Clara HD Mod to have backlight 100% off?

[jackie_w]

@zrn,

If you're still reading this thread ... if you wanted to avoid accidental swipes adjusting light level I'm surprised you didn't try the easier option of:
Home > Settings > Reading settings (page 2 of 2) - uncheck 'Swipe left edge to adjust brightness' box.

[zrn]

Thanks @jackie_w, always good to know. I did not search for this feature in the options, because I knew I wanted to totally disable it anyway (for the reasons discussed in the rest of the thread), but I take note for future reference!

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by zrn

> How is the front light any worse then the flashlight I used to use when I was supposed to be asleep?

This is primarily opinion-based so it could be an endless debate, but for me, both are bad.

Nothing replaces the smooth diffused light created by a bedside lamp with a lampshade when you want to read at night.

If the only light in the room comes from a 200 cm² LED-lighted device it creates a discontinuous lighting: the device is lighted and nothing else in the room.

I find it worse than the light created by a diffused light.

Endless debate anyway.

The light bulbs are also LED. The thing is, in the photo you posted, the light it set much too high. That is not good. I set my H2O to 4 or 5 most of the time and that works. Now if I am in bed reading and my wife is resting or sleeping, having a light on so I can read is going to bother her. Using my front light means I can read and she's not bothered.

If you are reading and the lights go out due to a power cut, you cannot continue reading. I can because I have my front light.

I agree that you like an outside light better then the front light. But that doesn't work in all cases. Disconnecting the front light (IMHO) is really a very bad idea. You are forcing others to not be able to use the front light when they obviously use it. All because you cannot be bothered to swipe down to turn off the light. I think that's very mean and selfish. The solution would be to get the others in your home a Kobo of their own and then you won't even have to put up with a front light.

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by zrn

@UncleRobin I generally stop debating when it comes to ad hominem argumentum or when it starts like: "stubbornly insisting", "remain ignorant".

End of the debate for me. Have a good day though.

PS: If you're interested about the topic, I recommend you to speak with a photographer or anyone who uses lighting professionally, and speak about the concept of diffused / smooth lighting.

TL;DR: a 0.02 m² LED-lighted device doesn't create a balanced smooth light in a room.

This is not about the Kobo casting light in the room. It's for casting the light so you can read.

Let's say you have the lights down so you can watch a fairly dark movie on TV. Someone else comes in an turns up the lights to read then that would spoil your movie.

Your in bed trying to sleep. Your partner wants to read, would you mind if the lights were turned on in the bedroom for reading?

Given your attitude, I would be thrilled to read where it would bother you.

[zrn]

> All because you cannot be bothered to swipe down to turn off the light

No, really no, that's not the reason. Can we stop here this endless debate? I already explained before.

We all have the right to hack/modify our own devices, why being so consevative? Ereaders didn't have frontlight during years, and it was fine like this, I prefer devices like that, so why do I need to justify my choice during 2 pages.

> The light bulbs are also LED

This is wrong. Many people still use a previous halogen stock or incandescent at home.

Depending on the quality and cost of the LED bulbs, the quality of the light can vary very much, from a poorly balanced spectrum to a more pleasant light. The "temperature" (in K) is not the only factor, you can have bulbs with a sunlight temperature but still producing an awful light because the spectrum is poorly balanced.

I have a few examples like this at home, that I would never use for everyday use because the light is so unpleasant (even if the temperature spec is ok).

Well, we're going out of topic.

Have a good day.

[DNSB]

Originally Posted by zrn

> The light bulbs are also LED

This is wrong. Many people still use a previous halogen stock or incandescent at home.

From the last numbers in this area that I could find, about 55% of lighting is LED, about 30% is fluorescent/CFL and the remaining 15% is incandescent/HPS/etc.

Looking at my home, the only incandescent lights I still have are in the oven and the refrigerator. One lonely CFL in the stairway to the second floor since it requires a 15 foot ladder to reach so it's staying there until it dies.

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by DNSB

From the last numbers in this area that I could find, about 55% of lighting is LED, about 30% is fluorescent/CFL and the remaining 15% is incandescent/HPS/etc.

Looking at my home, the only incandescent lights I still have are in the oven and the refrigerator. One lonely CFL in the stairway to the second floor since it requires a 15 foot ladder to reach so it's staying there until it dies.

Most of our lights are smart lights. Ignoring the appliances, the rest are regular LED bulbs.

I don't know if you can but non-LED bulbs these days for non-appliance light fittings. But the thing is, I see no real difference between reading using LED from the Reader or from the lamp.