I'm definitely the target market for this.

I spend so much time on my Kindle that I'd be willing to invest a few hundred in upgrading from my PaperWhite just to have a slightly better UX. Having buttons again to change pages is what I'm most excited about. Plus I've always wanted faster page turns, which is always increasing with each new release.

I didn't get excited for the Voyage since it seemed so much like PaperWhites.

Knowing I spend each night and hours on weekends holding and interacting with the device makes the price point for a 'pro'-style version reasonable.

Doesnt the voyage have the ability to turn pages without this awkward touchscreen of the paperwhite?

The buttons for page turning on the voyage are goofy force sensors. I just use the touchscreen.

Yes, it has buttons on the side. I love it.

Awkward? You can press or swipe. Does it make a difference if you're touching the bezel instead of the screen?

It does. Being able to rest your hand on the button and move a tiny amount to trigger it, vs having to keep your hand on the bezel and move your finger further for the touchscreen. Its only a tiny difference, but it adds up when you're talking tens of thousands of pages!

I rest my thumb on the edge of the bezel and just roll it fractionally to the left so that it touches the extremely sensitive touch screen when I want to turn the page. Think of it as exercise; over my lifetime I expect to burn several calories doing this. I'd hate to spend all that money and end up with fat thumbs!

My one-hand usage is to hold and tap with my thumb. But often I tap the screen and hit a word rather than blank space, shich pops up the dictionary.

This is so frustrating that I have basically trained myself to always swipe. But swiping with one hand is not a very comfortable thing. The 3g kindle's side button where a lot more pleasant to use.

You can tap a word without difficulty to turn the page; you're just holding your finger on the screen for too long.

I do love my paperwhite but I really can't see myself "upgrading" to this. Faster page turns? Really?

Faster page turns is usually what make or break readers to me. It matters a lot.

> If you're trying to keep under a baggage weight limit, > saving 225g can make a big difference

I can't imagine the difference in weight will affect anyone. It'll be hand luggage or literally in your pocket. I've never had my hand luggage weighed.

£270 (£330 for the 3G model) for something which is essentially the same as a £110 device (it's laughable that anyone would pick up a Paperwhite and complain that it's too thick and/or heavy). Now that's a niche market.

I don't think this will sell very many, but I suspect its real purpose is to get people to consider buying a Voyage instead of a Paperwhite as they'll believe they're getting more of the cosmetic thrills of the Oasis without the stupid cost.

Saving half a pound (225g) on a backpacking trip is a enough that a frequent hiker would notice.

Some people do spend big bucks to cut out ounces for hiking/backpacking gear. I'm skeptical it's meaningful numbers in the context of a device like this.

I do know ultralight backpackers. But, yes, I can't see them carrying a Kindle as opposed to maybe some pages ripped out of a book :-) Maybe a certain class of long distance hikers but now we're getting into vanishingly small markets.

> I've never had my hand luggage weighed.

You've never flown Ryanair.

Ensuring hand luggage fits within the required dimensions and under designated weight allowance is now pretty common for low cost carriers (European at least, which is my experience).

Checked in baggage is a revenue earner for the airline. Many passengers try to cram all they need into hand luggage instead, to save sometimes >£40 on the cost of checking in baggage. Ensuring hand luggage is weighed and measured is just another way to squeeze the revenue hose.

> I've never had my hand luggage weighed.

It might be if one's travelling on a low-cost carrier.

If you're taking low-cost carriers on a regular basis, you're probably not a primary market for this.

Curious as to why not?

I travel on low cost carriers on a regular basis between European destinations. Several years ago I bought a Paperwhite, specifically because I was tired of lugging around heavy, space occupying paperbacks, which I often finished enroute, leaving me nothing to read for part of the flight.

If I didn't already have the Paperwhite, I'd be seriously tempted by the Oasis.

I was being a little snarky. All I meant is that the Oasis seems to be a rather premium device compared to a Paperwhite and that doesn't obviously overlap with the market for low-cost airlines. (Though, to be fair, the dynamics on internal European travel are a bit different than the US.)

I'm a digital nomad. I like my paper white. Great battery and light weight. $200 means more to me than half a kilo. I carry-on my kindle so any weight below 1 kilo is fine.

Bezos and others who contributed to the technology that launched the Kindle and eBook stores did great work. The Oasis, however, is not an innovation worth $200 more than other Kindle models.

"But I can at least see how it could improve my life."

This post goes intentionally against the constructive rules here, BUT this quote has to find its way into the "Silicon Valley" show. I bet it will. /scnr

Doubt the weight makes a difference for luggage - but definitely if handheld for a prolonged time.

I hear what you're saying, but still the price thing...A Voyage is 199 new, 159 refurb. There are GREAT cases like this one for $13 http://www.amazon.com/OMOTON-Thinnest-Lightest-leather-Displ...

Point is, this thing as nice as it is, case or not, is still WAY too expensive for what it is.

Well, for stuff small enough to keep in a pocket, travel/check-in-weight isn't really an issue.

But you are right, most people here are not in the target market.