In a notable attempt to brighten up the somewhat unexciting black-and-white e-readers, Amazon and Barnes & Noble (B&N) have made a `lighting systems' addition to the new editions of their respective e-readers, Kindle Paperwhite and Nook Simple Touch.

The lighting system which Amazon has brought on to its new Kindle Paperwhite e-reader chiefly facilitates the users in reading from the device in the dark; thanks largely to four LEDs which are mounted on the bottom of the e-reader, so that light can shoot up towards the surface of the device's screen.

A similar, LED-lighting mechanism - dubbed GlowLight - has been introduced by B&N for its Nook Simple Touch e-reader. The glowing e-readers from both Amazon and B&N are similarly-priced too; with a price-tag of $120.

However, with e-readers fast losing momentum, it still remains to be seen whether the addition of the lighting systems in the new Amazon and B&N e-readers will be able to give any noteworthy push to the overall sales of e-readers.

Meanwhile, making a strong case for the more affordable e-readers in the rapidly-growing tablet market, Forrester analyst Sarah Rotman Epps said that e-readers are the best devices for dedicated readers; and also drew attention to the fact that the cheapest Kindle e-reader costs $70, while the entry-level Kindle Fire tablet is priced at $160!