Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

I wrote a lengthy critical review of the 2017 Oasis, which was the first Kindle that I’ve ever returned out of every top model. I mainly criticized the cold and slippery aluminum shell for intruding on, rather than disappearing from, the reading experience. But along with those criticisms, I praised its bigger 7” screen as the one aspect that I would miss. And now, with the upgrade of that screen to one with adjustable color temperature, I decided to give the 2019 Oasis a try, even though its design was unchanged from 2017. Cutting right to the chase: the adjustable color temperature screen is the greatest advance in Kindles since self-illuminating screens were introduced on the first Paperwhite… period, full-stop. And, at least for this reader, there’s no going back after trying it out. It’s that good, and that much of a game changer. With both warmth and brightness (they have separate controls) turned up to about the midway point, reading on a Kindle transitioned for the first time from merely reading words, to the experience of reading words on a paper page in a book. This might sound like “Who cares?” nonsense to most people, but if you’re in that small minority of the public buying a high-end Kindle, you understand what I mean, and it’s that kind of difference that you’re paying for. The new lighting also transforms the experience of reading in a completely dark room. On existing Kindles, I could never find quite the right light level. If it was as bright as I wanted it to be, that felt too harsh on my eyes. But bringing brightness down to a level that felt comfortable seemed too dim. Now, by simply increasing the lighting warmth on the new Oasis, you can have brighter light with no harshness in a dark room, making reading much easier on the eyes. Finally, I’m happy to say that Amazon seems to have (finally!) nailed the quality control issues that have plagued new Kindle lighting systems in the past: No splotches. No dark spots. No shadows. No weird color casts. Just smooth, even, beautiful lighting across the screen. So, is this the perfect Kindle for me? No. The perfect Kindle would be this new 7” screen in a Voyager form factor. The ergonomics of the Oasis are still not great for me, although my satisfaction with the new screen appears to make the annoyances matter less. The 2019 Oasis is not only a keeper for me, but I’m actually trading in both my Voyager and original Oasis. Thanks for taking the time to read my review and I hope you find it helpful in making a buying decision. Time permitting, I do try to answer any questions posted in the comments section.