Y'know, I just realized all my paper books have this same backlighting "problem"!

Oh wait, they figured out that solution already--turn on a light or use a booklight.
Seriously, one of the advantages of the Reader is it DOESN'T have a backlight. It is easier on the eyes and feels like reading a regular book. Plus the battery life is huge (no constant recharging), so it behaves more like a p-book than another charge-and-drain display gadget. Why the heck would I want to go out and buy a
second device, and deal with file transfer issues and all, just to get the backlighting I was so happy to
avoid in the first place?

Worst case scenario, I use my tiny 3-led light (the size of a very small, flat chocolate bar) on the rare occasion when no general lighting is available, and it works beautifully.