Category Archives: Kindle

Amazon releases new kindle Oasis model

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Given the recent number of sales on Amazon’s Kindle line and the upcoming 10th anniversary of the release of the original Kindle, many, including myself, expected the announcement of a new Kindle was in the works.

Today, Amazon announced an all-new kindle Oasis. The new device has a larger, 7″, 300 ppi display. The device is also  waterproof, a feature that many other high end e-readers already have and one that many customers have been asking for. The device is IPX8 rated, which protects against immersion in up to 2 meters of water for up to 60 minutes. According to Amazon, there are also battery improvements to the new device.

Probably one of the most frequently requested features for the Kindle is for the return of the text-to-speech features for the e-Ink devices. The TTS function was a feature in the earlier Kindle models and is currently available on e-ink Kindles only via the use of a special adapter. Built in, it is presently only an included feature on the Fire tablets. While Amazon has not restored text-to-speech in this new device, they have integrated Audible audiobooks with the Oasis.(See here to learn about Audible.) This device still doesn’t have a headphone jack or speakers and instead uses a Bluetooth connection to provide audio. You must provide your own Bluetooth headphones or speaker.

The Amazon description says,”With Audible built in, you never have to put your story down and can switch easily between reading and listening without changing devices.” It is unclear if that implies whether this model will be capable of enhanced Immersion Reading, which allows for both audio and reading highlighted text at the same time.

Because this device is designed to work with Audible files which are quite large, the device comes with more storage and more storage options. It is available in an 8GB configuration which is twice the amount of storage included with the original Oasis. The device also comes in a 32GB configuration, which will be helpful for storing the larger file sizes associated with  audio books, comic books, etc.

One of the most interesting changes to the new Oasis is the fact that it does away with the integrated battery cover of the previous model.  (You can read my views on that cover here.) The previous model’s covers were only available in leather, a fact that was upsetting to many who preferred a vegan option for a cover. This model’s covers come in a variety of colors in both fabric and leather options.

The new Oasis costs $249.99 for the 8GB WiFi-only model. The 32GB WiFi-only model is $279.99. The Oasis is also available in a 32 GB cellular configuration for $349.99. Fabric covers sell for $44.99 and leather covers cost $59.99

All models are available for pre-order now and will start shipping October 31, 2017.

Old Kindle forums closed, redesigned help forum unveiled

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As I wrote about last week, Amazon announced that it would be closing its Kindle discussion forums. The original closure date was listed on a banner as October 6, 2017.

(Click picture to enlarge)

Amazon later posted that the forum would actually close on October 13, 2017:

When announcing the discussion forum closure, Amazon had promised a new, improved experience in the Kindle Help forum on October 9, 2017. As I noted in my last post, the main difference between the two is that the Kindle customer discussion forum included off-topic discussions and was a separate forum from the official Kindle help forum.

Amazon actually closed the forums on the original date, Friday, October 6th. Amazon did the same thing to the forums on IMDB.com, announcing one date and then closing the forums in advance of the deadline. (And, no, users were NOT happy.)  Amazon seems to have closed ALL of customer discussion forums as of Friday.  All of my bookmarked pages are returning error messages.

The newly redesigned Kindle Help forum is now up and running. It has a very different interface that the old one and includes sections for the Kindle, Fire, Fire TV, Echo and Alexa, and Digital Content. The forum also has its own unique (and easier to remember) URL: amazonforum.com. For now at least, the old forum URL still works and redirects to the new domain name.

Have you checked out the new forum design? What do you think?

Amazon confirms Kindle, Fire discussion forums to close October 13, 2017

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Amazon has officially announced on the that the Kindle discussion forum (https://www.amazon.com/forum/kindle) will be closing on Friday, October 13, 2017.

The pinned notice on the board reads:

Amazon would like to thank the members of this community for contributing to the discussion forums. As we grow and evolve, we encourage you to explore Goodreads Groups for books and Spark for other ways to engage with your interests. If you have a help question about your device, starting the morning of October 9th , Pacific Standard Time, we will be introducing an improved help forum experience, with expanded discussion categories.

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/group
Spark: https://www.amazon.com/b?node=16907772011

The post is closed to comments.

The discussion forum has been around for ten years, since the announcement of the very first Kindle. It contained Kindle-oriented topics, including popular threads on discounted Kindle books. Customers also discussed various issues and  customers offered other customers unofficial assistance. (Note that the forum that is closing is the Kindle Discussion forum, not the official Kindle Help Community forum.)

Almost the same notice is posted on the Fire forums at https://www.amazon.com/forum/fire/.

There had been a lot of speculation on various discussion threads about Amazon closing the forum since some members had intermittently seen a banner announcing the forums closing on October 6, 2017. It seems that much of the confusion was probably caused by the fact that everyone was not seeing the banner and even those who saw it didn’t see it consistently.

According to threads on the forum, prior to the notice, people were calling Kindle support and getting a variety of answers about the closing.

For many years, you could access the Kindle forums, via a menu link on the main Kindle page. Over the last year, Amazon had deprecated that function and the forum was difficult to find unless you had it bookmarked or were subscribed to email notifications on one of the various topic threads.

Amazon had also recently removed the search function from the forums.

Before I bought my first Kindle, this forum was a tremendous help. I was able to read about the Kindle and get the opinions of people who actually owned and were using the device. Given the fact that the device was $400 at the time, that forum was instrumental for me in researching and ultimately deciding to buy my first Kindle. I don’t think I would have bought my first Kindle without it. It was also a godsend in learning how use the new device.

As a blogger, I also found it a great source of information about issues that affected both the e-ink Kindle and the Fire tablets. Many of my posts on Amazon devices had their genesis in post on the Kindle discussion forum.

The forums also had a dark side.  Many of the regular posters on the forum could be quite snarky about repeatedly answering the same questions over and over again. Authors self-promoting books was also a problem and downvoting topics was a constant source of contention.

Given the fact that Amazon has also done away with the forums on sites like IMDB.com, I am not surprised the they are closing the forum. It is sad, however.

Amazon is directing customers to Goodreads and Spark (an Amazon community exclusive to Prime members). There are members suggesting everyone write Jefff Bezos at jeff@amazon.com to ask for a reprieve on the forums. Some customers are also discussing starting communities on other sites such as Reddit as a replacement.  You can also find already thriving communities on Kboards and Mobileread.

The new Kindle Help Community update will be available on October 9, 2017.

Did you use the Kindle Discussion forum? Are you going to miss it?

Get a refurbished Kindle Voyage for $135

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Today, Amazon is offering a refurbished Wi-fi Kindle Voyage for only $135 and can even be purchased on a payment plan of five payments of $27 each.  The device normally costs $199 new.

The Kindle Voyage has a 300 ppi display and features PagePress sensors for one touch page turns  and an adaptive front light that self-adjusts to the available light.

The refurbished Voyage is also available in a Wi-Fi plus 3G configuration for $195.

Amazon’s refurbished Kindles come with the same one-year warranty as its new devices.

 

Amazon announces new Kindle

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new_kindleIf you had looked at the Kindle product page over the last few days, you might have noticed that the basic Kindle was sold out. That tends to be somewhat unusual as they are generally consistently in stock. So maybe, combined with the rumors of a new device, it is really not that much of a surprise that today, Amazon announced an all-new Kindle with some pretty nifty features.

  • The new Kindle comes in both black and white. We haven’t had a white Kindle here in the US for a while.
  • The new device is slightly smaller and lighter than the previous model. It also has a slightly more rounded design
  • The new Kindle has 4GB of storage and twice the memory of the old one (it now has 512MB).
  • The device is Bluetooth enabled. This is an added accessibility feature that readers who are visually impaired can use the VoiceView feature to navigate and read the on-screen content without the need for an adaptor. Hopefully, we will also see more Bluetooth compatible feature in the future – I want a foot switch for page turns so I can read and eat pizza! 🙂
  • Over the coming weeks, Amazon will be adding an Export Notes feature.  This will enable users to export their notes to a PDF file that can be printed out or exported to a spreadsheet.

Best of all, the price for the new Kindle is still $79.99 (with special offers, $89.99 without special offers). The new Kindle is available for pre-order now and is also being offered for 5 monthly payments of $16.00 payment plan. The e-reader will ship within the next few weeks.

Unlike the Kindle Paperwhite, the new Kindle does not have a built in light. Amazon also announced that the Paperwhite would also be available in white.

3rd Party cover for Kindle Oasis coming in May – without a battery

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fintie_oasisWell, that answers at least a part of the question about whether or not Amazon would allow third-party covers for the Kindle Oasis. A non-Amazon cover, the Fintie Kindle Oasis Case, is going to be available in May. Spotted on Amazon, the cover is made by Fintie, a company that makes quite a few covers for Amazon Kindles and Fire tablets. 

Going by the description and the pictures, it seems that the cover does not have the battery and charging capabilities of the OEM Amazon Kindle Oasis cover. While this cover certainly provides more color choices and variety as well as an alternative cover design, especially for vegans who don’t want leather, it will not extend the battery life of the device like the Amazon cover.

From the description:

Protect your New Kindle Oasis with this Fintie Smartshell Case at all times! The Fintie Smartshell Case sports a simple and classy design. The back shell is made from durable polycarbonate material so you do not need to worry about any damages. It offers an easy clip-on application. The cover is designed to fold back, so you can read comfortably with just one hand. Our innovative cover was designed to specifically fit your Kindle Oasis and secures your device without any hinges or straps. Thin, lightweight, and durable, this cover is perfect for taking Kindle Oasis wherever you go.

The cover comes in a variety of colors and designs and has a wake to sleep magnetic clasp built into the cover. The cover is sold and shipped directly from Fintie and will be available May 18, 2016. Cover prices start at $5.99 plus shipping (It’s not Prime Eligible).

What do you think? Are we going to see battery cases from other vendors?

 

5 Reasons Why I’m Not Buying a Kindle Oasis… Yet

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oasisTomorrow is the official release Day for the Kindle Oasis. Although it may seem a surprising thing for a tech blogger to do, I have decided to wait before buying the latest hardware. And, also probably surprising, is the fact that price is not one of my reasons. 🙂

So why am I waiting to see if I want to buy an Oasis at all?  Here’s my five reasons:

Battery Life:

According to Amazon, the current basic Kindle battery life is four weeks, based on a half hour of reading per day with wireless off. The Paperwhite and the Voyage promise six weeks with wireless off and the light setting at 10. The Oasis specs indicate “A single charge with cover [emphasis added] lasts up to eight weeks, based on a half hour of reading per day with wireless off and the light setting at 10.”

But how is the battery on the device itself? According to most write-ups I’ve seen, the Oasis battery itself only last for two weeks and the rest of the battery life comes from the cover. That’s two weeks at 1/2 hour a day with the wireless turned off or approximately 7 hours if you are reading without the cover. That is a much shorter battery life than the devices we have now. I do not want to pay more for a device with less battery life than its predecessor, at least if you want to use it without the cover.  And what happens if that cover fails? (Which brings me to my next point.)

The Integrated Cover:

If you have read this blog for very long, one thing should be fairly obvious:  I am admittedly a device cover junkie. For every device I own, I have bought at least one cover. I gift devices along with a cover. I will buy a new cover just to spruce up my Kindle. I have them in all sorts of materials, styles and colors and in all price ranges. But generally speaking, I do not like Amazon covers. Part of this is based on my previous Amazon-integrated cover experience with the cover for the Kindle Keyboard. It is also the reason that I have concerns about an Oasis cover failure.

KK_cover_hooksIn 2010,  when Amazon came out with the third generation Kindle, now called the Kindle Keyboard, they designed an integrated leather cover that had hooks to hold the Kindle in place. This cover came in two styles: one with a light ($60 at the time) and one  without the light ($35). (At the time, 3rd party lights like the Kandle and the Mighty Bright were popular. This was before the Paperwhite, of course.) And it was a huge disaster.

It turned out that the hooks that went into the Kindle caused a electrical short that interfered with the Kindles in the version without a light. It caused a malfunction and a lot Kindles were deemed defective before they figured out the problem.  I, of course, bought the one without the light and wound up sending my first Kindle Keyboard back. AT one point, I think Amazon started refunding people who  had bought the cases, but I wasn’t among that group. (I still have it: I pulled it out the week they announced the Oasis to take a picture.And if anybody wants it, let me know!)

Needless to sat, after that experience, I have never bought another Amazon cover and I am not wild about the idea of a battery operated cover from Amazon until I see how it holds up. I waited to buy the $50 Fire until third-party covers were available.

I have already written here about the concern some vegans have about the leather cover. I would really like to see a variety of 3rd party covers available for purchase. I will be curious to see if Amazon allows other companies to make covers for the devices or decide to keep the cover business for themselves.

Wireless problems with the Paperwhite and other devices:

One of the issues that has come up consistently with the the Fire tablets, Fire TV sticks and the Kindle Paperwhite has been a constant stream of complaints about the wireless connectivity of some of these devices. I’ve experienced firsthand a tendency to disconnect from the internet and an inability to find certain wireless signals. I have read thread after thread of complaints like this one on the Amazon forums. Most people say that Amazon doesn’t acknowledge the problem. I had to change all my router setters to different channels just to get my Paperwhite to work on WiFi.

Before I buy a new, more expensive Kindle, I want to know that people are not having  problems with the wireless on the first generation of the new device. I still see posts on this problem continuing with the Paperwhites.

Persistent build problem rumors on the first generation Paperwhite and  Voyage:

When both the first generation Paperwhite and the Kindle Voyage first came out, there were a lot of comments about the uneven light and off  colors displaying on the screen by the LEDs on the device. I still hear rumors about this problem with the Voyage, along with reports of bad pixels as well as pixels that are stuck on the screen.

This is not just a minor update. This is a totally redesigned device. But since that’s the case, and particularly since the Oasis has a substantially higher price point than the previous models, I want to make sure that this is a really solid build. I don’t have a problem waiting for the Oasis 2 if this one has problems that need to be addressed.

Lack of improvements:

One of the curses of modern technology development is the concept of incremental hardware upgrades. Yes the Oasis has a few shiny new abilities. Buttons? Sure. Asymmetrical design and hibernation mode sound interesting. The accelerometer? Not such a big deal for me as I find the ones on the Fire tablets too sensitive for the slight angle that I read at in bed. And thinner? Meh. I am still going to want a cover to protect the device, even if it doesn’t have a battery. And thinness as the expense of battery life is not a good trade off in my opinion.

But what else doesn’t it have?Amazon still doesn’t have a waterproof e-reader. Are they ever going to bring back an e-ink reader with text to speech ability? I still want bluetooth capability so I can connect an external keyboard for notes in non-fiction books. I want to turn pages without using my hands! I want more incremental font choice than the eight Amazon gives us. And with my vision problems, I want weighted fonts that have more contrast for my eyes.

So yes, the Oasis has some good new features, but not enough right now to justify an expensive upgrade.

To be clear, this does not mean that I won’t buy the latest Kindle model. Before I paid $400 for my first generation Kindle back in early 2008, I actually spent several months reading reviews and feedback about the device. Since I had worked with technology for years, I wanted to make sure that I could live with it if the device quickly became obsolete or the quality wasn’t worth the price.  And for what it’s worth, I passed on the Kindle Voyage. So for now, I will be watching reviews and customer forums very carefully to see if this is a device I want to spend my money on.

So how about you? If you bought one, please leave me a comment and let me know what you think. If you decided not to buy,let me know that, too. Were your reasons the same as mine?

Kindle keyboard cover pix © Glinda Harrison/Ebook Evangelist

Looking for that Merlot cover for the Kindle Oasis? You may be in luck…

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merlot oasisI just accidentally stumbled across a listing for the Kindle Oasis with the highly sought after Merlot cover shipping as soon as May 4th. The configuration available  is the 3G plus WiFi model without special offers. Be warned,though –  the price tag for the e-reader and cover is a whopping $379.99! Amazon is also offering a payment plan of five monthly payments of $76 to ease the sting. But, hey, if it is the cover color of your dreams, the May 4th delivery date is much more appealing than some of the June, July and even September dates being discussed on the forums.

New Kindle Oasis official

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oasisAmazon has officially announced its new Kindle Oasis. The device will cost $289.99, includes the special leather battery charging cover and will begin shipping on April 27, 2016.

Now, for the details. According to the Amazon press release, the Oasis is:

All-New Design–The Thinnest and Lightest Kindle Ever

The new Kindle Oasis is unlike any Kindle you’ve ever held. With an incredibly thin display and an ergonomic grip, Kindle Oasis weighs just 4.6 ounces and is just 3.4 mm at its thinnest point–30% thinner on average and over 20% lighter than any other Kindle. To achieve this, Kindle Oasis has a featherweight polymer frame that is plated with metal by structural electroplating–this makes the device incredibly light while ensuring it has the strength and rigidity of metal so it is resilient enough to take anywhere you want to read.

Designed for Comfortable and Extended Reading

Kindle Oasis is designed for extended reading sessions–with an entirely reimagined shape, Kindle Oasis shifts the center of gravity to your palm, to rest in your hand like the spine of a book so that the device feels balanced for one-handed reading. Effortlessly turn the page with either the touch display or physical buttons. Oasis is comfortable to read on with either hand–a built-in accelerometer detects whether you are reading with your left or right hand, and automatically rotates the page and page turn buttons to match.

Dual-Battery Design Delivers Months of Battery Life–Our Longest Ever

Kindle Oasis introduces a new dual-battery system–as soon as you connect the cover to Kindle Oasis, the battery in the cover begins recharging Kindle Oasis automatically. The battery in the cover uses a custom cell architecture that optimizes power and energy while keeping an incredibly small and light form factor and delivering months of battery life. You can charge the device and cover simultaneously while both are snapped together and plugged in. Plus, a new hibernation mode minimizes power consumption when your Kindle is inactive.

The included charging cover is made of high-quality leather and is available in black, merlot, or walnut. The cover opens like a book and fits closely around the bezel, waking Kindle Oasis when opened and putting it to sleep when closed. Twelve magnets form a secure and solid attachment between the device and cover, while ensuring it is easy to detach when you choose to read without the cover.

Next Generation Paperwhite Display

Kindle Oasis features the latest generation high-resolution 300 ppi Paperwhite display for crisp, laser-quality text. A redesigned built-in front light features 60% more LEDs for our brightest Kindle display ever and leverages new cylindrical diffractive patterns to increase the consistency and range of screen brightness for improved reading in all types of lighting. The new Paperwhite display on Oasis is the first Kindle display designed using a ground-breaking 200 micron display backplane that is as thin as a single sheet of aluminum foil, but is robust enough for you to throw in your bag and take with you on-the-go, combined with a custom cover glass engineered from chemically-reinforced glass.

Most of this information (save for the shipping date and price) had already leaked online. You can find more detail on the device here.

Comparing the Kindle Oasis to the previous Kindle models, this one is thinner, lighter, has better LED lighting and a totally unique design. Here is the chart comparing the features on the various models:

Oasis_comparison

Click = big

There is evidently quite a bit of interest in the Oasis.  Already, I am seeing “Due to popular demand, some configurations will ship after April 27th. See the latest shipping dates at checkout” listed on the item page.  I am also seeing an offer to purchase this for 5 monthly payments of $58.00,  but I am a prime member, so I don’t know if everyone sees that offer. It will be interesting to see if this sells out. Hint: Don’t delay too long if you are interested.

I will be back later with some thoughts about the new device, including talking about some of the features some of us were hoping for but didn’t get.

So, does this model interest you?

Bezos announces new Kindle

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Today, Jeff Bezos himself let the world know that there is a new Kindle coming:

The fun is already starting on the speculation on this one. The phrase “top of the line” hints at at a new Kindle Voyage model. There has been speculation for a while about a Voyage 2 model.

On the other hand, the lasted iteration of the Paperwhite  is the one with the generation number, not the Voyage.

I find it somewhat interesting that the announcement by Jeff Bezos (unusual in itself) comes the same day as Amazon is offering big discounts on current Kindle models. Today, if you subscribe to Amazon Prime, then you get $30 off the basic Kindle, thePaperwhite and the Kindle Voyage.

I was considering buying a new Paperwhite (today’s savings are great!) but now I am not sure. I didn’t buy a Voyage because the improvements were not enough to make me pull the trigger on a new one.

People are already making wish lists for the new models. Do you want to see better fonts, the return of text-to-speech, a bigger or better screen. Are you interested in the newest shiny thing or are you happy with what you’ve got? What’s on your Kindle wishlist?