I've noticed that like myself customers have been concerned primarily with two things regarding the new lighted case from amazon. These are: 1)The weight and 2) The uneven lighting. My review will briefly discuss these two things.
1)The Weight - The lighted leather case is a nice weight, sturdy and comfortable to hold. In ounces it is about the weight of the kindle itself however don't let that concern you. With the case on it feels like a medium sized paperback, however it is far much more comfortable to hold. It's easy to hold the case open like a book (nice for couch and table type reading) or to fold the front back and close it with the bungee so that the bungee doesn't hang around (this is good for bedtime reading).Closing the front back with bungee keeps the case folded in position and you don't have to worry about it bothering you. BTW THIS CASE FOLDS BACK 100% - Very comfortable. In sum very comfortable to read with the case and very sturdy.
2) The uneven lighting - Amazon's pictures don't do this case justice. The light hits the ENTIRE screen. Yes if you look closely it's brighter in the top right corner than in the bottom left but Amazon's pics make it look the top is lighted while the bottom is dark. There is good light all over the screen. Trust me I'm fussy about these things - the lighting will not bother you, your entire screen will be lighted and it is extremely pleasant to read in the dark.
*Final Thoughts - Great case, good quality, works well, kindle feels very secure and protected (I would feel comfortable slipping this case into my backpack or suitcase and I think it would sustain some mild impact). Lastly hinges are a non-issue, casing of the kindle will not get damaged with normal or even slightly aggressive use. You could damage the kindle by trying to pull the back of the case but you'd have to really force it to cause any sort of damage to your kindle. The hinges work fine and should not be a concern to any case user.
Update 25th July 2011:
Have now been using the case for over 9 months. Leather still looks impeccable. Some people expressed concern that the bungee cord might loosen with use. I have not experienced any loosening so far. Quality of the product has proven outstanding. I've occasionally spilled or messed the cover, just a wipe with a damp cloth has cleaned it up, and the case looks like new. Have to admit I enjoy the feel of the case in my hand, there's just something great about taking your kindle to a coffee shop in this case, it just looks and feels so classy. Also with regard to the hinges: I have had no scratches on my kindle or any other issues, so I remain convinced that the hinges are a non issue. Kindle Lighted Leather Cover, Chocolate Brown (Fits Kindle Keyboard)
I was hesitant to buy this cover mostly due to the pictures in its listing, which seem to show a light that doesn't even extend to the opposite corner. The fact that I have not been impressed with the Amazon's Kindle covers in the past didn't help. I went ahead and purchased it because the cover I wanted isn't available yet and I don't like to take my Kindle out and about without a cover. Now I am glad that I went ahead and bought it.
PROS:
1. The light is much better than I thought it would be. Using it in a darkened room I found that the light did the job very well. In a pitch black room, it performs even better. While the screen corner opposite the light is a bit dimmer than other areas, there is no problem reading the page at all.
2. The light gets its power from the Kindle itself, through the gold-plated hinges which attach it to the cover, so batteries are a thing of the past. When your Kindle goes to sleep, the light will go out as well. It will also turn off when you slide it back into the case.
3. The cover is slim, well-fitted and very easy to attach and detach using the hinges. The inside has good padding. The leather outer surface has a nice pebbled texture with the exception of a smooth area along the edge of the front. While stiff enough to protect the reader, the cover is slight flexible and the front easily folds behind when reading so you can hold your Kindle with one hand if you like.
4. A great plus is that the cover has an elastic cord that fits into a groove on the front of it. This holds your cover closed (unlike the original Kindle 2 cover that would flop open in your purse & let things slide into it) and easily distinguishes the front from the back--important as many owners of the Kindle 2 cover accidentally opened it from the back, which could cause cracking along the Kindle's spine.
CONS:
I haven't found any, really. The light Is a bit hard (stiff) to pull out of the cover, but then you wouldn't want it to be flopping out when you don't want to use it so that is more of a Pro than a Con.
The one concern I do have is about pulling the light in and out--I wonder if whatever wiring or conductor that is used to get the power from the hinges to the light will eventually break. But that is something to find out down the road. Right now, the more I use this cover, the more I like it.
For a folio type case, this looks and feels great and works very well. It does add significantly to the weight but that seems a predictable consequence of using leather, making it stiff enough to offer real protection, and building in a light.
Attaching Kindle is very simple using the directions on the product page. Make sure you heed the warning to work at it until ALL the gold is covered, which tells you Kindle is securely attached. Removing is quite simple: Slide down the top hook and rotate Kindle right off. I'm using a fingertip to do it rather than a fingernail. It's quick and easy enough to attach and detach Kindle that I won't have any difficulty switching to "naked" reading at will.
The cord seems to me strong enough for its purpose, but only time will tell. When the cover is closed, the cord is buried in a "channel" in the front cover so should not normally be subjected to much stress and strain. I did remove the little "flag" attached to the cord. Even without using fingernails, it's easy to open the cord up. Others have posted about the cord being in the way during reading, especially when holding Kindle and case in "open book" form. I put the cord between Kindle and the back cover, solving the issue to my own satisfaction. YMMV.
I don't think I'll use the "book style" reading position much. I'll "break the spine" as I did with my K2's case and read with the front cover folded flat against the back. It feels good like that, but when I have good light and will be reading a while I expect I'll do as I did with my K2: Remove Kindle from the case and read "naked." Still, even brand new, the leather folds flat easily and it's comfortable to hold and read.
The light seems to me to be well placed. I don't get any glare in any of my normal reading positions, so don't have a practical issue with its lack of adjustability. One very nice feature, particularly since it's powered by Kindle's battery, is that it turns off when Kindle turns off. So if you fall asleep reading, your light won't just keep running. I find it a bit stiff to pull out, but I expect it will ease in time. Also maybe stiff is good, as you don't want it just lolling out on its own while you've got it stowed away. Still, folks with difficulty applying much force with their fingers could find this an issue.
I bought this unseen, intending to return it if it didn't work well. It won't be going back. I may in fact buy another case for travel, as by design this folio style case is open on three sides. In some situations I would want more dust and bang protection, but I still give five stars because this is an unavoidable consequence of this style of design. - Light - Kindle 3 Covers - Latest Generation Covers - Kindle Accessory'
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