony
Colour is probably for the comic crowd. They probably love it.
TeaBrain
The physical page turn buttons are why I got an Oasis also. I find the experience much better than having to touch the screen to turn the page. With the physical buttons, it's easy enough to move the page forward or backward while holding the device with one hand, while requiring very little hand shifting, which I appreciate.
squigz
Annoyingly, the original Kindle had physical buttons, then they removed it in later versions, and I often find myself turning the page accidentally.
TeaBrain
I had the first model of kindle without a keyboard prior to getting an oasis. When it broke, the oasis was really the only choice to replace it due to them removing the physical buttons on all the other models.
benoliver999
I had a Kindle with a full keyboard!
LegitShady
i need to replace the battery in my kindle keyboard ("3rd generation") so I can use it again, or surrender and order a replacement. I'm using a kobo right now but I don't like it.
I was looking at the oasis but its expensive, and still uses microusb
atlasunshrugged
How is the weight for the Oasis in one hand?
tarentel
It's tapered on one side so when held it is really easy to use one handed. I had a magnetic case on mine for when I put it in a bag that could be taken off/put back on easily too so you could still hold it.
eigenvalue
Very reasonable and comfortable.
manchmalscott
I just got a Kobo Clara Color over their cheaper models largely for the page turn buttons (and being able to highlight in multiple colors of course). Combined with how shockingly light it is (lighter than my phone), one handed reading is excellent.
zachmu
Looks like the Clara Color doesn't have physical buttons?
https://us.kobobooks.com/collections/ereaders/products/kobo-...
Kobo changes their lineup constantly though, the Libra 2 I have (with physical buttons) is no longer available.
manchmalscott
Oops, I definitely meant Libra. I need to stop looking at other words when I’m typing lol.
deafpolygon
That's because they have the Libra Colour now: https://us.kobobooks.com/products/kobo-libra-colour
wccrawford
I love my Clara Color so much. It's light, fast, and it has buttons. And it's just about exactly the right size.
My one complaint so far is that the battery seems to need a charge every few days. Definitely less than a week, I think. I can live with that.
zachmu
That's good to know, that's a total deal breaker for me.
I have the Libra 2 and I get about a month from a charge with my normal reading habits.
jcul
I'm surprised people value physical page turn buttons so much.
I've had a kobo Clara HD for years now, running KOReader (one of my most loved pieces of software).
I can turn the page one handed by just curling a finger around from behind and tapping the screen, or by touching the reader to my nose :)
I tend to read a lot in a situation where I can only use one hand!
toast0
Having real buttons means never needing to have my hand obscure the screen. And not touching the screen means not having to clean it as often either.
mmcclure
My partner makes fun of me for always turning the page with my nose and it makes me very happy to hear I’m not alone.
I use the physical buttons if I’m reading on a plane or otherwise sitting down, but I much prefer holding the kindle from the back if I’m reading lying down. I assumed that must be rare given how little attention any of the e-reader form factors have given to it.
mrgoldenbrown
I'm the opposite, I don't understand the steady march towards fewer buttons. I miss my iPod wheel that I could operate without looking. My screen would be covered in sunblock, sweat and oils if I used my nose to swipe.
fuzztester
>, I don't understand the steady march towards fewer buttons
cost cutting by the manufacturers, probably.
seen the trend even in laptops over the last decade or two - the parts are getting thinner and lighter.
normie3000
> I could operate without looking
Possibly not a common use case for e-readers.
skydhash
The way I hold my Kobo lets my thumb rest exactly on the forward page button. No need to move anything. And if I want the previous page, it's easy to jut move my thumbs up a bit. That's my two most used action. Anytime I used the touch screen is mostly related to switching books.
I also have a DAP [1] which has a wheel. After launching an album to play, I can pause-play, skip forward and change the volume by using the wheel. All of these can be done while the device is in my pocket. Same with my old feature phones.
Buttons are nice.
adammarples
Even on the paper white it is finicky and you never know if a touch has registered because there is a delay. I can easily lose my place. Also, I used to highlight words to get a definition but half the time I now accidentally change page instead so I have stopped doing that.
criddell
I also bought it for the physical buttons. Unfortunately, it doesn’t seem like there’s anyway to entirely disable the touch screen while reading (or at least I haven’t figured it out).
My only complaint is that it isn’t USB-C. As soon as that comes out, I’ll trade this one in.
I just looked on Amazon and the Oasis is out of stock. I wonder if that means a refresh is imminent?
Edit: I googled it and it seems the reverse might be true - the Oasis is out of the lineup and no replacement is coming. That sucks.
https://goodereader.com/blog/kindle/goodbye-to-the-amazon-ki...
smeej
I got one of those cheap Bluetooth "camera lens" clicker buttons that pairs with my Boox, an Android tablet.
Works great to turn my pages in KOreader from as far away as I can see the device.
Since so many tablets are being made with some flavor of Android under the hood, this might open up more options for you and anybody else who wants physical buttons! This way I can even stand the device up against something and put my hands wherever I want!
deafpolygon
I have the Libra 2. I cannot understate how much of a difference physical page buttons made for me. My SO has the Clara 2HD (or something) and I couldn't get into it... turns out I need that chin for easy holding and button for flipping the page. The light settings are great- comes on when it's actually dark and goes away when there's plenty of light.
eigenvalue
Agree that the Oasis is awesome and worth the money. It’s also water resistant, so I can use it in the sauna/steamroom (my favorite place to read without distractions nowadays!)
sleepycatgirl
I personally have Hisense A9, with LineageOS 21, and man, it is just the most comfy device I have had.
Let's see.. Reading is absolutely top tier with KOReader + volume buttons as page turning. Being able to play idle games like Kittens Game, also extremely pleasant. Maps outside? Amazing. As a phone, in Europe at least? Also works. Battery life, is pretty comfy, when I mainly read. And, the specs are decent. 4/6/8GB, 128GB/256GB ROM RAM options (personally I had gone with 6/128 option, because 8/256 was a bit too expensive)
The only minor flaws... well, the camera is not the greatest... (My old OnePlus 6 makes much better photos, as I keep it as backup device, just in case. And for e.g youtube or color content on the go. Just... things that A9 is not exactly the way to go with.) And just lack of microSD card slot.
And on side note, I just adore how simple, and elegant the design on the phone itself is. It just... is. Quiet, simple, unlike most of the modern phones with their.. loud... everything, like notches, too many cameras and such. (Note, its just opinion, just because they have such designs, that doesn't meant they are bad. For others that can be a gooood thing.) (I also like Sony's phones designs, they cute)
And in general.. I just love e-ink. Truly blessed technology, as a user.
HanShotFirst
With root and installing LineageOS, do you feel confident that any stock malware/spyware is eradicated? Or do you feel that the risk, or whatever may be left over, is worth it for the benefits?
sleepycatgirl
Ah, I run lineageOS without root. Well, while, I have yet to see if it still does any outgoing... malicious connections, it is certainly safer than stock rom with massive amount of bloatware, and all.. the built in things..., and the version itself, being quite outdated.
And to be fair, this is good enough for me. If I worry about such built in firmware every time I get a device, well, my hair would be gray by the time I hit 30s lol.
As for benefits, I mean, in the end, this is what I wanted. An e-ink phone, with a proper, normal ROM. And because LineageOS is cute.
summermusic
I don't see the Hisense A9 as a supported LineageOS device. Are you using an unofficial build or a GSI?
sleepycatgirl
Yeah, the tl;dr is that people who did the amazing work of cracking the bootloader open, also, went for making the GSI ROMs actually usable. So... I it works by the way of patching the system image, by adding a service that deals with e-ink stuff (It works surprisingly well), and, alongside phhtreble patches, pretty much everything works (The only thing I have found to not work, is the Jack. But aside from that? Perfectly fine.).
And considering how niche the device is... I think, GSI was the only way in the first place. Considering how well it works. I mean, it would be nice to have actual proper rom, but... I will take what's given >:D
summermusic
Would you mind linking me to their efforts? ^^
devindotcom
I have a Palma (they sent for review) and I think it's great, though I agree it probably isn't worth the price for most.
https://techcrunch.com/2023/11/03/boox-ereaders-poke-5-palma...
But the text looks good, the light is nice, and you can even install apps that aren't too demanding - a crossword or something.
I've found that even a Clara HD or BW (the latest version) can be a bit bulky when you're going out with no bag, but the Palma fits in any jeans or jacket pocket and is excellent to have when you find yourself with 20 minutes to wait and no desire to doomscroll. I hope these things get more popular and accessible.
arp242
The narrow screen seems very, well, narrow... I haven't used it though, so maybe it's not as bad as it seems. I do like larger-ish text.
I have a 6" PocketBook, and it fits in all my trouser pockets, although I do agree it's slightly large overall it's not too bad.
packetlost
I have both a Kindle Oasis and Palma and I like the Palma much more for when I'm laying in bed. It's lighter and easier to one-hand, but most importantly is it's easy to hold while laying on my side. The narrower screen isn't too bad if you're mostly reading EPUBs or AZW3 files where they reflow text appropriately. I have it set up to use the volume rocker for changing pages. The included case makes the buttons a little... mushy for my taste, but I've otherwise been largely impressed. The fact that it runs Android means I can install an IETF RFC app and Instapaper and sync easily, which has been a surprisingly huge plus for me as well.
spondylosaurus
The Boox e-reader I have lets you rotate the screen in 90° increments—not sure if the Palma does too, but reading horizontally probably wouldn't be too bad.
Although at the end of the day I do most of my reading on my phone anyway, and it's surprisingly fine once you get used to it.
dml2135
Yea, this -- love the size, hate the aspect ratio.
devindotcom
It took a little getting used to - i had the same qualm. But honestly, I don't mind now at all. The text adjustment is very fine in the default reader and the resolution is high, so pick a font you find readable and it's really not so different from a pocket paperback page.
squigz
> even a Clara HD or BW (the latest version) can be a bit bulky when you're going out with no bag, but the Palma fits in any jeans or jacket pocket
This is such a nice but underrated feature of ereaders. I can fit my Kindle in the back pocket of my jeans without it being uncomfortable (just don't sit on it!) and it's really nice to not have to worry about shoving it back in a back or anything like that.
rcarmo
Install termux on it, get a pocket keyboard and you have an all-day (week?) terminal.
philips
I keep this reader in my small bag that I use daily. I use it at the park at the kids and at bedtime. It is a great device with a bit of tweaking.
And I have a GitHub repo over here about it.
djfergus
I have one too, great device for the price, the review is spot on.
Thanks for your repo, good info, starred. The link [1] to rooting is fascinating and frustrating: a reminder that most Android is still far from open. A smart Chinese manufacturer should make one of these with completely open bootloader and full source: Watch what the enthusiasts do with it then steal those ideas for v2.
hboon
There's a little typo in the repo description: "Xioami"
sshb
Postponing any of my e-reader purchases until the Daylight Computer tech would reshape the market
layer8
Only 190 DPI, and contrast and viewing angles are quite bad: https://youtu.be/iHeIw9rXzUQ?t=570
msephton
Wow. Not a great look. Thanks for sharing
rty32
$729?
Well, I don't think I am rich enough to throw my money at that...
infotainment
Eh, for all their bluster there’s nothing exceedingly groundbreaking about Daylight’s tech; it’s just using a bog-standard transflective LCD.
By their logic, my Casio digital watch is “e-paper”.
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chimineycricket
Same, no blue light or eyestrain is a plus. I agree with the other child comment though, the price is too steep for now. FPS and it being Android and therefore extendable is great. I want one.
Finnucane
Looking at that picture of the narrow column of text with so many very badly spaced lines of two or three words each firstly gives me flashback of my days in newspaper production and secondly makes me hope it has a landscape view option. Making the type smaller might help, but there's a reason most books don't look like that.
jerojero
I have both a mooan inkpalm 5 and a boox palma and you can get books look much better in both.
He is using a font size that's a bit too big. And there's too much spacing, you can configure all aspects.
I get about 8-10 characters on these devices, the font isn't too small and the spacing is fine. With my settings I get about 70% of a book's actual page (I use the same book to compare) which is a fair compromise imo.
It's fast to read shorter lines anyway because there's less horizontal travel distance. I actually think this aspect ratio is pretty great for reading. I also have a Kobo Clara 2E which has been relegated to just reading by the pool/bath/beach.
Also, these devices are pretty good for manga reading if you're into that.
jrmg
Good hyphenation and TeX-like paragraph-level justification (tries to balance whitespace throughout a paragraph rather than just filling each line up with as much as possible and breaking when a word overflows) would do a lot to fix that.
The lack of these is most noticeable when text is in narrower columns. But even with larger e-readers it is, IMO, responsible for a lot of the “this still feels less readable than a book for some reason” vibe that ebooks (and lots of self-published paper books) still have.
I really lament that in the switch to electronic text we seem to have forgotten what were thought of as basic requirements for readability in paper-based publication.
skydhash
The first things I disable are justified text and hyphenation. And for some books, I disable the embedded styles when I'm reading (koreader). Some books markups are really bad so I don't have much hope for automated typesetting.
iamjackg
It does. I have a Pro, not Plus, which I believe has a slightly wider aspect ratio. I was worried I was gonna find the typesetting unbearable for the reasons you mentioned but it's surprisingly okay, especially with smaller font sizes.
mzd348
It's sold by a Chinese company, their software probably doesn't worry much about optimal formatting, since Chinese writing doesn't really have any spaces. It would be nice if koreader could run on it.
nguyenkien
These moaan devices run android, so you can install KoReader.
iamjackg
Ever since I stopped having a public transit commute to work, I have basically stopped reading. I have a Kobo Libra H2O but have been struggling to make it part of my daily routine. It sits on my nightstand, but I often end up staying up late and only going to bed when it's time to sleep.
One thing I do do a lot of, though, is waste time browsing Lemmy/Twitter on my phone, because I always have it in my pocket. I bought a Moaan InkPalm Pro in the hopes of replacing the habit with book reading, and it definitely worked. It's so light that I just keep it in my pocket together with my phone, and whenever I feel like filling up some downtime I pull that out instead of my phone.
The battery lasts 1 week+, it has customizable warm/cool front lighting, it can run all Android ebook reading apps (so I can read all my Kindle/Kobo purchases), and it can always be on me. It's the happiest I've been with an ebook reader since I got my first Kindle back in 2009.
kjs3
I read books on my phone, because it's always in my pocket. Just open the e-reader app instead of twitter.
dsr_
I read books on my phone, and also on a couple of cheap Android tablets -- one hangs out on a stand over my bed, and the other floats around the house.
They're all sync'ed by KOreader, which is nice.
card_zero
You can also buy a book made of paper and carry it around in a bag, but that would be inconceivable. Anyway I don't get the guilt about not reading books. Lately I've been reading Edgar Wallace, and before that, Raymond Chandler, in editions printed in the 1950s and 1980s respectively, but these are still unmitigated trash, because they're pulp thrillers designed to titillate. I should feel guilty for not looking at social media.
kjs3
I didn't say a real book isn't an option (tho my phone is smaller, lighter and carries more than one book...YMMV). But don't let me stop you from grinding your little axe to a fine edge.
skydhash
My kobo spends more time with me than my phone. On my phone are utility apps and WhatsApp, nothing else. But I have my whole fiction library on the Kobo and starting to read is as easy as pressing the power button to get out of standby mode. My phone browser is pretty much only for hacker news for when I'm on the couch or my bed.
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RCitronsBroker
i can recommend the app Voice Dream, if you can stand TTS synth voices, it’s great for audio-fying ebooks.
t0bia_s
I wish there is a compact eink smartphone with android that is actually available in EU.
ISL
I'm looking forward very much to the day a manufacturer begins selling eink handsets and tablets with up-to-date OS/security (Android 14 in this context), GPL compliance, and telemetry compliant with US law/privacy concerns.
The Boox devices get a lot of things right, including the Palma. I wound up with a reMarkable due to the above concerns, but it feels like we are on the cusp of seeing tentative eink products from Google or Apple.
sleepycatgirl
Yeaahhh... that would be really nice.
I myself... kinda just gave up, and grabbed A9, and flashed LineageOS... It isn't perfect, but at the moment, the best I could get...
Vrondi
This is why I really wish Samsung did Android ereaders.
andai
Any decade now...
gnicholas
I like the form factor (I'm also an iPhone mini fan), but I don't like the way it makes the justified text look. There are so few words per line that you either end up with big gaps between words (justified) or a very ragged right edge (left-aligned). This would be less of an issue if the text were sized down, but it's a necessary consequence of having a narrow screen.
monksy
I got the meebook m6 and I love it. Stripped down Android os installed, I can bring on kormega? reader, and eink.
keheliya
I wonder if anyone is running einkbro (https://github.com/plateaukao/einkbro) on this thing. Scrolling long-form web content in slow-refreshing eInk displays is jarring. I wish the browsers in other non-android readers like Kindle Scribe had the option to map pageUp/pageDown behaviour to a button or a page flip gesture similar to einkbro or maybe there's a way to overlay a button to do this on any web content somehow?
tr4656
I am on a Hisense A7cc. I think it's actually a much better experience than using traditional Chrome/Firefox, especially with scrolling as you say.
tiltowait
As a general rule, I don’t like small eReaders (for which my primary experience is my phone). I find I read much less when using them, because the act of turning a page tricks my brain into thinking I’ve made more progress than I have. Consequently, it makes even short reading sessions feel like a chore.
That said, I think I would love this thing for one very specific use case: backpacking! Space is always at a premium, and I’ve long lamented the Kobo Mini never got a frontlit model.
sleepycatgirl
Ah, very much valid.
Here it is a bit different. Small screen, so, if I am not feeling well, it is much easier to read just a page or two, and go: Yeah, thats something.
Which... while, on its own is not a lot, but... it really helps with keeping up the habit. (Because, alongside english, I also read in Japanese, and there, reading just one page, takes 4-5 minutes. So yeah, habit-keeping is important for me there)
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After using the cheapest e-Reader for over a decade (Kindle 2 until support ended, Kindle 3 until the same) I finally upgraded to the top Oasis and love it. Things that are absolutely essential IMO are
- physical page turn buttons. the touch screens are finicky, inconvenient for one-hand use, and impossible if i want to keep my hand up a blanket or something
- back/front light, with adjustable color temp, and an actual dim setting that doesn't blow your retinas out
everything i don't care about. but these are must haves.