The Emperor has no backlight...

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by Donnageddon

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-...QQcmdZViewItem

[john peer]

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)

:-)

[john peer]

BTW, it's the seller....

[NatCh]

Originally Posted by john peer

BTW, it's the seller....

Thanks, you had me wondering what that answer was.

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. (For anyone who might be wondering, searching for "backlight" -- no space -- isn't any more ... illuminating. )

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.

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. 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 ).

[JSWolf]

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

[Alisa]

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

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by Alisa

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.

[Gudy]

Originally Posted by Alisa

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).

[Alisa]

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.

[DaleDe]

Originally Posted by Alisa

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

[Alisa]

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.

[DaleDe]

Originally Posted by Alisa

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

[amgoforth]

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.

[DaleDe]

Originally Posted by amgoforth

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

[amgoforth]

["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.