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Books, a valuable source of information and entertainment, whether in hardback or paperback format, have been around and will continue to do so for many years.  However this should not mean that new, or more recent concepts with regards literature, should be ignored.  Not only does the digital format of text presentation provide the means to read literature but it also delivers additional information concerning the story and its author.  It can also provides the ability to hear the text spoken using an Audible offering or the Kindle VoiceView feature.

When considering the subject matter of EBook readers, these portable digital devices, containing mini-library capacity, are usually found to belong to the Amazon Kindle family of products.  Admittedly there is an occasional exception, such as the EBook reader bearing the Kobo brand, but the greater majority of this type of device, which you can see occupying the full attention of fellow travellers, to feature the Amazon Kindle logo.  One recent addition to this particular brand of the Amazon Kindle family is the company's Kindle Oasis which is currently acting as my EBook reader device.

Checking back over previous EBook reviews I had produced, I was surprised to discover that 3 or 4 years had passed since I had last taken a look at an EBook product.  The arrival of the Kindle Oasis showed that a number of changes had been made to the design and overall experience of the device since I had last taken a look at the Kindle EBook and what it had to offer the compulsive reader.

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My review sample of the Kindle Oasis has dimensions of 14 x 16 cm (W x D) with a weight of 340g.  The product is available is a limited choice of colour schemes.  I had been sent the graphite unit rather than the champagne gold model which was the alternate offering.  You also have the option to select from two capacities offering 8GB or 32GB of storage as you opt for either Wi-Fi only or a life-time free 4G version of the product.  This review is based on the 32GB Wi-Fi Kindle Oasis package.

The Kindle Oasis unit combines  a graphite coloured aluminium chassis with a super-thin profile covering most of the unit.  The one exception to the thin profile is an area running down the right side of the unit's body.  This area doubles as the rechargeable battery compartment and a suitable grip for use by right-handed users.  By turning the Kindle Oasis through 180 degrees, the grip panel is repositioned so that it can be used by those preferring a left-handed grip.  An accelerometer features handles the change of orientation as the content and features are rotated to display the content to suit the left-handed user. 

This thicker grip panel also features a couple of elongated buttons that provide forward and backward page turning features.  Although the Kindle Oasis's screen still supports a swipe ability as you move through pages, I found it far easier to use the button page-turning aspect especially as this was a comfortable fit for one-handed use of the EBook reader.

Instructions are provided for setting up the Kindle Oasis as it is connected to an existing, or new, Amazon account with an option to include a time-limited Prime Exclusive benefit.  Various settings can be adjusted as part of the initial preferred environment to suit the needs of the reader.

While it might not seem too great an increase, the Kindle Oasis delivers its content on a 7-inch screen rather than the standard 6-inch offering that the other devices have got us use to accepting as the norm.  The Oasis screen has a 300 dpi resolution with options to adjust slider bars that can have the effect of changing from a white light to a more honey like appearance.  As well as carrying out these adjustments manually, you can also schedule adjustments to automatically take place at a set time or when conditions decree as necessary.  Other available adjusted features include the ability to change the size of the font used to display the content of the current text. 

When displaying its content, the Kindle Oasis makes use of a front-mounted light display rather than the more usual backlight feature used by other EBook devices.  The Kindle Oasis light is sprayed across the screen rather than directly at the reader's eye.  This produces a more relaxing reading experience.  In order to increase the smoothness of the light used by the Kindle Oasis,. the product makes use of 25 LEDs built into the device.  This is an increase from the 12 LEDs used in the previous version of this device. 

While the quality of the Kindle Oasis screen and its adjustable delivery was certainly appreciated by my cataract affected eyes, this Kindle Oasis under review offered an even greater method of reducing eye strain.  Included as part of the library of titles available on the review sample were a selection of excerpts from Audible Books.  In order to make full use of the Audible, and also the slightly jerky VoiceView, facility where stories are read back to you, you will need to pair the Kindle Oasis with a Bluetooth set of headphones or speakers.  This task is a straightforward and simple process carried out from the list of setting options mentioned earlier.  Whether listening to an Audible playback or reading the printed text, the Kindle Oasis delivers an enjoyable experience with a range of adjustable features that add value to the product.

While on the subject of value, the Kindle Oasis is not the least expensive EBook reader currently available.  Pricing for this model, as reviewed, is in the region of £259.99 for a well-specified product.