Kindle Review – Kindle Fire Review, Kindle 4 Review

The Periscope Kindle 2 Lighted Folio is a rather interesting Kindle 2 accessory (there’s a Periscope for Kindle 1 too). Periscope is a combination of -

1. A Kindle 2 Case (which may or may not be leather). 
2. A 2 SuperBright LED Reading Light that retracts into the case.  Which is a really cool feature.
3. A NotePad Holder and Pen Holder.

In-Depth Look at Periscope for Kindle 2

Here’s a gigantic image to give you an idea of what it is -

Kindle 2 Periscope Case + Light + PadHolder Hybrid

Here are the main details -

1. There are 4 elastic straps to secure the Kindle 2 via the corners.  
2. The cover is secured by a magnetic strap. You can also fold this cover behind Kindle 2 and fasten it (again with the magnetic strap) for 1 handed reading.  
3. The booklight has 2 Super Bright LEDs and lasts 40 hours on 3 AA batteries.   
4. There’s also a $15 Travel AC Adapter available.  
5. Have been unable to figure out whether this is real leather – although a reviewer said it’s more elegant than the pictures would indicate.

The Periscope for Kindle 1 is, as far as I can tell, identical. 2 out of the 4 reviewers talk about the Kindle not being held securely enough which is a huge red flag. 

After the initial ‘Wow! The Kindle 2 Periscope is a Great Idea’, the main question that came to mind was -

Is the $49.95 Periscope a better option than buying a stand alone case and a stand alone light?

Kindle 2 Case + Kindle 2 Light Combinations

The book-light we considered for every combination is the MightyBright FlexLight 2. Its a runaway bestseller and very well reviewed. It costs $19.35.

Mighty Bright Kindle 2 Light

There are 4 main covers we’ll look at (you can find them here) -

1. My pick is the MEdge Go! K2 Case – It uses both the K2 Hinge System and elastic straps on the right side to secure K2. Its genuine leather, available in 5 colors, and just $29.99. And 7 out of 8 reviewers gave it 5 stars (the 8th gave it 4 stars). Finally, its nice and slim.
   

   The #1 Choice - MEdge Go!

2. M-Edge Prodigy Hinge Jacket for Kindle 2 - Genuine Leather. Uses Kindle 2′s hinge system to secure the K2. Retails for $44.99. Also available in 5 colors.
   

   Kindle Hinge compatible MEdge Prodigy Case

     

3. Amazon’s Kindle 2 Leather Cover - This is a very straightforward cover. Its leather, looks alright, only in black, and retails for $29.99.
4. M-Edge’s Platform Jacket for Kindle 2  -  This is a synthetic leather jacket available in 5 colors. It can be set-up as a platform for no-hands reading. It uses 4 elastic straps to secure the Kindle 2.  It has a pen loop and pockets.

Comparing Kindle 2 Periscope with Kindle 2 Light and Case stand-alones

Main benefits of the Periscope over stand alone combinations -

1. An all-in-one device.  
2. Has a pad holder and a pen holder. Just 1 of the other covers have that.
3. Good Price – Its the same price as some combinations, and cheaper than other combinations.

Main disadvantages of the Periscope -

1. The Kindle is not held securely by Periscope’s Elastic Straps. This is actually a huge disadvantage as most of the other cases use lock-in hinges to pretty much guarantee Kindle 2 will never fall out. 
2. A lack of colours. Across the various cases you can find red, purple, black, green, brown and other shades. Periscope is only in black.  
3. The FlexLight2′s neck offers it more flexiblity and it has the option to use 1 or both of its SuperBright LEDs.
4. [Open] If it turns out Periscope is not genuine leather that would be another disadvantage.

The Conclusion

The MEdge Go! + MightyBright FlexLight 2 cost the same as the Periscope. However, they win out because -

1. The Go! secures the Kindle 2 much better than the Persicope.  
2. FlexLight 2 has a more flexible neck, the option to use just 1 LED, and can be used with books or as a standalone.  
3. Go! is available in 5 colours and looks sleek and thin. Basically, it plays really well to the Kindle 2′s thinness. 
4. The one person whose Kindle slipped out of his Periscope scared me.

My recommendation would be - Go with the combination of the MEdge Go! and the FlexLight 2. Until the Periscope adopts the Kindle 2 Hinge System its just not secure enough.

Filed under: extensions Tagged: | kindle 2 case, periscope kindle, periscope kindle 2