Firsto of all, great forum btw, lots of interesting opinions.

I have been reading eBooks for 5-6 years now on a hand-held device (PDA), my favorite being my Mio Mitac 169, which is a full-function PDA, GPS (built-in) wi-fi (with card) and multi-media player. I can access eBooks in most formats including my fav Adobe.

Now this unit does not allow me to switch to landscape mode, the battery is dying, the page scroll switches are worn....and so I have been researching newer options for a replacement. Including the new EReader options like the CyBook.

Can I just say that I think you're all a little bit crazy for buying devices with no back lights? ;-) I mean, half the fun/purpose of an eReader is being able to read when there is little (or no) ambient lighting. On planes/in cars/shared hotel rooms/shared beds....and in my case, in my home-on-wheels. (I'm working as a trucker).

I even see ads for lights to "add-on" to an eReader! Good grief.

Give your collective heads a gentle shake there, engineers, lol...the manufacturers need to wake up if they want to convert the legions of eBook fans that currently use PDAs etc over to their product!! I for one have become quite used to reading at 5-6 words per line, and with my adjustable backlight I can read in all light conditions.

In the meantime, the emporer has no clothes! And his eReader has no blinking backlight!

And $400-$500 for these mono-utilitarian devices!?

As the old-school Hollywood producers might say: "I just don't see it on the screen"...


And so I invite anyone to submit a suggestion for a replacement for my mio, that DOES have a backlight? Do ANY of the new ereaders have one?

If not, I think they missed the mark.

Cheers
jp

I suggest the Nokia N800 or N810. See, for example, Eink Display's (Sony PRS505) vs. Nokia N800's LCD Display (http://www.mobileread.com/forums/showthread.php?t=22304). However, these don't read any DRM-laden e-books. This isn't much of a problem now for LIT, or MOBI, or eReader (if you don't mind stripping the DRM), but Secure Adobe e-books are not readable on the Nokia's or on any E-Ink based reader.

I think the ease and benefits of eInk far outweigh backlighting, and find a little 15 dollar reading light snaps on just fine and is STILL more readable than your average backlit display and doesn't run out of juice fast either.

Go to a Borders and check out a Sony Reader, until you actually see eInk it's pretty hard to grok.

But as to a very nice backlit ebook reader.. I got nothin.

And so I invite anyone to submit a suggestion for a replacement for my mio, that DOES have a backlight? Do ANY of the new ereaders have one?


No eInk devices that I am aware of have one.

Check out the eBookWise if you want a machine with a back light.

http://www.ebookwise.com/ebookwise/ebookwise1150.htm

BOb

The Nokia N800 does sound like a good replacement for my Mio thanks for that tip. I was interested to read the favourable comparison with a non-back-lighted Sony device.

I see that many eBook readers don't really need a backlight for their use. I suppose it's all about what we're used to. I remember my Grandma admonishing us for not putting on the light so's we could see the telly!

I would think though, that if a $15 clip-on device works...it would be easy for an engineer to design a little pop-out/telescoping-out LED light on these $500 e-ink units?

The idea of the "Borg" ear-mounted light brings me back many years to countless nights spent hiding under the bed-clothes reading with my trusty flashlight clutched between cheek and shoulder...as I turned the pages of RL Stevenson, Tolkien and Defoe...quietly so as to not alert my folks that I wasn't asleep on a school night!

I really could have made use of that ear-light back then.


I look forward to trying a NOKIA N800...just need to find where they're sold up here in Canada, no luck so far...(other than internet sales)

I would love to see an e-ink screen with a Lightwedge-style front light built in. You can't actually back light e-ink but the real issue, of course, is not where the light goes but being self-lit. Most of the time reading, I have ambient light and e-ink is way better to read in daylight where my HTC 6800 was impossible. Plus I blew through the battery really quickly on the lit screen where my Kindle easily goes for a week between charges. (I don't use the wireless much.) A few LED lights wouldn't suck much battery power, and would be a nice addition.

I have to agree with Gideon on seeing e-ink in person. It's amazing how much kinder it is to the eyes. There's a reason many of us are willing to spend that kind of money on a stand alone reader. We're not crazy. I spend all day staring at LCD screens and I come home bloodshot. When I look at an e-ink screen after a day of that, I can feel the difference.

John,

I really suggest that you see an eInk display for real before commenting on the lighting issue. You may well change your mind when you see one. You can comfortably read an eInk screen in pretty much any light that you can read a paper book in (ie many situations in which you'd need a backlight on an LCD screen).

eInk screens are opaque - they can't be backlit, so the answer to your question is self-evidently "no - there are no backlit eInk devices". They could, I suppose, use some sort of side-lighting, but that would just add to the weight and increase power consumption for something which, for many people, would be rarely wanted. You'd need some sort of light diffuser, however, for that, which would presumably lower the clarity of the display.

Personally, I just use a reading light, as I would for a book. The clip-on lights which you heap scorn upon do work extremely well for those who want such a thing.

We aren't all idiots (despite appearances to the contrary); the reason that so many of us have gone for eInk devices is that they work so well. Try and take a look at one - you might just change your mind!

Can I just say that I think you're all a little bit crazy for buying devices with no back lights? ;-) I mean, half the fun/purpose of an eReader is being able to read when there is little (or no) ambient lighting.
Hmm, I can't find a backlight on any of my paper-based books - maybe I shouldn't have bought them either?

For me, the purpose of an Reader is to be able to carry a bookshelf/book case's worth of books around in a ultra-portable format, so I can read them exactly where I'd otherwise be wanting to read a paperback, without being stuck when I reached the end of a book or wanted a change of topic.

I look forward to trying a NOKIA N800...just need to find where they're sold up here in Canada, no luck so far...(other than internet sales)

Nokia Canada, NCIX.com and TigerDirect.ca are the only sources that I'm aware of in Canada. Maybe a Nokia kiosk in a local mall would have or be willing to bring in one that you could try? Or, if you're in the right part of BC, you could try one of NCIX's bricks-and-mortar locations.

I purchased and tried out an N800 a few months ago but ended up selling it off again. It didn't display enough text on the screen at a time to be comfortable for me, but if you're used to reading on a small device then you'll probably be happy with it. I will note that the eBookwise has better battery life, however.

As for me, I'll stick with my eBookwise for times when I know I'll need a backlight a lot and my Cybook (with a clip-on light as needed) for the rest of the time. My hope is that, someday in the not-too-distant future there will be a next-generation eBookwise device that combines the thin, light format and clear text of eInk with the ergonomics and backlighting of the current eBookwise-1150. :fingersx: And if that future device happens to be closer in price to the eBookwise-1150 than to the Cybook - hey, bonus!!

The Nokia N800 does sound like a good replacement for my Mio thanks for that tip. I was interested to read the favourable comparison with a non-back-lighted Sony device.

I see that many eBook readers don't really need a backlight for their use. I suppose it's all about what we're used to. I remember my Grandma admonishing us for not putting on the light so's we could see the telly!

I would think though, that if a $15 clip-on device works...it would be easy for an engineer to design a little pop-out/telescoping-out LED light on these $500 e-ink units?

The idea of the "Borg" ear-mounted light brings me back many years to countless nights spent hiding under the bed-clothes reading with my trusty flashlight clutched between cheek and shoulder...as I turned the pages of RL Stevenson, Tolkien and Defoe...quietly so as to not alert my folks that I wasn't asleep on a school night!

I really could have made use of that ear-light back then.


I look forward to trying a NOKIA N800...just need to find where they're sold up here in Canada, no luck so far...(other than internet sales)

I love how you toss around the word '$500'. First, it is quite possible to get a good e-ink reader for $300, with some running to $400. Our own Not Another E-Book version of the Cybook Gen3 runs $375. That's about 25% LESS than your mythical $500.

Second, I, personally, own both a Sony PRS-500 and a Bookeen Cybook Gen3. I routinely read them in 'low-light' (one 60W bulb) rooms without any need for a 'clip-on' booklight. I reserve my booklight for those times when I'm reading in a completely dark room, for example when I'm lying in bed with the lights off, just before going to sleep.

As others have pointed out, the current e-ink technology does not allow for back-lighting. I doubt it will any time soon, but then part of the reason for buying an e-ink reader is so one does NOT have to constantly re-charge the device's batteries every few hours. Backlit devices are notorious for sucking down battery juice.

And as for being mono-targeted, well, in today's corporate cultures, it makes sense to have a dedicated reader which can hold the IMPORTANT stuff, such as the latest hit from James Patterson while keeping the less important work stuff on the company's pdas or laptops. They won't fire you like they might for putting a novel on the pda. :D

Derek

We're not crazy.


We aren't all idiots (despite appearances to the contrary);

:rofl: :rofl:

The eink screens are quite nice, but you are not alone in looking for something with built-in lighting. The best, currently-supported unit most of us have found is the eBookwise several others have already mentioned, and it is relatively inexpensive. I just switched back from an early Sony model to my eBookwise, and I am happy to be back.

It should be noted that it will not read your existing Adobe ebooks, but the ebookwise store is pretty good (run by Fictionwise), and there are tools for converting public domain files as well.

If you like the extra functionality of a PDA, the Nokia is nice, but does not support any of the protected formats, including your Adobe one. On the other hand, HP and Palm still sell actual PDAs (in addition to smartphones), with great software support for just about any format. PDAs may seem extinct, but they are still out there, and they still have the lighting you expect.

Good luck with your search.

Jack

This is a topic that should have been long laid to rest.

:deadhorse: <-- is what this topic is doing now

This is a topic that should have been long laid to rest.

:deadhorse: <-- is what this topic is doing now

Certainly from the perspective of those of us who've been here awhile, the topic has been done to death. For someone new to the world of ebook readers and this forum, it's not abnormal for it to still be a focus of some curiosity. I feel part of my role as an early adopter of a technology I want to see spread is to be a bit of an evangelist. That can mean answering the same questions over and over. I certainly don't mind doing it if there's the chance in some small way it helps ebooks thrive.

Certainly from the perspective of those of us who've been here awhile, the topic has been done to death. For someone new to the world of ebook readers and this forum, it's not abnormal for it to still be a focus of some curiosity. I feel part of my role as an early adopter of a technology I want to see spread is to be a bit of an evangelist. That can mean answering the same questions over and over. I certainly don't mind doing it if there's the chance in some small way it helps ebooks thrive.

Is there not an eBook reader FAQ on this site somewhere? Certainly two questions that should be on it are:

1. Can I read PDF documents on an eBook reader?
2. Are there any eBook readers with a backlit display?

BOb

That horse isn't dead - it's just sleeping ..
bob

Yes, I hear some people clamoring for a backlit eBook reader. But tll me this, what did those same people do with a pBook in dim or no light? And because the eink displays cannot have a backlight display, does that mean they will stick with pBooks wich are also NOT backlight and cannot be?

That horse isn't dead - it's just sleeping ..
bob

or else he's pining for the fjords...

Yes, I hear some people clamoring for a backlit eBook reader. But tll me this, what did those same people do with a pBook in dim or no light? And because the eink displays cannot have a backlight display, does that mean they will stick with pBooks wich are also NOT backlight and cannot be?

I don't think the original poster is necessarily attached to a backlight specifically, but to a self-lit device, which is possible to do with an e-ink display. I don't think it's unreasonable to want an electronic reader to give you some improvements over the paper. I think technology should try to take us further, not settle for just being as good as what came before. Why not be ambitious?

It's not enough for me for a reader to just be a mass storage device that shows me pages. That's why I held out for a device where I could search, make notes and look up words in the dictionary automatically and I was willing to pay a bit more for it. These were big features for me. Not everyone cares about them, I know. Not everyone cares about a reader being self-lit but I don't think it's an unreasonable feature request just because paper can't do it. Let's be better than paper. Personally, a light isn't a deal-breaker for me but I don't expect everyone to have the same wants and needs I have.

I actually prefer it NOT to be backlit. I probably would never have purchased an ebook reader if it had been backlit. Backlighting causes me a lot more eye strain. I find that the eink is very comfortable to read for long periods of time. If I find myself reading in the dark, a little pocket led flashlight, headlight, or book light works just fine.

Yes, I hear some people clamoring for a backlit eBook reader. But tll me this, what did those same people do with a pBook in dim or no light? And because the eink displays cannot have a backlight display, does that mean they will stick with pBooks wich are also NOT backlight and cannot be?

I had trouble deciding to reply to this... as many have pointed out, we have discussed this extensively already. So... keeping it short:

eInk does not equal eBook

It is possible to enjoy ebooks, and not use an eink reader. Asking for features not offered on some or several readers (lighting, dictionary search, annotation, PDA functionality, whatever) does not constitute a rejection of eBooks in general.

Speaking for myself, for nearly a decade (since '99 when the Palm IIIx came out), I have been doing most of my reading on handhelds, and the ability to read in lots of different locations/situations was one of the big advantages of eBooks. It felt really odd to me the first time I looked at the new generation of specialized readers and realized that stepping up to the high end would mean losing functionality.

For those that love eInk -- great! For those that do not -- look around, there are lots of other ways to enjoy ebooks.

Jack

The biggest problem with these do it all devices that also act as your cell phone is that because they now do so much, you use them for a lot more then just your phone. So you eat the battery a lot faster then you normally would. And when you need to go make or receive a phone call, good luck. That is a real issue unless you carry around a device like the iGo to recharge your phone using AA batteries or extra charged batteries you won't get much talk time if any. That is why I prefer to have seperate devices. My cell phone is just a cell phone. And very good at that. I have a Rio Karma for music and my 505 for reading and a real GPS for GPS usage. All I know is I am good to go. Yes, I have more devices, but I also have my phone for a lot longer then I would had I bought a multi-function device.

Now onto the topic of backlighting... backlighting eats the battery more and give less reading time. I prefer to have an external light source so my reader keeps a longer charge. I mostly read where I have light.

Can I just say that I think you're all a little bit crazy for buying devices with no back lights? ;-) I mean, half the fun/purpose of an eReader is being able to read when there is little (or no) ambient lighting. On planes/in cars/shared hotel rooms/shared beds....and in my case, in my home-on-wheels. (I'm working as a trucker).
On a plane, I have an overhead light that works for reading. I also have a small ear light I use for reading in bed so I don't keep the bedside lamp on and bother my wife. I can take the ear light with me and read wherever I am if the light around is not good enough.

This just shows why it's good to have different options: different people have different needs. :shrug:

And that's OKAY. Really, it is. :wink:

I prefer to have an external light source so my reader keeps a longer charge. I mostly read where I have light.

I read quite a lot at night, but since I carry a head torch anyway it makes little sense to me to have a backlit reader when the ones I have seen do not suit my eyes.

By and large I'd be happy to have a slightly thicker reader if it had more battery life as well as the extra functions, and I'd be very happy indeed if I had decent library functions as well as better mp3 organisation. But the current Sony PRS software is very poor at both of those tasks so I'd rather they fixed those aspects first, before getting excited about new stuff. Now that I have 10Gb of storage in the Sony it's become undeniable that you are not supposed to put more than a few hundred titles onto the device. The Sony PC software is bad enough at dealing with this (it crashes on connect more often than not), but the software on the device pretty much grinds to a halt. Using the PC software to do the transfer speeds up the device if it works, but it takes so many attempts to get a session that doesn't crash that it's actually faster to just power up the device and wait.

I have no problems using eBook Library with Windows XP. Yes, I know too many eBooks does slow down the 505. But that is because of how it has to search for them and then read the XML files.

I'd like to have e-ink with a front LED light I could use in the dark but it seems to me that would be a drawback to the device if it were mandatory to power it all the time. Most of the time when I'm reading it's not necessary so why drain the battery? But I do read in the dark some at home where it would be a small convenience and I like to camp where it would be a great convenience. I try to pack as little as I can when backpacking.

I must agree with Jon on not wanting my reader to be a multifunction device with technology as it stands. I do have a smartphone and I'm glad that it's multifunction but it's optimized for its own functions and frankly sucks as a reader. My Kindle is great as a reader, leagues beyond my smartphone. I even prefer it to a paper book. It's worth it to me to carry two devices. People make a big do about the Kindle's network connection and ability to "multifunction" but to me the network features only support reading (buying books and the occasional web or Wikipedia search). Trying to web browse or do email on it, once again frankly, sucks. I don't bother. For me, it's the choice of having one device that's the Jack of all trades and, while not master of none as the adage goes, only master of some, versus two devices that are masters at what they do. The two devices take up as much space as I used to with a mobile and a paperback and do precisely what I want them to do. No compromises. If some day they make a single device that will do all of that well, I'll switch in a heartbeat. For now I'm very satisfied with what I have.

I have a PDA, EB-1150, and an eInk ebook (Sony) and I use them all. So, for John, I guess I would recommend the EB-1150, but he really should try out an eInk device. I have little trouble using my PRS-505, unless the lights are completely out.

But, I am most intrigued by the comments recommending an "ear light". Never heard of that before.

Any recommendations on a good ear light?

That horse isn't dead - it's just sleeping ..
bob

...and it doesn't even look like a horse! I'd say it's a German Shepherd with a saddle;)

This just shows why it's good to have different options: different people have different needs. :shrug:

And that's OKAY. Really, it is. :wink:


You're sure ? Different ! :mrrox:

I had trouble deciding to reply to this... as many have pointed out, we have discussed this extensively already. So... keeping it short:

eInk does not equal eBook

It is possible to enjoy ebooks, and not use an eink reader. Asking for features not offered on some or several readers (lighting, dictionary search, annotation, PDA functionality, whatever) does not constitute a rejection of eBooks in general.

Speaking for myself, for nearly a decade (since '99 when the Palm IIIx came out), I have been doing most of my reading on handhelds, and the ability to read in lots of different locations/situations was one of the big advantages of eBooks. It felt really odd to me the first time I looked at the new generation of specialized readers and realized that stepping up to the high end would mean losing functionality.

For those that love eInk -- great! For those that do not -- look around, there are lots of other ways to enjoy ebooks.

Jack

I have used regular desktops, laptops, pdas and even tried using cellphones and mp3/mp4 players to read ebooks. I wouldn't recommend mp3/4 players or small-screen cellphones. :( As long as I had to tolerate PCs and laptops, I tended to choose dead-tree instead because the computers were far too restrictive in their use. PDAs, well, if I can't use my Cybook such as when a family member is borrowing it, I will fall back on my Dell and HP pdas - but I've found the LCD screens far too straining on my eyes in full daylight - I love to sit outside and read - or in complete darkness - I love to lie in bed at night and read.

The Cybook works. Simple as that. It works well at letting me read stories. No fuss, no muss, no having to fumble to change batteries (and carry them) at an inopportune moment. Sure, I have to have an external light for reading in complete darkness, but in all other lighting situations from a single 30W lamp to full-sunlight, it delivers comfortable, lightweight, capacious (you can stuff one hell of a lot of ebooks on a 2GB card) book reader.

For the benefits I gain from a dedicated e-book reader, I can forego having all those 'kitchen-sink' features you seem to demand. And as for the price... Well, I don't have to pay $350 per e-book. I pay the price once and then I read. Over the last six months, while putting the Cybook through the wringer, I've read over 600 e-books. I'm rapidly approaching 700. That means I've added 50 cents to each ebook's price as part of the amortization of my Cybook. And I fully expect to hit more than 2,000 ebooks read on it before I upgrade to another, more feature-laden, reader. Which means this reader will have added less than 18 cents to each of those e-books!

I guess I can grasp the value of the e-ink reader.:D

Derek

I have a PDA, EB-1150, and an eInk ebook (Sony) and I use them all. So, for John, I guess I would recommend the EB-1150, but he really should try out an eInk device. I have little trouble using my PRS-505, unless the lights are completely out.

But, I am most intrigued by the comments recommending an "ear light". Never heard of that before.

Any recommendations on a good ear light?
I got the ear light I use off of eBay for reading pBooks in bed. Works fine for the 505 as well.

Here is one such ear light...

http://cgi.ebay.com/Omega-L-E-D-Ear-Light_W0QQitemZ330223410797QQihZ014QQcategoryZ294Q QssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

Oh my...

I am reminded of the time that I made the mistake of asking on the Ebay forum: "Who should leave Feedback first, buyers or sellers?"... lol

What followed was quite surprising (to say the least)...
Apparently, it turns out that the, *ahem*, "issue" had been debated by forum regulars ad nauseum!

In my own defence though, lol, try this: type "back light" into "your" mobilread search box (as I did before posting this thread) and you will see that the backlight issue does not really come clearly into focus...in fact that's where I saw the ad for the book light etc etc.
and a bunch of other seemingly unrelated threads...try it.

So even though you good folks may feel the issue is flogging a cartoon dog (!?), "done to death" etc etc....it's not that clear from the FAQ search. :-)

But thanks for the lively replies at any rate...


It's true I haven't yet had the chance to view an e-ink device, I look forward to it. Here in Canada $500 seems an average price...hence the use of the term "$500" device!
I suppose in Zimbabwe it would be a $100,000 device. That wasn't really my point.

And, assuming a "pbook", is a regular book....well, the answer is, we didn't get to read in low light situations, what else? What an odd question.

And finally, I agree with the poster who felt on the "vanguard" of e-readers and wanted to support the industry....absolutley. But that's why it's important for designers to accept the challenge to please those of us that want more (and different) features...self-lighting (however it's done), changeable fonts, the ability to bookmark/annotate/highlight etc.

My question is, how does it support the industry to nay-say any ideas or support for features that aren't currently available? In fact, you should support those ideas.
To not do so, indeed to actively discourage ideas for improvement on forums like this, smacks a bit of the ol' "I bought it so now I'm gonna self-justify it" that we see so frequently on internet "user reviews"...

Cheers
jp
(typing in the dark, on a backlit keyboard)

:-)

BTW, it's the seller....

BTW, it's the seller....Thanks, you had me wondering what that answer was. :D

You're quite right about the search thing, it's often ... less than stellar in its performance. I've found that I sometimes can't find things even with a personal recollection of the original discussions. :rolleyes: (For anyone who might be wondering, searching for "backlight" -- no space -- isn't any more ... illuminating. :wink3:)

That's one of the reasons that I try to be patient with new arrivals asking the "same old" questions: even if they have searched pretty thoroughly, they may well have not found a thing on the matter.

The other main reasons are that the questions aren't "same old" to them, or they wouldn't be looking for the answers in the first place; and that it's just not nice (and rather short-sighted) to give folks the impression that their questions aren't welcome unless they've read the whole forum history.

You'll be glad to know that it looks like a general community interest is beginning to gel toward putting some sort of FAQ area together. The issue there, of course, will be to point it out to folks in a way that comes across as interested in providing the answers without coming across as being dismissive. That'll be the next challenge, I'm sure. :grin:

As for the backlight thing, while I rarely miss it (my wife is, thankfully, unbothered by light when she's sleeping), I do occasionally wish for some sort of self-illumination on my Reader. I have a clip on light that I like quite well (CCFC lights work beautifully with e-ink, and rechargeable batteries mean I don't care that it's a hog in that department), but I would love to see an on-demand front-lighting type of approach, either built in, or as an add on (http://www.mobileread.com/forums/showthread.php?t=22301&highlight=light). I know that add ons are unattractive to some, and just flat won't work in some circumstances, but a well-done one would cover most needs. In any case, just because I don't personally need it, I have no trouble imagining that others might have just such a need.

In any case, I agree that if we all stopped talking about some sort of self-illumination for these things, it would probably convince those designing them that there was no interest in the feature, and they'd just ignore it. Guess that's yet another reason to be patient with the "dead horse" issues (that's what that smilie is beating, BTW :wink:).

The problem is the term backlight is used in too many threads.

I've often thought that an aftermarket cover with an LED light built in might do well.

I've often thought that an aftermarket cover with an LED light built in might do well.
I like the idea of the bug light since it has two lights on flexable necks. That way they light can be positioned so they don't give a bright spot and give light all over.

I've often thought that an aftermarket cover with an LED light built in might do well.

It's certainly a neat idea. The problem is probably that you'd either have to make the cover for one specific device or differently sized covers for a range of devices (meaning per-item sales numbers that are probably too low to make this economically feasible), or a cover that can adjust to the different sizes of the most common devices out there (which is harder to do, might give worse usability than when you can fit the cover to one specific device, and again makes economic feasibility questionable).

Places like M-Edge are already making separate cases for the devices. You could probably use the same basic hardware to add a light to each design, though.

Places like M-Edge are already making separate cases for the devices. You could probably use the same basic hardware to add a light to each design, though.

Actually most if not all of the book lights intended to attach to a book and being used for eBooks already attached to the case.

Dale

Yes. I'm aware. I have one. It's just a bit cumbersome despite being one of the smallest you can find. I'm thinking of something smaller and integrated into the case, not clip on. Most of the space and weight in a booklight is taken up with the housing and the clip, not the bulb or the electrics. You could integrate the lighting into the case without much added weight and you wouldn't have a second item to carry around with you.

Yes. I'm aware. I have one. It's just a bit cumbersome despite being one of the smallest you can find. I'm thinking of something smaller and integrated into the case, not clip on. Most of the space and weight in a booklight is taken up with the housing and the clip, not the bulb or the electrics. You could integrate the lighting into the case without much added weight and you wouldn't have a second item to carry around with you.

It might be a bit cumbersome if it was permanently attached to the case. It needs to be on a goose neck of some kind so it would need to be removable I believe.

The best solution would be some sort of side lighting built into the device I think.

Dale

I am also a trucker. Worked for KBR in Iraq for 2 years plus. It would have been great to have an ereader over there. I just got an ETI 1 & 2, both have backlights. Those seem to be harder on the eyes. I can read for hours on the Sony PRS-500 or the Kindle and my eyes don't get tired.

I am also a trucker. Worked for KBR in Iraq for 2 years plus. It would have been great to have an ereader over there. I just got an ETI 1 & 2, both have backlights. Those seem to be harder on the eyes. I can read for hours on the Sony PRS-500 or the Kindle and my eyes don't get
tired.

I have a ETI2 and there are settings for the backlight and more importantly the contrast that can ease the problem a lot. Often the contrast is overlooked but it can even the background and provide better contrast allowing lower backlight settings and thus longer battery life and less fatigue. Increasing the font size is another way to extend the reading if you get tired. This trick won't turn it into e-Ink but may help when you want to use it.

Dale

["I have a ETI2 and there are settings for the backlight and more importantly the contrast that can ease the problem a lot. Often the contrast is overlooked but it can even the background and provide better contrast allowing lower backlight settings and thus longer battery life and less fatigue. Increasing the font size is another way to extend the reading if you get tired. This trick won't turn it into e-Ink but may help when you want to use it"]




The ETI-1 has separate knobs to adjust the brightness and contrast. That is much easier then using the software controls on the ETI-2. I am just not very adept at using them yet.

I've got the "bug light" and I'm not sure anything but an extremely sophisticated and expensive light built into the case could compete.

The reason being erm, I'll draw a (bad) picture -

http://halk.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/cybook_lit.jpg

The light from it is very even - except where the orange bits are, you have to position the light so that it goes all over the Cybook, but the orange bit isn't over, or it'll reflect.

I suggest the Nokia N800 or N810. See, for example, Eink Display's (Sony PRS505) vs. Nokia N800's LCD Display (http://www.mobileread.com/forums/showthread.php?t=22304). However, these don't read any DRM-laden e-books. This isn't much of a problem now for LIT, or MOBI, or eReader (if you don't mind stripping the DRM), but Secure Adobe e-books are not readable on the Nokia's or on any E-Ink based reader.

When you meant stripping the DRM off eReader, did you mean Sony's ereader format or fictionwise´s (former peaunt press, palm and the other one) ereader.com format?

Thanks!

When you meant stripping the DRM off eReader, did you mean Sony's ereader format or fictionwise´s (former peaunt press, palm and the other one) ereader.com format?

Thanks!

Sony does not have, and never has had, an "eReader format". The Sony Reader's native format is "BBeB". "eReader" as a book format only ever refers to the format now owned by Fictionwise.

When you meant stripping the DRM off eReader, did you mean Sony's ereader format or fictionwise´s (former peaunt press, palm and the other one) ereader.com format? See eReader Decoder Tool (http://www.mobileread.com/forums/showthread.php?t=20407). Note that eReader has an OSX port, and runs under Wine if you have Linux and an x86 processor. So it may have the widest device coverage of any DRM-laden format. However, it is not supported natively on any E-Ink device.

Sony does not have, and never has had, an "eReader format". The Sony Reader's native format is "BBeB". "eReader" as a book format only ever refers to the format now owned by Fictionwise.

A little "pet peve" of yours?

Granted I wish I had known this before I bought a book from eReader.com, and when I downloaded I coudn't figure out how to choose the format. Oh well, the author sent me a Sony version so it wasn't a loss.

BOb

A little "pet peve" of yours?


Nope - JSWolf's the one with a bee in his bonnet about it, not me :). I only mention it when there's potential for confusion. Doesn't bother me in the least if you want to call your Sony Reader an "eReader", as long as you're aware that it's NOT the same as the "eReader" format.

A little "pet peve" of yours?

Granted I wish I had known this before I bought a book from eReader.com, and when I downloaded I coudn't figure out how to choose the format. Oh well, the author sent me a Sony version so it wasn't a loss.

BOb

It used to bug me. I used to use files in that format back when it was PalmReader. Lots of people assumed PDB was a format. Once I got past that I got tired of telling people "PalmReader, formerly Peanut Press, not the same as PalmDoc." I thought the eReader name would nicely eliminate the confusion, so naturally along comes the Sony... :p

It wasn't the reason I switched to iSilo files, but that was a nice bonus when I switched.

Jack

Lots of people assumed PDB was a format.

To be correct about it, PDB is a format, but it's a "container", like a ZIP file is. Just like a ZIP file it can contain absolutely anything.

To be correct about it, PDB is a format, but it's a "container", like a ZIP file is. Just like a ZIP file it can contain absolutely anything.

More accurately it is the file representation of the internal database format used in Palm memory. The Palm, initially, did not have a file system and still doesn't internally in its RAM. All databases are referenced directly. When backed-up on a PC it is stored in a file and, to aid in the loading, the file is given an extension. There is no processing as there would be in a zip file to access the data. You are seeing a straight dump of a portion of Palm memory.

Dale

Now onto the topic of backlighting... backlighting eats the battery more and give less reading time. I prefer to have an external light source so my reader keeps a longer charge.

I agree. If my booklight I use for my Reader runs out of juice while I'm reading in bed, I can just grab the flashlight off of my bedside table. I don't have to plug in the whole device and wait for it to charge.