Wanting innovation is one thing, being upset with a device because it doesn't have specifications that are technically impossible to provide is another.
What I hear most people saying they want is this...
A device with a back lit screen...
that doesn't induce eye strain like LCDs are assumed to do...
that is touchscreen...
plays movies...
browses the internet...
and will last multiple weeks on a single charge.
This is when innovation gives way to idiocracy. If you are unhappy with the device you purchased it probably means you were not fully versed in its abilities and limitations, plus the abilities and limitations of peer devices, before purchasing. There's nothing inherently wrong with that, I've done it before also. But then to bash the device and the manufacturer for not providing your wish list that is not based on currently available technology is idiocy.
Yes, Sony attempted to make a side-lit eInk, it didn't work very well. Why make a side-lit eInk display when there are LCD displays readily available on the market for people who want devices they can read without ambient lighting?
As for the person who stated they can read DTB books without lights, I believe they meant without extra lights in their house. No one could read DTB books without any light what so ever, it's physics and it's impossible. However, you can complain that the contrast level of the Nook is lesser than that of DTB, making it more difficult to read in lower light settings. This is absolutely true. That's where innovation does come in, since the new Nook Touch has a better contrast due to its eInk Pearl screen than the original Nook. It's also why ready a Nook or a Kindle is 1000 times easier in lower light settings than most Sony models, better contrast on the eInk.
