New Lighting for E-Readers: Nook GlowLight and Kindle Paperwhite

  • Traditional e-reader E Ink models were great for reading in sunlight, and for nostalgic readers who preferred the book-like look of the text, but were ineffective for reading in bed because they lacked their own light source.
  • But Barnes & Noble changed this with its Nook Simple Touch with GlowLight, which allows readers to read an E Ink tablet in dark settings.
  • Now Amazon has countered with the Kindle Paperwhite, a self-lit E Ink e-reader that reportedly has more even lighting than the Nook.
  • The Simple Touch with GlowLight’s largest drawback was that the lighting system created hotspots, where some text was unevenly lit. The Kindle Paperwhite has hotspots, but only at the bottom of the screen where its bulbs sit. The rest of the screen is lit evenly through a fiber optic cable.
  • Overall, the Kindle provides a more comfortable reading experience, but the Nook may provide better value.
  • The Nook comes with a wall charger, whereas Kindle owners must either pay $10 for a charger or just charge the device from a USB port. Also, the Kindle displays advertisements on its screen saver and on the bottom of the home screen, while the Nook never displays advertisements.

No Comments Yet

You can be the first to comment!

Leave a comment

You must be logged in to post a comment.