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Comment by dave2000 | Hacker News Reader

dave2000

> 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.

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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.

you obviously haven't met any ultralight backpackers. Of course, I can't see any of them "lugging" around a kindle on their hikes because there's no way that extra "weight" is necessary

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.)

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