I just got an Oasis (few weeks ago) after using my iPad Mini extensively for reading. I wanted something more portable and noticed they were quite popular with tourists on a recent vacation.
It’s my first Kindle and I had no experience with the Oasis in person really other than asking someone on the trip what it was.
I thought something was wrong with it, like maybe it wasn’t the traditional e-ink that had always been advertised. Had I missed something?
No, it had all the bells and whistles. Compared to the color of the iPad, this seemed like an order of magnitude lower in terms of quality. So please help me figure out what I’m doing wrong wrt settings because obviously this is a me problem. Otherwise I love it!
The e-ink display is different than something like an iPad. I find it easier to read, to be honest. I can read the kindle for longer in comfort and it’s easier to read while falling asleep.
It’s crap at displaying anything that’s not intended for the platform. PDF files or graphics heavy books are a poor fit for the kindle, but novels or regular books are far better in my opinion.
I have an iPhone, an iPad Mini, an iPad, and multiple laptops. I prefer the kindle for reading in any formats that support it.
Good question - I just realized I failed to mention specifics facepalm
It seems - blurry or fuzzy? Not as sharp, as if there’s a film over the screen. I don’t know if I’m explaining it well, but it’s just not clear.
Regardless of dark or light background, and brightness, I can never get a clear picture. It gets brighter, sure, but then it’s too bright - it’s never clear.
I don’t know how else to explain it other than it’s like there’s a film over the screen. It’s not crisp, etc.
Like the person below commented, it’s a completely different beast compared to an iPad or an iPhone screen. It’s only intended to be a book so it might help to think about it like that - it’s designed to be as close as possible to paper, not a screen. It’s not a step down in technology, rather it’s a completely different tech for a completely different set of needs.
Put your ipad and kindle side by side in different conditions and try and read a page. In full sunlight you can’t see an ipad screen. In the dark an ipad screen is really really bright. In both cases the kindle lets you read easily. Because it uses e-ink, the screen isn’t made from glass, making it lighter and much less breakable. Because e-ink is only black and white it uses far far less power than an iPad screen so you don’t need to charge it remotely as often.
If you only read a few pages in bed before you go to sleep, you might not need a kindle. If the reflective screen and brightness of your iPad don’t bother you, you might just want to stick with that. But if you read a lot, read in the bath, or in the sun, or at night with the lights off, or if you have a physical disability that makes holding a book/iPad difficult - a kindle is the answer.
Thanks! This is helpful. And good point - I haven’t tried it in sunlight. I have tried my iPad…with not the best luck, like you said. I guess I really didn’t know what I was expecting with the “Paperwhite” description, so that’s on me.
I like its portability. I also use my iPad Mini for work - so it has a case with a keyboard, and not the slimmer Apple or Logitech ones - those don’t work with the Mini, so it requires Bluetooth, and it’s just bulkier overall.
I wanted something smaller for when I’m waiting at appointments or if I stop somewhere to eat, etc. It’s more portable and lighter and slips easily into my purse.
You’re welcome! For what you described it should be ideal - you can keep it in your bag and forget about it for days/weeks at a time. The battery won’t die, it’s nice and light, you don’t need internet connection and you can use it in any condition/situation. It’s the last, and best, book you’ll ever buy! But it is a terrible, terrible tablet so don’t even considered it as one.
You made a good choice with the oasis btw. My voyage died at an inopportune time and I couldn’t afford the oasis so I initially bought the newest paper white - the one you can get in different colours. That was a giant step down from the voyage and I hated it! So plasticky and cheap feeling - it actually made me a bit sad to use it! I returned it and got the voyage on a payment plan (there was a bigger difference in the price when I got mine) and I’m really glad I did.
I’ve just thought of one other feature you might not know about yet - the send-to-kindle function. If you have ebooks saved elsewhere, or ebooks acquired on the high seas, you can send them directly to your kindle via email. You’ll find your assigned email address in the settings. You can also make a “family” with someone else with a kindle and have a shared library. Happy reading!
I just got an Oasis (few weeks ago) after using my iPad Mini extensively for reading. I wanted something more portable and noticed they were quite popular with tourists on a recent vacation.
It’s my first Kindle and I had no experience with the Oasis in person really other than asking someone on the trip what it was.
I thought something was wrong with it, like maybe it wasn’t the traditional e-ink that had always been advertised. Had I missed something?
No, it had all the bells and whistles. Compared to the color of the iPad, this seemed like an order of magnitude lower in terms of quality. So please help me figure out what I’m doing wrong wrt settings because obviously this is a me problem. Otherwise I love it!
What’s lower in terms of quality?
The e-ink display is different than something like an iPad. I find it easier to read, to be honest. I can read the kindle for longer in comfort and it’s easier to read while falling asleep.
It’s crap at displaying anything that’s not intended for the platform. PDF files or graphics heavy books are a poor fit for the kindle, but novels or regular books are far better in my opinion.
I have an iPhone, an iPad Mini, an iPad, and multiple laptops. I prefer the kindle for reading in any formats that support it.
Good question - I just realized I failed to mention specifics facepalm
It seems - blurry or fuzzy? Not as sharp, as if there’s a film over the screen. I don’t know if I’m explaining it well, but it’s just not clear.
Regardless of dark or light background, and brightness, I can never get a clear picture. It gets brighter, sure, but then it’s too bright - it’s never clear.
I don’t know how else to explain it other than it’s like there’s a film over the screen. It’s not crisp, etc.
Like the person below commented, it’s a completely different beast compared to an iPad or an iPhone screen. It’s only intended to be a book so it might help to think about it like that - it’s designed to be as close as possible to paper, not a screen. It’s not a step down in technology, rather it’s a completely different tech for a completely different set of needs.
Put your ipad and kindle side by side in different conditions and try and read a page. In full sunlight you can’t see an ipad screen. In the dark an ipad screen is really really bright. In both cases the kindle lets you read easily. Because it uses e-ink, the screen isn’t made from glass, making it lighter and much less breakable. Because e-ink is only black and white it uses far far less power than an iPad screen so you don’t need to charge it remotely as often.
If you only read a few pages in bed before you go to sleep, you might not need a kindle. If the reflective screen and brightness of your iPad don’t bother you, you might just want to stick with that. But if you read a lot, read in the bath, or in the sun, or at night with the lights off, or if you have a physical disability that makes holding a book/iPad difficult - a kindle is the answer.
Thanks! This is helpful. And good point - I haven’t tried it in sunlight. I have tried my iPad…with not the best luck, like you said. I guess I really didn’t know what I was expecting with the “Paperwhite” description, so that’s on me.
I like its portability. I also use my iPad Mini for work - so it has a case with a keyboard, and not the slimmer Apple or Logitech ones - those don’t work with the Mini, so it requires Bluetooth, and it’s just bulkier overall.
I wanted something smaller for when I’m waiting at appointments or if I stop somewhere to eat, etc. It’s more portable and lighter and slips easily into my purse.
You’re welcome! For what you described it should be ideal - you can keep it in your bag and forget about it for days/weeks at a time. The battery won’t die, it’s nice and light, you don’t need internet connection and you can use it in any condition/situation. It’s the last, and best, book you’ll ever buy! But it is a terrible, terrible tablet so don’t even considered it as one.
You made a good choice with the oasis btw. My voyage died at an inopportune time and I couldn’t afford the oasis so I initially bought the newest paper white - the one you can get in different colours. That was a giant step down from the voyage and I hated it! So plasticky and cheap feeling - it actually made me a bit sad to use it! I returned it and got the voyage on a payment plan (there was a bigger difference in the price when I got mine) and I’m really glad I did.
I’ve just thought of one other feature you might not know about yet - the send-to-kindle function. If you have ebooks saved elsewhere, or ebooks acquired on the high seas, you can send them directly to your kindle via email. You’ll find your assigned email address in the settings. You can also make a “family” with someone else with a kindle and have a shared library. Happy reading!