We have been purchasing and evaluating LED A-type (meaning "table lamp") bulbs as they become available.
Late last year, we acquired for our marketing collection a GeoBulb - the first true A-type to come to market. It has a poor light quality, the leds in the array are very visible and hurt your eyes if you look directly at them. The price was $119.95 plus $10.99 in s/h. It was touted, and still is, as a "60 Watt equivalent". In the "warm white" color temperature (the closest to an incandescent bulb) the GeoBulb puts out 260 lumens of light. Try to find a 60W incandescent bulb that produces less than 500 lumens. Most 60W incandescant A-bulbs are producing almost 700 lumens. So, the "60 Watt GeoBulb equivalent" produces approximately 1/3 the illumination.
Last week we added the new Philips AmbientLED A19 to our collection. Personally, I think it looks pretty good. Some of my colleagues disagree. The best color temperature available is 3100K. CRI of 85. The LEDs are not visible through the diffuser. Lots of aluminum heat sinking (looks almost identical to the NEC bulb in the attached article). We paid $50 + $8.70 s/h. Lumen output? 155 lumens or approximately the light output of a 15W refrigerator bulb.
Now NEC is entering the race. Once again, coming to market as a "60 Watt equivalent" with a bulb that generates 270 lumens (or 1/3 the illumination). Estimated price - $42.
By the way - none of the LED A-Type bulbs we have purchased can be dimmed.
http://techon.nikkeibp.co.jp/english/NEWS_EN/20090825/174535/
Vu1 is working to produce a true "equivalent" for existing 65W incandescent reflector bulbs that generate 600-650 lumens. Our target "illumination" is 600-650 lumens - delivered to the floor, the wall, the counter-top with a visually equivalent illumination to the bulbs we hope to replace. We plan to initially price the Vu1 ESL R-30 bulb similar to the current price of dimmable reflector CFL bulbs.
