GE makes incandescent-shaped CFL bulb

[bascule]

This was really cool:

 

 

It's a CFL bulb shaped exactly like an incandescent. It should remedy concerns about CFLs being too large to fit in particular fixtures.

 

Plus, the whole ship-in-a-bottle aspect to it is pretty neat.

[iNow]

Nice.

[ParanoiA]

hmmm, it's cool but I'm not sure why it's necessary. If you can build the CFL inside the bulb of a traditional incandescent, then why not just build the CFL to that spec and just leave the bulb out of it? Seems like a waste.

[Sisyphus]

I don't get it. CFLs inside of incandescent-bulb shaped cases have been around for years. I've got a bunch of them myself, which IIRC I originally got at IKEA about 4 years ago, although I'm sure you can get them elsewhere. Surely they're showing off that particular one for different reasons. Like, what's the deal with the "electronics package?"

[iNow]

I got some at IKEA, too. The thing is, IKEA doesn't distribute to a home center or grocery store near you (the "rhetorical" you which goes with the "rhetorical" they).

[YT2095]

hmmm, it's cool but I'm not sure why it's necessary. If you can build the CFL inside the bulb of a traditional incandescent, then why not just build the CFL to that spec and just leave the bulb out of it? Seems like a waste.

 

some lamp shades have a wire clip that clips directly to the lightbulb.

[ParanoiA]

some lamp shades have a wire clip that clips directly to the lightbulb.

 

Ah, very true.

[bascule]

I don't get it. CFLs inside of incandescent-bulb shaped cases have been around for years.

 

But do they have a form factor identical to a traditional incandescent? These bulbs appear to be substantially smaller than traditional CFLs, especially around the base.

 

People on YouTube are also saying they're dimmable and cheaper than traditional CFLs. Of course people on YouTube are idiots.

[Sisyphus]

I guess it's not exactly the same. They are the same size as incandescent bulbs, though. They look like this:

 

[bascule]

That's generally the same shape as an incandescent, however it appears to be substantially wider near the base, and also possibly a bit longer than a normal incandescent.

 

That bulb will not fit in all the same fixtures as an incandescent.

[Sisyphus]

Yeah, you're right. It's not longer or wider at the head, but the neck would cause problems in some fixtures. Plus it's not all one piece, so the GE one is flashier.