I read the reviews on this little task light, positive and not-as-positive. It struck me that the reviewers that questioned the quality of the switch control and a few other points of the light, were either expecting too much for a lamp sold at this price level or apparently haven't purchased many modern appliances. Sure someone stated the lamp failed quickly after they first started using it, but looking over the number of positive reviews vs. that person's bad luck, I decided to order and find out for myself. I was looking for a very small lamp that could be placed on the end of my spare computer's desk, so I could see necessary details on the desk when there wasn't enough daylight to alleviate the shadows on the end of the desk, but more than enough light in the room to not want to turn on the overhead light in the room. Well, this little lamp has turned out to be perfect. It is the perfect size for my small, but serviceable computer desk. It has more than enough cord to reach the power strip that I run under the desk, but don't forget, it also can run on the voltage from a USB computer port if you don't want to use the little power brick (or can't!). The light provided by this lamp is also perfect for my needs, as you have two levels of brightness (intensity?) and three different colors (shades, K-spectrum) of light. This is all controlled by the aforementioned switch control; the one that another reviewer questioned it quality. Yes, the switch is all plastic (at least externally), but it has been working perfectly for me and is easy and intuitive to use. Plus, it is installed on the power cord near the lamp, making it convenient to control the lamp. I looped mine around the clamp that holds the lamp on the end of my desk, keeping it handy and right where I need it. The clamp is decent looking, color matched to the rest of the lamp (white in my case), and the "goose-neck" that is part of the lamp allows an almost infinite number of positions or placements, and the lamp stays where you place it. So, is this a high-quality, designer lamp, something someone would be proud to show-off? No. It's a well-made, extremely practical and useful appliance, within reasonable expectations. Do I expect it to last a long time? I have no idea. But it's simple and with any luck I think I can get a few years of useful life out of it, and it is solving a problem for me that I wanted to correct for along time. What more could you ask for considering the price these are going for? I highly recommend it for all kinds of uses that need spot lighting and as some reviewers noted, in a pinch it could also work as a reading light. Thanks for a great little lamp!