Accessories Lighted cover - returning it

[WilliamG]

Originally Posted by HarryT

But does your Belkin light automatically tuen if when you fall asleep, like the Kindle light does? That's one of it's niftiest features; the light turns off when the Kindle goes into sleep mode.

I agree this is a very nifty feature, though, truly, to be expected with this kind of device.

That said, it could make me dinner four days a week and I still wouldn't use it. Its primary purpose is to be a light for reading by, and this it does ever so poorly.

[Sydney's Mom]

Originally Posted by Mrgauth

I will just read with my kindle in the house only for a few weeks til I decide on just which cover to get as there is no way that dude is leaving the house without clothes on.

I agree. The Belkin case is still in preorder. So the K3 is grounded.

[andavane]

I ordered the cover with integral light ~ in India we get a lot of sudden power-cuts of a few minutes' duration. If this happens while I'm reading, I'm just going to want a light, without worrying what sort of light it is. I know that during such moments I'll be really glad to have it without the need to hunt for an external light source.

[Alisa]

Originally Posted by lisreed

Someone on Amazon just posted a review of the non-lighted cover and said it weighed 5.5 ounces. I have heard the lighted cover weighs about 7.8 ounces.

My scale put it at 7.625 oz (216g) so that seems about right. It's just a baking scale, so that seems like it would be within the margin of error.

[flandroid]

Originally Posted by Mike 01Hawk

Is this the model you're talking about? It's listed @ $25, where'd ya get it for $10?

http://www.amazon.com/Belkin-Reading.../dp/B003HKRVAW

That's the one. I got it at Canada Computers here in, you guessed it, Canada. Says $14.99 on the site (which is still loads better than the US Amazon price, what gives?), but it rang up at $9.99, might have been a mistake at the shop.

It's a great light; once I figured out how best to position the head, I found it illuminates the page with a very gentle brightness gradient, top to bottom, and no hotspot. I find the 'low' brightness setting is perfect, but I like that there's a 'high' option.

Originally Posted by HarryT

But does your Belkin light automatically tuen if when you fall asleep, like the Kindle light does? That's one of it's niftiest features; the light turns off when the Kindle goes into sleep mode.

I believe you'll find they were equally considerate the other way around, and when your light goes into 'sleep mode' from having drained the Kindle battery, the Kindle will also turn off.

If the batteries on my book light go dead, I'm not sans Kindle until I recharge it -- I can just swap the light's batteries (I always have a ready supply of charged Eneloops) and I'm back on track.* One of the niftiest features of the Kindle, to me, is that I can chuck it in a bag, fully charged, and not worry about it dying, even if I'm away for a few weeks and don't pack the charger. A light that sips or slurps from the device's battery is less than ideal to me. Just personal preference.

* note that this is a hypothetical situation. I'm at roughly 24-25 hours of night use on 'low' and it's still going strong. Although now that I think of it, I may as well charge its batteries while I'm reading at the park this afternoon...

[HarryT]

Originally Posted by WilliamG

That said, it could make me dinner four days a week and I still wouldn't use it. Its primary purpose is to be a light for reading by, and this it does ever so poorly.

One thing I have noticed is that a very, very small change in the angle of the "stalk" of the light makes a significant difference to the illumination of the screen. I wonder if perhaps my light is at a slightly different angle, and hence provides a more even illumination than yours is doing?

[NormHart]

Got my lighted cover today and so far as I can tell with the K3 in it weighs about the same or slightly less than a the K2 with the old Amazon cover. It is just as comfortable to hold for long periods. (I read about 200 - 250 pages). In low light the uneven lighting was mildly annoying but not aggravating. I would not want to read with it for hours but for dining out (nothing better than good food, good wine, and a good book) it would be perfectly acceptable. For power outages it would be lovely since it is right there, no searching for that clip on or a flashlight.

Harry's point about slight differences in deployment angle strike me as reasonable, with time I can see that the plastic arm may change. I spent some time flexing the arm and it is clear that the default angle that mine has is sub-optimal and just a slight deflection evened out the lighting across the reading area.

I am very happy with it.



(And, as Harry pointed out, if you fall asleep it goes out by itself. That's something no other light is going to do.)

[JeremyR]

Originally Posted by andavane

I ordered the cover with integral light ~ in India we get a lot of sudden power-cuts of a few minutes' duration. If this happens while I'm reading, I'm just going to want a light, without worrying what sort of light it is. I know that during such moments I'll be really glad to have it without the need to hunt for an external light source.

Heh, I think we must have the same utility company here in St. Louis. I've given up trying to keep my Microwave and VCR clock set.

(Also keep lots of little LED flashlights around. Don't weight much and are cheap)

[Starstryder]

I got my device and cover yesterday and tweaked the light every so slightly, there is a slight angle where it covers the whole screen nicely. A bit darker on the opposing corner but not enough to stress me out. Love this cover, the weight it adds to the Kindle is just right for me. This being my first reading device I was taken aback by its lightness but the cover makes it feel more secure to me.

[ricsmania]

Originally Posted by JeremyR

Heh, I think we must have the same utility company here in St. Louis. I've given up trying to keep my Microwave and VCR clock set.

(Also keep lots of little LED flashlights around. Don't weight much and are cheap)

Do you really still use a VCR?

[Sonny Blount]

I purchased the lighted cover mainly because I can't resist a gimmick and half expected to be wasting my money.

I am so glad I got it. The light is perfect for me, I do most of my reading by bedside lamp and now I much prefer to leave the lamp off and use the kindles light. The cover light is much more reliably even across the page than my bedside lamp. I often fall asleep reading and awake a few hours later to turn my lamp off, it is fantastic to have the kindle light turn off after 10 minutes without a page turn.

Battery life is yet to be an issue for me, I've done 3 nights solid reading with wifi and light on without a charge. Personally, I would not purchase a kindle without it.

[TheKindleWorm]

It's so nice not to faff about with a separate clip on light - half the time I'd wonder where I put it, then wondering where to stick it when you're done with it and constant changing of aa batteries. And actually although my clip on light was adjustable, the light coverage was no where near as good as that of my lighted cover - always having this very annoying bright spot in the middle of the screen.

Hubby thought the cover was a real extravagance when I ordered it but, having seen it in action, he's pretty impressed. I'd buy one again in a heartbeat - brilliant invention.

[andavane]

Originally Posted by TheKindleWorm

It's so nice not to faff about with a separate clip on light - half the time I'd wonder where I put it, then wondering where to stick it when you're done with it and constant changing of aa batteries. And actually although my clip on light was adjustable, the light coverage was no where near as good as that of my lighted cover - always having this very annoying bright spot in the middle of the screen.

Hubby thought the cover was a real extravagance..but, having seen it in action, he's pretty impressed. I'd buy one again in a heartbeat - brilliant invention.

I love Kindle, and I love the cover too. As you say, not having to clip on the light is a great boon. The convenience and ease it gives one is a factor very hard if not impossible to price.
One thing I've noticed while reading is that after it while lose the "I-am-reading" notion and feel as if I'm in a movie, yet it's far more vivid than watching a film because all the scenes and shots are fired by our own imagination...

[stabile007]

I really really like the amazon cover. The light I am not so sure about. I wonder if I should have just gotten the regular leather cover instead of the fancy shmancy one. it does add considerable thickness but the added weight doesn't bother me.

I have yet to actually have to use the light but having one there seems almost worth it to me since like other points out, I do not need to worry about batteries, or where I put my clip on light. I doubt I will return it as the build quality is quite nice and having the light there if I ever need it seems to be worth it.

[Shiren]

I love the lighted cover. It does add bulk but not so much that it becomes uncomfortable. Also, when I feel like it, I just read without the cover. The light is a little uneven but it doesn't bother me at all.