Hmm, I actually think the screen is a little crisper than my Aura One or Oasis 2. I seldom use the light -- orange or blue. I like the quotes screensaver, but I miss being able to add my own. (Although I prefer Kobo's book cover screensaver). I like the buttons. If I could combine the Nook hardware with the Kobo software, it would probably be my one reader to rule them all!
I think the thought they put into it was "let's update our most popular previous ereader." I may be a tad biased there -- I loved the Simple Touch and never had Glowlight 1 or 2.