Accessories eBook Lite

[mldavis2]

I have done some searching on the 'net and reading other posts in other eBook threads to find a suitable reading light for my Kindle 3. The Amazon light is part of the expensive $59 protective cover, so I was looking for something a bit lighter than using the cover plus the Kindle to hold in bed at night or in a dark tent when camping. While the Amazon light has received generally good reviews, there are alternatives.

The Kandle has been mentioned here, but I was too late to jump on the 2 for 1 offer and lost out on the discount. I liked the size and weight of the Kandle, but I didn't like the use of CR2032 batteries and the tiny screws needed to replace them.

Another possibility is the Belkin 'wand' light. This one turned me off (no pun intended) because of it's potentially awkward light wand and the attendant issues with packing it safely when traveling or hiking.

I was in a Target store today and found both the Belkin and a Kandle clone from Capstone called the eBook Lite. In comparing the two, the Belkin was much smaller than I expected and so wasn't perhaps as awkward as I might have thought. The eBook Lite was $19.95 and the Belkin was $24.95. Both of these use AAA batteries which are cheaper and more readily accessible than the CR2032s. In addition, rechargable AAA batteries are available, and I already own a charger that will work with them.

So I purchased the eBook Lite. It uses (2) AAA batteries, and the battery compartment is accessible by thumb pressure -- no screws, so you don't need to carry an extra small screwdriver around. The clamp is a sliding plastic "U" bracket which is adjustable for different eBooks, so this light could be used on most any eBook reader. It has 3 LEDs and a 2-position switch. The light folds into a small rounded cylinder and comes with a small felt pouch, although the pouch is a very tight fit on mine and not something you'd bother with unless traveling. The light is plenty bright on low setting and, of course, falls off toward the bottom of the screen. Gripping surfaces of the "U" clamp are soft but seem to hold well. Only problem I had was figuring out how the clamp worked (simple if you RTFM) and keeping the batteries in the compartment when the spring wanted to keep popping them out when I was re-installing the cover. No big deal, really.

Here is a link to the Capstone web site, although there is negligible information there.
http://www.capstoneindustries.com/eb...80%A2lite.aspx

There is another better review with pictures here:
http://www.simplyparticular.com/2010...ption-for.html So far, so good.

[JSWolf]

Neither of those sites you've linked show how well the eBook light works or doesn't work.

[mldavis2]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

Neither of those sites you've linked show how well the eBook light works or doesn't work.

I'm not sure what you mean by "how well it works." It has 3 LCDs and two power levels. As with any light at the top of an eBook, you will have more light at the top near the LCDs than at the bottom. Light intensity is inversely proportional to the distance from the source.

Is the light adequate to read in bed, for example? Yes, for me it is adequate on the low setting. But your opinion may vary. As we age, our need for reading light intensity increases. That may be due to increased opacity of the lens, cataracts and other diseases or decreasing vision. What may be more than enough for one reader may be inadequate for another.

One advantage of the clip-on LCD lights is that there is little problem with glare. 'Wand' lights like the Belkin have more potential for glare, but they are also more adjustable. The eBook Lite has only a hinge which allows the light to be tilted up or down from it's clamped position at the top of the reader. I have no problem with glare with the eBook Lite any more than reading under a lamp or sunlit window. You may have to tilt the reader slightly in one direction in any situation regardless of the light source.

I'm not sure I answered your questions or not.....

[JSWolf]

The best way to tell how it works is too see photos of it in action. None of the photos from the blog show the light actually turned on.

[mldavis2]

Hey, guys, back off! I'm not selling this light, I just bought one and thought it might be a good, less expensive alternative to the $59 Amazon light or Kandle and wanted to pass along the information. I don't recall seeing any photos of any of the other lights, including the Amazon light, photographed in such a way that would give a viewer any idea of the lighted functionality.

I'm also an amateur photographer. I will attempt to photograph the light turned on, but I can promise you a photo won't give you much more information than words. You can't judge a light's intensity coverage and suitability for individual preference from a photo, but I'll try. It will be tomorrow sometime because I'll have to set it up.

[mldavis2]

I don't really know how much this will tell anyone about how this lite 'works,' but here is a photo, taken in a dark room, with the position switch on low, installed on a Kindle 3. You will note the unavoidable drop off from top to bottom. You can also judge, somewhat, how effectively bright the illumination is from the relative brightness seen on the keys at the bottom. There is no appreciable glare, although in certain positions, you can induce glare at your viewing position with any light source.

http://www.pbase.com/mldavis2/image/130092370/original

[OakIris]

That looks like a good book light, mldavis2. When I was looking for a book light for my Kindle 3, the eBook Lite was mentioned as a good contender. Your photo shows that it gives out plenty of light for reading, too.

At the time I was looking for a light, the eBook lite only came in white, as it still does, so I ended up getting the black Mighty Bright flex light instead. (And to be honest, I haven't even used it as yet as I haven't had a need to read in the dark ) the eBook Lite is definitely more portable than the Mighty Bright or other wand type book lights, as it is much more compact and well-protected when closed, and, as you stated, you don't need to worry about the wand when you stick it in your pack or bag or whatever you use to carry your Kindle "out in the wilds" outside of your home. Since I haven't even used the Mighty Bright, I think I should have waited for the black version of the eBook Lite to come out - bound to happen someday!

Holly

[Bookworm_Girl]

mldavis2, I bought the eBook-Lite at Target about 2 months ago. Thanks for letting people know about it. I really like it too! It distributes the light evenly on the screen, and it came with a nice velvet cover for storage. It fits very compactly in my purse. I like it much better than the other light I have which has a flexible arm/wand, which focuses the light in one spot and you have to move it around while you read. The eBook-Lite spring clip adjusts for different thicknesses so I can use it with my Sony ereaders or my Kindle. It is very similar to the Kandle. I read another thread on mobileread that someone contacted the manufacturer (Capstone) and that they are planning to sell a black one very soon.

[FF2]

That light certainly makes the keyboard more usable, too, if necessary. The Amazon lighted case is not effective in that regard. Thanks for the photo.

[FizzyWater]

FYI - the black one doesn't come with a case. I think only the white one does.