# Kindle Owners - cover with a light? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [October 7, 2011, 1:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kindle-owners-cover-with-a-light/598891 "2011-10-07T13:51:13Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Anaamika](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Anaamika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anaamika)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2011, 1:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kindle-owners-cover-with-a-light/598891/41 "2011-10-13T13:38:53Z")
I have to confess that I got my Kindle lighted cover for the price of the regular one. I bought my Kindle when they were having the problems with the defective case, and Amazon sent me a brand new lighted case to make up for it. ---
**Author:** ![Rachellelogram](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rachellelogram/32/8689_2.png) [@Rachellelogram](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rachellelogram)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2011, 5:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kindle-owners-cover-with-a-light/598891/42 "2011-10-13T17:59:55Z")
Oh, hrmph. I think I’ve decided I want the $99 ad-supported touchscreen Kindle. But I just realized that model isn’t going to be available for over a month. It’s still in pre-orders. Now I have to decide whether I want to wait that long. I think the ones with the visible keyboard are a bit more unsightly (and I don’t wanna worry about hitting it accidentally), but I don’t like the idea of spending $79 on a last-gen kindle when I can get a touchscreen for just 20 more bux. waaah! First world problems 😛 ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2011, 6:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kindle-owners-cover-with-a-light/598891/43 "2011-10-13T18:08:40Z")
I asked this before in a different thread but never got an answer: What’s the advantage of having a touchscreen? ---
**Author:** ![Hampshire](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hampshire/32/4887_2.png) [@Hampshire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hampshire)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2011, 6:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kindle-owners-cover-with-a-light/598891/44 "2011-10-13T18:55:28Z")
Or you could just get a Nook color and read it everywhere you want to without ever having to worry about being near a light source or buying an external one. ---
**Author:** ![Mauvaise](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mauvaise/32/11084_2.png) [@Mauvaise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mauvaise)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2011, 8:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kindle-owners-cover-with-a-light/598891/45 "2011-10-13T20:15:19Z")
> [@rachelellogram](#): > > I think the ones with the visible keyboard are a bit more unsightly (and I don’t wanna worry about hitting it accidentally), but I don’t like the idea of spending $79 on a last-gen kindle when I can get a touchscreen for just 20 more bux. For what it’s worth, I had the 1st gen Kindle and currently have a 3rd gen Kindle and I’ve never hit the keyboard by accident. Does the touch screen Kindle use the e-Ink technology? > [@Hampshire](#): > > Or you could just get a Nook color and read it everywhere you want to without ever having to worry about being near a light source or buying an external one. Reading with a backlight (Nook color, iPad, computer, etc.) is not as easy on the eyes as reading a paper book which is a concern for (some) people. The e-Ink technology (or whatever other e-readers without a backlight call theirs) has the exact same impact on the eyes as a paper book. In fact, I actually think the 3rd Gen Kindle has sharper text than a lot of paperbacks I’ve compared them to side-by-side. ---
**Author:** ![PunditLisa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/4af34b/32.png) [@PunditLisa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PunditLisa)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2011, 8:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kindle-owners-cover-with-a-light/598891/46 "2011-10-13T20:22:02Z")
> [@Mauvaise](#): > > Reading with a backlight (Nook color, iPad, computer, etc.) is not as easy on the eyes as reading a paper book which is a concern for (some) people. I agree. Tried to read books on my iPad2, but it really strained my eyes. The Kindle is much nicer on the eyes. ---
**Author:** ![Rachellelogram](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rachellelogram/32/8689_2.png) [@Rachellelogram](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rachellelogram)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2011, 12:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kindle-owners-cover-with-a-light/598891/47 "2011-10-14T00:53:27Z")
> [@Hampshire](#): > > Or you could just get a Nook color and read it everywhere you want to without ever having to worry about being near a light source or buying an external one. Well, I spend at least 10 hours a day on the computer pretty much every day. It would be nice to rest them from backlighting once in a while. ---
**Author:** ![Hampshire](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hampshire/32/4887_2.png) [@Hampshire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hampshire)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2011, 1:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kindle-owners-cover-with-a-light/598891/48 "2011-10-14T01:10:10Z")
Backlighting isn’t much different than natural lighting now that you can dim it down. PC monitors are typically set too bright anyways. A dimmed down Nook gives off no more light than ambient light reflected off a surface. ---
**Author:** ![OpalCat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/8edcca/32.png) [@OpalCat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OpalCat)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2011, 11:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kindle-owners-cover-with-a-light/598891/49 "2011-10-14T23:06:38Z")
Do they make the with-light covers in non-leather? I don’t buy leather for ethical reasons, but I like the idea of an included light… ---
**Author:** ![sinjin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ebca7d/32.png) [@sinjin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sinjin)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2011, 2:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kindle-owners-cover-with-a-light/598891/50 "2011-10-15T02:13:40Z")
How do Ipads and Nooks do in outside ambient sunlight? I read all the time in bright sunlight on my kindle and it’s fine, my computer and smart phone, not so much. ---
**Author:** ![Mama\_Zappa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/71e660/32.png) [@Mama\_Zappa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mama_Zappa)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2011, 3:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kindle-owners-cover-with-a-light/598891/51 "2011-10-15T03:02:41Z")
> [@sinjin](#): > > How do Ipads and Nooks do in outside ambient sunlight? I read all the time in bright sunlight on my kindle and it’s fine, my computer and smart phone, not so much. Probably not all that well, I suspect it’s similar to how the phone looks (and I can barely see my phone’s screen in sunlight). My Palm Pilot was similarly bad in the sun. I haven’t tried my Nook Color in bright sunlight but i doubt it would be good at all. I definitely have to turn up the brightness when I go to a better-lit place. This is one of two areas where the e-ink devices (both Kindle and regular Nooks) have the Nook Color (and presumably the Kindle Fire) beat; the other area being the battery life. I do have to charge my Nook every couple of days depending on how heavily I use it and whether I remember to turn the wi-fi off. ---
**Author:** ![PunditLisa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/4af34b/32.png) [@PunditLisa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PunditLisa)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2011, 6:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kindle-owners-cover-with-a-light/598891/52 "2011-10-15T06:30:38Z")
iPad2 is not good in direct sunlight. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kindle-owners-cover-with-a-light/598891.md?page=2)