Amazon just announced the Kindle Oasis, but you probably shouldn't buy it

Amazon just released a new Kindle, the $289.99 Oasis. It has an intriguingly asymmetrical ergonomic design. I'm sure it's a pleasure to use. Don't buy it.Don't get me wrongI love my eReader. It's a about ayear old at this point, has a nice sharp E-Ink display, bangs around in my bag all day without significant wear, holds my favorite books, feels comfortable in my hand, and rarely needs a charge.The thing is, it's so well-designed that I probably won't replace it until it breaks. And I certainly won't spend most of three Franklins to do it.The Oasis costs more than two $119Kindle Paperwhites without offering any major upgrades to its specs. The Kindle Paperwhite, Voyage, and Oasis all sport the same third-party display because theresimply isn't a better one available. (In fact, my non-Kindle eReader, a $129Kobo Glo HD, also has this exact display.)Similarly, they all have 4GB of on-board storagemore than enough for a lifetime of books.The technical tweaks the Oasis offersan upgrade to the Paperwhite's already-plenty-good backlights and a charging cover to extend battery life from weeks to monthsare hardly worth an extra $160. While this reconfigured one-handed page turn design does look comfortable, we'd have much preferred to see it ina revampof the Paperwhite, not an overpriced luxury product.Save your cash and buy sixteen books instead.The new Kindle Oasisreveals a fundamental problem for the eReader market: Manufacturers have already built these machines about as well as they're going to get. The next major upgrades worth spending for will be revolutionary, not evolutionary: a flexible, more intuitive display perhaps, or full color (though that's unlikely).Until then, consumers will buy based on preference. Want an affordable Kindle' Get a Paperwhite. Want to keep buying from independent booksellers' Get a Kobo Glo HD. Want internet anywhere' Spend $40 extra for the Paperwhite 3G. Want a heavier, waterproof device' Get a Kobo Aura H2O.And now: Like spending crazy money on minor design tweaks' Get an Oasis.Join the conversation about this storyNOW WATCH: 'Batman v Superman' is a complete trainwreck, and director Zack Snyder is to blame
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