A Little Night Reviewing With Light-Up Devices

We ’ ve all been there: The person on one side of the bed is prepared to rest while the person on the other side wishes to remain up and read a little longer. The night owl generally wins since the sleepy one is too weary to say.

I ’ m the evening owl in this circumstance. Since my spouse wakes up an hour and a half earlier than I do each morning, he constantly closes his book initially, leaving me reading with the light on and feeling guilty. Some individuals with iPads discover they could check out in the dark by the glow of their LCD screens. However if you ’ re like me and you use a more standard e-reader, like Amazon ’ s Kindle or Barnes & Noble ’ s Nook, you require yet another light source to finish your chapter.

Now, both Amazon and Barnes & Noble offer touchscreen e-readers with lit screens. Amazon ’ s $ 119 Kindle Paperwhite started shipping on Monday for $ 119, and Barnes & Noble ’ s Nook Simple Touch with GlowLight introduced in April for $ 139, but this week it dropped to $ 119.

The Nook Simple Touch with GlowLight.

Amazon ’ s Kindle Paperwhite.

Really good news: Both e-readers will certainly offer sleepy partners an opportunity to snooze. For the previous week, I ’ ve used them to check out guilt-free in the dark, finishing chapters of Ruth Reichl ’ s memoir, “ Tender at the Bone. ” These e-readers ’ lights can be found in helpful in other places, too, like while I stood hanging around on dimly lighted subway platforms or in specific spots in my house where the light isn ’ t ideal for reading. I still think checking out with a lamp is best on my eyes, but these are the next best thing.

Though each device ’ s light worked as advertised, I found myself reaching for the Kindle Paperwhite more typically due to the fact that it had a more even-looking light than the Nook with GlowLight. And the Kindle ’ s light originates from LEDs at the bottom of the screen, while the Nook ’ s LEDs are at the top where they were more noticeable, offered the angle at which I comfortably hold books to check out.

Neither of these lights looks exquisite: With both, I saw lines on the screen near where their LED lights shone onto the web page.

Amazon says its Kindle Paperwhite screen has 25 percent greater contrast than previous Kindles, and text looked crisp and easy to read. Its Wi-Fi variation costs $ 119, and it ’ s additionally offered with a 3G connection for $ 179. However for these rates, Amazon Special Offers appear on lock screens whenever the Paperwhite is in sleep mode. To purchase a device without these ads, you ’ ll need to pay $ 20 more. And the Paperwhite ’ s power adapter is sold independently for $ 10.

At $ 119, Barnes & Noble ’ s Nook with GlowLight costs the exact same as the Kindle Paperwhite however doesn ’ t have ads on its screen and ships with a power adapter. It ’ s only available in a Wi-Fi model, not 3G for individuals who wish an e-reader with an always-on Net connection.

The lights on these devices work in a different way. The Kindle Paperwhite ’ s light begins as soon as you wake the gadget from rest and begin utilizing it. The light technically never ever shuts off; it can only be refused to a reasonable level that resembles it ’ s off. The Paperwhite ’ s light-use instructions appear on screen and inform individuals to utilize a high setting in brightly lighted rooms and a reduced setting in dark spaces. This seems counterintuitive, however an Amazon spokeswoman clarified the company believes the most comfy reading experience is when the light of the display isn ’ t much brighter than the environments.

Sure enough, when I was having trouble sleeping and reached over for the Paperwhite, I check out books at light level six (out of 24) due to the fact that my eyes were adjusted to the dark.

When you wake the Nook with GlowLight from rest, its light doesn ’ t go on instantly. However a simple move turns the light on and off: Press and hold the little “ n ” button below the screen for 2 seconds. Like the Kindle Paperwhite, an adjustable scale turns the light up or down, though the reduced lighting levels of the Nook GlowLight didn ’ t appearance as really good as the Kindle Paperwhite.

In the hand, the Nook with GlowLight is wider than the Kindle Paperwhite, but the Paperwhite is a bit longer when measured from the top to bottom. The Nook with GlowLight has subtle physical buttons between the screen and the edge of the gadget, providing you means to flip pages without touching the screen. I like utilizing this option when my hands are covered in sunscreen at the beach.

As is expected, the battery life for both units is influenced by the lights, however is still extremely good. Amazon estimates the Kindle Paperwhite will certainly last eight weeks with its light on. Barnes & Noble says the Nook Simple Touch with GlowLight will certainly last for a month with its light on and 2 months with the light off. Both companies checked battery life for a half-hour of everyday reading with Wi-Fi off.

If you still can ’ t decide, some of Amazon ’ s added attributes might offer you. Particular titles from the bookselling giant include a function called X-ray, which shows extra details about the book. And the Kindle Paperwhite can obtain collection books via Wi-Fi, while the Nook utilizes a clumsy transferring method that calls for a USB cord.

E-mail katie.boehret@wsj.com.

A Little Night Reviewing With Light-Up Devices

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