Would you ever buy a non front-lit e-ink reader?

[joblack]

I do own a Kindle Paperwhite but it's jailbroken so I can disable the light completely. I enjoy the higher resolution but don't like the front-/side-/backlight.

I wouldn't buy an ebook reader where it isn't possible to disable the light completely.

[Pookeysgirl]

Originally Posted by Yolina

Absolutely, yes

Got my PW yesterday and not that impressed TBH, so giving it a few days but I might just send it back and stick with the K3.

What do you not like about it?

[Katsunami]

Originally Posted by WT Sharpe

That would explain the strange looks some elderly ladies gave me in our local Barnes & Noble when I asked the clerk about their Nook eBooks.

LOOOL!

It had to happen. I realized this the moment the Nook came onto the market.

I truly find it a stupid name. Same with Paperwhite. I type blind, fast, and using 10 fingers. If I'm not careful, I'll type pPaperweight. And I'm not the only one for sure. For non-native speakers it may actually sound like that.

[Yolina]

Originally Posted by Pookeysgirl

What do you not like about it?

It's nice overall and if didn't already have the K3 then I'm sure I would have been absolutely fine with the PW. I just find that most of the time the reading experience isn't really any different from the K3, although sometimes it's better and sometimes it's worse. Also as far as I am concerned it's not good enough to comfortably read in the dark or really low-light situation as it's fairly uneven, though it's not something I normally do.
Let's just say that it hasn't exactly blown me away, but I don't hate it either

[HarryT]

Originally Posted by Yolina

Also as far as I am concerned it's not good enough to comfortably read in the dark or really low-light situation as it's fairly uneven, though it's not something I normally do.

The lighting certainly isn't perfectly uniform, but it's WAY better than any booklight, which is really what it's replacing.

[Corkobo]

Originally Posted by Katsunami

"Nook" is not the best of names either, as it's very close to the slang word that starts the same, and ends on "ie"

Hmm, I don't see that as a disadvantage really...
It's worth a chuckle (admittedly my sense of humour is not very sophisticated).

[Yolina]

Originally Posted by HarryT

The lighting certainly isn't perfectly uniform, but it's WAY better than any booklight, which is really what it's replacing.

I've used a booklight twice in 28 months! What I found when trying things out yesterday is that the combination of a booklight and the PW front-lit screen is quite a good and to me obviously much better than either on its own.

[joblack]

Originally Posted by HarryT

The lighting certainly isn't perfectly uniform, but it's WAY better than any booklight, which is really what it's replacing.

No replacement for sun or a good room light.

[Katsunami]

Originally Posted by HarryT

The lighting certainly isn't perfectly uniform, but it's WAY better than any booklight, which is really what it's replacing.

Second that. I hate clip-on lights with a passion.

And I hate reading in complete darkness too, if I can avoid it. I like to have at least *some* ambient light, and then use the Kindle PW to boost the light level to a setting at which the Kindle looks just like a well lit page.

If I read in absolute darkness, there is no difference between using a (small) tablet at lower settings, or the Kindle PW; at least for me.

Originally Posted by joblack

No replacement for sun or a good room light.

Indeed, but the front light can add some light if you're just a bit short of it. And with my bad eyesight, I'm ALWAYS short of light to read by, if I'm not going to sit in very specific well lit spots.

Using the Kindle, I can read in a sandwich bar, while waiting an hour for my next train; and not only read in that bar, but I can even sit where I want. With the Touch, I would have needed to sit beside the window, or directly under or next to a lamp. With the PW, I can sit wherever I please (and don't need to bring no stinkin' clip-on light to do it either )

[estelle58]

Nope, I love my Glo and I don't want to go back

[Katsunami]

I just did a test between a good mass market paperback and the Kindle Paperwhite with its light off. I've set the PW to match the paperback's print as well as possible. I've used my own custom fat version of DejaVu Serif, set on size 2, line spacing 3. The font is now comparable in size and line spacing to the one in the book.

I observe, in normal /mediocre incadescent room lighting:
- The Kindle is darker than the paperback. The paperback can still be read, the Kindle can't.
- The font in the book is still thicker and blacker than my fat DejaVu Serif. Maybe I'll try and make an even fatter one.
- When lighting conditions improve, the non-lit Kindle catches up but never exceeds the book.

When using the light:
- In mediocre lighting of this room, the Kindle's light needs to be set to at least 8, to start matching the readability of this paperback, and to 12-13 (and font size 3) to match a high quality hardback.
- When lighting conditions deteriorate beyond a certain point, readability of the book fails completely, while the lit Kindle is as readable as ever.

Of course, the Kindle has indisputable advantages such as dictionaries, custom fonts and sizes, no spine breaking while reading (as long as you don't drop it), lighter, thinner, easier to read with one hand, carry 1 book or 50 books without extra volume.

I've had a Touch for over a year. I've been using bigger fonts and sitting in better lit places than was necessary with most books I have (though I do have some exceptionally dark-gray and badly printed paperbacks). While less readable, the Touch offered the other advantages mentioned, particularly font sizes and weight. Of course I've also gotten used to the Touch because of not reading real books.

When comparing, the Touch and non-lit Paperwhite look like a bad paperback, while a slightly lit PW at level 8 looks like a good paperback, and a well lit PW on level 12-13 looks like an exquisite high quality hardback. In darkish circumstances (in which you would use a reading light), the PW trumps any book or non-lit reader.

I could never return to a non-lit reader. If I had to choose now between books or a non-lit reader, the books would win out, or I'd rather use a 7 inch tablet on low settings in less than perfect light, and the non-lit reader in good light only.

The front-lit reader leaves everything in the dust: books, non-lit readers, and tablets.

[afv011]

Originally Posted by joblack

No replacement for sun or a good room light.

I guess you don't do much reading after the sun comes down, or when somebody else is trying to get some sleep.

[vxf]

I love my Kindle PW. I was skeptical - I was afraid it would resemble reading on an iPad too much - but now I am sold and no, never again.

[Parody]

I doubt it. I waited this long before getting a Paperwhite; if specialty book reading devices are still popular when it dies I expect I'd get another device with built-in lighting.

[HYPE]

I wasn't crazy about the idea when Barnes & Noble first released their Nook Glowlight, but ever since I bought my Kindle Paperwhite, I can honestly say that I wouldn't go back to a non-lit ereader. It's just so convenient to be able to read anywhere, in any lighting situation. Besides, it does make the whites whiter.