Glowlights -- How Essentials are They?

[Noetic_Hatter]

I like both the Kindle Touch and the Nook ST. I have had them before, and I sold them a few montha back in anticipation of upgrading to a tablet or a glowlight device (Nook, Kindle, or Kobo).

But now that I am ready to buy (a little later than I originally expected), what I am wondering is:

How essential is the light, for those of you that have it? Definitely worthwhile? Is it the sort of thing you wonder how you ever lived without? Or just something neat that isn't worth the extra expense?

[booklover6]

Oh yes....having the Paperwhite makes me never want to be without. It makes the screen whiter when I am in a poorly lit room. I have never regretted getting it. I prefer it over my other ereaders. I still use them, but not as much.

[robko]

I had no desire or interest in a light when I bought my Kobo Glo. I bought it for the better screen and faster speed. What I have found since is that I use the light all the time and it's nice to have. Very little impact on battery life. I'd have to do some serious thinking to get one without a light now.

[Noetic_Hatter]

Thanks for your feedbacks. I decided to go with the Kobo Glo because I can support my local indie bookstore -- Tattered Cover in Denver. And while Kindle and Nook are fine companies from whom I have purchased lots of e-books and several e-readers over the years, it seems to me that it can't hurt to spread the love around a little.

[owly]

Try it out on the lowest glo setting, does make the page seem a bit whiter. Also. it is possible to hide the glo bar.

[ladyashk]

I haven;t personally seen a PaperWhite. But a friend who owns a Kindle Touch and a PaperWhite said she preferred the non-lighted Kindle Touch as the other one's permanent light hurts her eyes.
Since I have the same antipathy towards lights, I doubt that I'd be getting a PaperWhite till they can figure out how to turn off the light.
I just bought a Nook Simple Touch a few days ago.

I use the Sony PRS-T2 with a lighted cover - my suggestion is to go with the device on which you prefer the reading experience, and sort out lighting issues after the fact. That being said, a large part of me wishes that the Sony Reader line could be front-lit alongside its major competitors, for one important reason (which may impact yourself): reading in bed while your other half is trying to sleep. If you have an other half who happens to be sensitive to light, he or she may, like mine, find a separate LED light to be too disruptive to his or her attempts to sleep. The ability to adjust the lighting on a front-lit device would award me, and anybody else in this situation, the potential for several more hours of bed-based reading per night. In short, don't choose your device based on the front-light (or lack thereof)... Unless you share a bed!

[wizwor]

I can only say that I bought my kindle for travel. I like to read when dining alone. The kindle was really difficult to read in the lowered light of a restaurant. I bought a light, but it attaches to a cover which makes my kindle a lot bulkier than the one I fell in love with. My next reader will definitely have an integrated lighting system.

[ebusinesstutor]

My wife has a Kobo and has to turn on the light to read it. I have an android tablet and can read my screen in the dark (dim and negative coloured).

When she reads, her light being on sometimes keeps me awake, so her next e-reader will likely have a light - perhaps the Kobo Glo.

[haydnfan]

The light on the PW is useless to me. I use a reading lamp. And if I want to read in the dark, the kindle app on my ipad in night mode (black background, white text) is much easier on my eyes. What is good about the PW is the increased resolution (as compared to other kindles), selection of fonts, better UI, capacitive touch.

[HarryT]

The light on the PW is the best thing since sliced bread, in my view. Transforms the ease of reading in poorly-lit environments. Eg, I went to the cinema last week, and was able to read during the tedious adverts and trailers which proceeded the main film.

[Billi]

Originally Posted by HarryT

The light on the PW is the best thing since sliced bread, in my view.

I hope for mankind that you're not entirely right!

[Danger]

Kobo Glo... love the light, has a Kobo Wifi, and Touch. The light on the Glo is really great. No more having to find just the right angle to light up the screen even in rooms that seem well lit up.

[stewacide]

I use the light on my Kobo Glo in dim lighting situations all the time. But for reading in complete darkness - e.g. in bed - its too bright and hurts my eyes. Wish there was a white-on-black mode for that.

[flips01]

Originally Posted by stewacide

I use the light on my Kobo Glo in dim lighting situations all the time. But for reading in complete darkness - e.g. in bed - its too bright and hurts my eyes. Wish there was a white-on-black mode for that.

Would this be similar with Kindle PW or Onyx i62HD?
My main need is reading in complete darkness. External led lights disturbs my wife's sleep too much, and the iPad 1's screen also lights up the room too much, even at the lowest light intensity and reverse video/night mode.
The iPhone works, but I was hoping frontlit eInk would be better ...