I'd really, really like one of these new e-ink readers, but I do 99% of my reading in bed at night while falling asleep. I don't want to attach a book light. I want a real backlight. Like the ancient grayscale Palm I'm still using for reading. But it's my understanding that none of the e-ink readers have one. Is that right? Are there any plans for future models that do?

Thanks!!

Backlight is simply impossible with E-Ink as the display is opaque. Front- or side-light could be done, or a LightWedge-type attachment. However, there's no word on any of those so far.

When I read in bed, I use this Z-light that is sold at Borders. And, believe it or not, recently I've been trying it with the light attached to the case on the right hand side of the reader instead of at the top, like I think everyone else has been doing.

I think this is the one...
http://www.biggerandbrighter.com/book-lights-magnifiers/items/GP-03.html

and at http://www.mobileread.com/forums/showthread.php?t=8804

I'd really, really like one of these new e-ink readers, but I do 99% of my reading in bed at night while falling asleep. I don't want to attach a book light. I want a real backlight. Like the ancient grayscale Palm I'm still using for reading. But it's my understanding that none of the e-ink readers have one. Is that right? Are there any plans for future models that do?

Thanks!!

If a backlight is what you want, don't consider an e-ink solution. Backlights cause eye fatigue, making long hours of reading more stressful. E-ink based readers are intended to be used in a reflective light manner, as with traditional books.

One might argue the effectiveness of the current solution. Personally, I'd like to see E-Ink Corporation figure out how to make a whiter white in low light (ie, increase the contrast). It is nice, but it isn't yet like paper in ambient lighting situations (granted ambient lighting is not optimal for reading anything).

Now, an integrated front light might be interesting, but if I must trade off lighting against battery life and weight, I choose the latter.

It sounds like you are one of us who already reads for hours at a time with a backlight, and have not experienced the fatigue issues some of the others have had. If you want one of the eInk displays though, you are stuck for an integrated light -- unless you want to go the do-it-yourself route, in which case you should check out the accessories board in the Sony Reader section. Lots of neat Frankenstein-esque ideas there.

I am lucky in that I use a backlight and have no trouble even with long sessions... Just read my way through a four hour flight yesterday and read some more when I got to my hotel room. The battery life is an issue, but if I keep the backlight relatively low, it seems to solve both issues. My eBookwise is very usable with the backlight set at about 30%, and it runs for 19+ hours. Of course, it just does not look as nice as the eInk displays do in good lighting. The versatility was a good trade off for my sitch, though.

Good luck,
Jack

You can buy one of yvan's boxes for a "built in" light!

You can buy one of yvan's boxes for a "built in" light!
As I remember the projected price of one of his boxes (as nice as it is) is greater than the cost of the Reader itself.