# using a Kindle Paperwhite with a PC



## H7Py49 (Mar 17, 2016)

Greetings!  Second post after my introduction, where I stated I'm thinking of purchasing a Kindle (7th gen Kindle Paperwhite Wi-Fi only $199.99 from Amazon). I am very comfortable with (PC) computers, but have limited knowledge of Wi-Fi connectivity. I know there are Wi-Fi hot spots in my area (coffee shops, casinos), but I've never used them.

If they are free, does that mean you won't have to enter a password?

Can I do everything connected to my PC with a USB? I have cable internet.


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## KimberlyinMN (Dec 30, 2009)

Most free WiFi hotspots don't require a password. I think a lot of hotels do, but not all. 

You can download your books to your PC and then manually transfer them to your Kindle.

However if you have cable internet, I think you should be able to connect to that with your Kindle. 

Also, you mean you are buying the Voyage, right?  That's the $199 model. The Paperwhite is $119.


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## H7Py49 (Mar 17, 2016)

KimberlyinMN said:


> Most free WiFi hotspots don't require a password. I think a lot of hotels do, but not all.
> 
> You can download your books to your PC and then manually transfer them to your Kindle.
> 
> ...


Thanks for the info!

I fat fingered the price - I meant the $119 Paperwhite.


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## ChuckT (Jan 6, 2011)

I have found the browser in my 2 Kindles (earlier white screen, and an early Kindle Fire) to be oddly "crippled". Oddly because I don't understand why this is.
In answer to the OP's query I have had both connected to my PCs and they show up after a brief software update as Kindles. Then I have been able to directly transfer documents, usually PDFs, to them and read them with the Kindle at a later date.
Getting the PDF formated properly as to font and font size has been only partially successful tho. Probably Amazon has their own specific font and the farther you are away from that the worse the result you'll get.

Also there is the email account each Kindle gets.
I have sent myself MS WORD files that way with some sucess.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-N900A using Tapatalk


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## barryem (Oct 19, 2010)

If you have the internet at home it's a simple matter to add Wifi, assuming you don't already have it.  Most home internet connections come with Wifi these days, but not all.  Check your modem and see if it's also a Wifi router.  There's a fair chance it is.

If it's not, you can add a router for around $25.  They're very simple to install.  If you can open a door successfully by turning the doorknob you can probably install the router. 

Another option to consider is getting the 3G version of the Paperwhite.  It's $70 more but you can use it wherever you happen to be.  I rarely use 3G on mine for downloading books, although I can, but when I'm reading away from the house and I want to use the translation feature to translate a foreign phrase in the text, or look up something the story mentions on Wikipedia, I can do that with 3G even when I'm not around Wifi.

As for PDF's, most of those have fixed format text where the length of the lines won't change to fit the size of the screen.  Books from Amazon flow the text to fit the screen and because PDF won't do that the only really good answer for reading them is a larger screen.  You can read them on a Paperwhite if you have to but it ain't fun.

I think it's good to keep in mind that the focus of the Paperwhite's design is on reading.  They also make sure you can get books on it and have room to store plenty of books but that's really an afterthought.  It's great for reading once the book is on the screen.  The benefit of this is that when you're not actually reading on the Paperwhite it's teaching you patience and perseverance. 

Barry


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## Ann in Arlington (Oct 27, 2008)

My opinion:

The wireless aspect of the Kindles are the feature that really sells it. When I was first looking at readers back in 2007/8, Kindle won clearly over the Sony -- the only other one available at all affordably -- because of the wireless downloading. I pretty much NEVER connect my device via USB for loading content. . . if I'm buying things from Amazon, I have them come via WiFi; if I'm loading my own stuff I use "Send to Kindle" which is a little program you can download from Amazon and configure. It let's me send a file from my PC wirelessly to my kindle via Amazon.

As barry says, if your router/modem doesn't already have WiFi, it might be very much worth it to see about getting one that does. As far as I know, the only time it wouldn't work is if you're in a fairly rural area and don't have high speed internet* -- but you mentioned that you have cable so that should work just fine.

And if you're comfortable with PCs, the WiFi will not be difficult to configure and set up. Once you have the proper router/modem, it will pretty much walk you through it. You will give your home network a name and a password so that other people can't leech off your connection. I think you'll really like the ability to to finish a book and be able to download a new one without getting up and going to the computer to do so. 


Oh, and Welcome to KBoards! 




*For those without High Speed Internet, WiFi would probably not function well and transferring content via USB is the way to go.


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## Gone 9/21/18 (Dec 11, 2008)

Ann in Arlington said:


> *For those without High Speed Internet, WiFi would probably not function well and transferring content via USB is the way to go.


Beg to disagree. For those of us without high speed internet, 3G is much better than transferring every book via USB. I do it to load my own books to check formatting and for library borrows, which are supposedly borrowed from my local library but come through Amazon and only download via wifi, but it's a bit of a process and probably why I don't get a lot of ebooks from the library. 3G works great, and I get better reception with the Kindle than with my cell phone (rural area). I will say my K1, KK, and Paperwhite were all more reliable with 3G than the Voyage, which fades from full bars to one or none now and then for no reason I can discern. I sent one Voyage back because it would do that and then not pick up again without rebooting and all sorts of aggravation. The one I have now has always returned to a strong connection in a matter of minutes.

I am not a Voyage lover. If I were buying again today, I'd get a Paperwhite.


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## barryem (Oct 19, 2010)

You're not really disagreeing.  Ann said that Wifi wouldn't work well without High Speed Internet.  You're using 3G, which isn't at all the same as Wifi.  They both use radio signals but Wifi has about a 60 to 100 feet range and 3G has a range of over a mile.  Wifi is a way to extend your home internet connection wirelessly.

Actually I don't think Wifi will work at all without High Speed Internet.  Also I wonder why we're capitalizing High Speed Intenet. 

The three ways to get a book onto a Kindle are via USB connected to a computer, Wifi and 3G.

Barry


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## Ann in Arlington (Oct 27, 2008)

ellenoc said:


> Beg to disagree. For those of us without high speed internet, 3G is much better than transferring every book via USB. I do it to load my own books to check formatting and for library borrows, which are supposedly borrowed from my local library but come through Amazon and only download via wifi, but it's a bit of a process and probably why I don't get a lot of ebooks from the library. 3G works great, and I get better reception with the Kindle than with my cell phone (rural area). I will say my K1, KK, and Paperwhite were all more reliable with 3G than the Voyage, which fades from full bars to one or none now and then for no reason I can discern. I sent one Voyage back because it would do that and then not pick up again without rebooting and all sorts of aggravation. The one I have now has always returned to a strong connection in a matter of minutes.
> 
> I am not a Voyage lover. If I were buying again today, I'd get a Paperwhite.


Good point . . . . of course if you get a version that has 3G that's going to be better than transferring via USB cable . . . the original kindles were all 3G . . . wifi didn't come in until 2010.

So, if you don't have good wifi at home, and can afford it, buying a kindle that has 3G will be the better option. But if you don't want to pay the extra for 3G, and you don't have good wifi, then transferring via USB will work.


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## H7Py49 (Mar 17, 2016)

Good discussion everyone - I'm learning. The light bulb went on above my head concerning _special offers_, which wasn't readily apparent when I was just about to buy half a dozen times. I know my tolerance for spam, so _without special offers_ it is.

eta: KPW wifi w/out sp off _ordered_!


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## Ann in Arlington (Oct 27, 2008)

FWIW . . . though this is probably too late  . . . the ads on the 'special offers' model are not intrusive at all. They're on the screen when you wake it up but you swipe and it goes away. On the home page there is a narrow banner at the bottom. Once you're reading you won't see anything. We often recommend that folks get the one WITH special offers since, if you decide they are not for you, it's pretty easy to 'buy out' of them after the fact. And if they don't bother you, you've saved a little money for books.


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## H7Py49 (Mar 17, 2016)

^ Saw a video showing power on with and w/out special offers and decided to not mess with it.


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## barryem (Oct 19, 2010)

Now it's my turn to disagree!  Special offers are evil!  If your Kindle has special offers you probably are a devil worshiper and you probably eat (shudder) okra.  There is nothing more harmful to a reader's peace of mind than special offers.

I had to order my first Paperwhite with special offers since at that time that was all that was available.  Then I had to wait till payday to remove them so for a few days every time I turned it on it screamed at me "I'm not yours.  Jeff is in control!" 

That said, we live in a free country and if you want to be evil it's certainly your right. 

Barry


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## Gone 9/21/18 (Dec 11, 2008)

Well, I do agree that special offers are a bad thing for some of us, although my reasons differ. I got my Paperwhite with them (yes, I had a PW and stupidly got a Voyage and donated the PW - I wanted buttons - I still want buttons, real buttons, like on the KK buttons). Back to subject: I didn't think the special offers would be a problem until one day one of the featured covers was something I found offensive, not erotica offensive, but horror offensive. Yes, I'm a wuss. I couldn't stand having that thing on my Kindle or having to catch a glimpse of it in spite of best efforts not to. Knowing it could, and undoubtedly would, happen again in the future, I paid to get rid of special offers and didn't even consider it when I got the Voyage.


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## H7Py49 (Mar 17, 2016)

I just found this:

Transfer from a Computer to Your Kindle


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## H7Py49 (Mar 17, 2016)

A couple days ago I was worried about finding a first book to read. Now my amazon wish list is getting longer.

While having 3G would be nice, I don't mind using sneakernet methods.


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## Ann in Arlington (Oct 27, 2008)

H7Py49 said:


> I just found this:
> 
> Transfer from a Computer to Your Kindle


Yep. That's how you do it. It's really not hard . . . . I just personally think it's much more convenient and easier to do it wirelessly. 

One note: I _think_ you will have to connect wirelessly at least once after you get it to make sure it's properly registered as your device to your account at Amazon.



H7Py49 said:


> A couple days ago I was worried about finding a first book to read. Now my amazon wish list is getting longer.


Don't worry . . . that's perfectly normal.


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## Betsy the Quilter (Oct 27, 2008)

barryem said:


> Now it's my turn to disagree! Special offers are evil! If your Kindle has special offers you probably are a devil worshiper and you probably eat (shudder) okra. There is nothing more harmful to a reader's peace of mind than special offers.
> 
> I had to order my first Paperwhite with special offers since at that time that was all that was available. Then I had to wait till payday to remove them so for a few days every time I turned it on it screamed at me "I'm not yours. Jeff is in control!"
> 
> ...


I cherish my evilness.



ChuckT said:


> I have found the browser in my 2 Kindles (earlier white screen, and an early Kindle Fire) to be oddly "crippled". Oddly because I don't understand why this is.


Your browser in your Kindle Fire shouldn't have been crippled...but the browser in eink versions have always been called "experimental" and have been limited. And, if you are using an eink Kindle with 3G, you are very limited in what you can access via 3G--Wikipedia and the Kindle store, if memory serves me. I haven't had a 3G Kindle since the K1, which technically wasn't 3G, I don't think, but the same idea.

Betsy


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## Betsy the Quilter (Oct 27, 2008)

Ann in Arlington said:


> One note: I _think_ you will have to connect wirelessly at least once after you get it to make sure it's properly registered as your device to your account at Amazon.


I think that's right. And, as I recall, my Kindle connected quite easily to the WiFi at McDonald's for those who need to access WiFi.

Betsy


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## H7Py49 (Mar 17, 2016)

Ann in Arlington said:


> One note: I _think_ you will have to connect wirelessly at least once after you get it to make sure it's properly registered as your device to your account at Amazon.





Betsy the Quilter said:


> I think that's right. And, as I recall, my Kindle connected quite easily to the WiFi at McDonald's for those who need to access WiFi.
> 
> Betsy


Good point. I'll drive a few blocks to a casino and take care of this.

I can't wait to try our library's ebook checkout procedure.


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## Betsy the Quilter (Oct 27, 2008)

H7Py49 said:


> Good point. I'll drive a few blocks to a casino and take care of this.
> 
> I can't wait to try our library's ebook checkout procedure.


Library checkouts work out pretty well and are pretty consistent across most libraries as I think they're all driven by Overdrive, and for Kindles, you then download the book from your Amazon library--at least that's what I recall from a couple of weeks ago when I last downloaded a book. So you can still use the PC and cable method.

The biggest problem with library checkouts is there is often a wait list for the more popular books. My library allows up to ten holds, but other systems have different limits. I put books on hold, then get an email when they are available. I drop what I'm reading and grab them. Check out for my system is three weeks, though you can return books earlier.

You'll want to see if there are library systems in adjacent counties/states that have reciprocity with your system, or which you can perhaps join for a modest fee. That really increases the availability of books. The various services also have ebook libraries that veterans can access, I think (Ann knows more about this). The Philadelphia Free Library used to have a system you could join for free if you were a senior, not sure what the rules are there now. Anyway, look around, or people will make suggestions here.

Betsy


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## Ann in Arlington (Oct 27, 2008)

H7Py49 said:


> Good point. I'll drive a few blocks to a casino and take care of this.
> 
> I can't wait to try our library's ebook checkout procedure.


I've been using the library much more since I got the kindle than I ever did when I read on paper -- only because it's so darn convenient! And Betsy's right about checking neighboring/cooperating systems. I'm in Arlington county, Virginia, but can register and borrow from Arlington, Fairfax, or Loudon counties, or Falls Church and Alexandria city libraries. I can also borrow, if I make the effort to physically go TO a library and get a 'card', from DC and Maryland public libraries. And, as a Navy veteran I have access to the Navy Library program on line -- they're especially good because they tend to get many of the bestsellers, have shorter hold times, and let you keep the book for 30 days. In fact, the only possible downside is that it seems like if you put a bunch on hold, they all come available at the same time!  But, if need be, you can get back in line if you don't get to them.


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## H7Py49 (Mar 17, 2016)

Cool - I retired from the U.S.N. in 2004!

Looking at a book I wanted (I put a hold, 1 person ahead of me) to get when my PW arrives early next week, I noticed my library also uses Overdrive.

I'll have to check out the Las Vegas system (I'm in Henderson next door).


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## Betsy the Quilter (Oct 27, 2008)

H7Py49 said:


> Cool - I retired from the U.S.N. in 2004!
> 
> Looking at a book I wanted (I put a hold, 1 person ahead of me) to get when my PW arrives early next week, I noticed my library also uses Overdrive.
> 
> I'll have to check out the Las Vegas system (I'm in Henderson next door).


Yeah, I think all the libraries use Overdrive. Or almost all. When you get the notice that the book is in, you _may_ be able to check it out to your account if the PW is already listed in your account.

Betsy


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## Ann in Arlington (Oct 27, 2008)

Betsy the Quilter said:


> Yeah, I think all the libraries use Overdrive. Or almost all. When you get the notice that the book is in, you _may_ be able to check it out to your account if the PW is already listed in your account.
> 
> Betsy


One thing you do have to be aware of is that occasionally a book will only be available for ePub and not in kindle format. . . .


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## H7Py49 (Mar 17, 2016)

Ann in Arlington said:


> One thing you do have to be aware of is that occasionally a book will only be available for ePub and not in kindle format. . . .


I noticed that, and I'm not sure how it will work but sometimes you can just figure it out.


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## Betsy the Quilter (Oct 27, 2008)

Ann in Arlington said:


> One thing you do have to be aware of is that occasionally a book will only be available for ePub and not in kindle format. . . .


I've not encountered that except when a publisher has been at war with Amazon. But then, I don't check out a lot of books, so maybe I just have missed them.

Betsy


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## Ann in Arlington (Oct 27, 2008)

Betsy the Quilter said:


> I've not encountered that except when a publisher has been at war with Amazon. But then, I don't check out a lot of books, so maybe I just have missed them.
> 
> Betsy


It doesn't happen very frequently, but I do have one or two on my wishlist -- so clearly _for sale_ at Amazon -- that are in Overdrive but only for ePub.


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## Betsy the Quilter (Oct 27, 2008)

ellenoc said:


> Back to subject: I didn't think the special offers would be a problem until one day one of the featured covers was something I found offensive, not erotica offensive, but horror offensive. Yes, I'm a wuss. I couldn't stand having that thing on my Kindle or having to catch a glimpse of it in spite of best efforts not to.


Ellenoc, don't know if this would have prevented the cover you found offensive from appearing, but for others who might want to try it before paying to remove Special Offers, on the PW and Voyage, one can go into Settings > Device Options > Personalize Your Kindle > Advanced Options > Special Offers and turn on "Special Offer Filtering." "You can hide offers containing images or situations that may not be suitable for all audiences."

Not sure how long this has been there--just found it today as I was poking around to see what was different on the latest software version. It's not available on either my Touch or Basic K which have both been updated.

Betsy


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## Betsy the Quilter (Oct 27, 2008)

Ann in Arlington said:


> It doesn't happen very frequently, but I do have one or two on my wishlist -- so clearly _for sale_ at Amazon -- that are in Overdrive but only for ePub.


Are they the same publisher? Seems to me I do recall one of the publishers pulling their books from the Amazon library program because they didn't like the wireless access. Or something. Harper?

Betsy


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## Ann in Arlington (Oct 27, 2008)

Betsy the Quilter said:


> Are they the same publisher? Seems to me I do recall one of the publishers pulling their books from the Amazon library program because they didn't like the wireless access. Or something. Harper?
> 
> Betsy


I didn't pay attention . . . I will next time . . . .


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## H7Py49 (Mar 17, 2016)

Is converting an epub to mobi using calibre too much of a pain?


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## Betsy the Quilter (Oct 27, 2008)

It's not difficult.  I've done it with public domain books and books without DRM (Digital Rights Management) on them, though the easiest way is to use the Send to Kindle app, which converts the non-DRM'd book and puts it in your Amazon library.

It's against the licensing for books with DRM, such as library books, to be converted as the DRM would have to be removed.  As such, those kinds of discussions are not allowed here, sorry.

Betsy


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## H7Py49 (Mar 17, 2016)

Ah ok - did not know that.


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## Gone 9/21/18 (Dec 11, 2008)

Betsy the Quilter said:


> Ellenoc, don't know if this would have prevented the cover you found offensive from appearing, but for others who might want to try it before paying to remove Special Offers, on the PW and Voyage, one can go into Settings > Device Options > Personalize Your Kindle > Advanced Options > Special Offers and turn on "Special Offer Filtering." "You can hide offers containing images or situations that may not be suitable for all audiences."
> 
> Not sure how long this has been there--just found it today as I was poking around to see what was different on the latest software version. It's not available on either my Touch or Basic K which have both been updated.
> 
> Betsy


Hmm. That probably would have solved the problem and the fact it exists tells me I'm not the only one who ever found a particular cover a deal breaker, but at a guess it didn't exist back when I first paid to get rid of special offers - with the first PW. At least that's what I'll tell myself.


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## Betsy the Quilter (Oct 27, 2008)

ellenoc said:


> Hmm. That probably would have solved the problem and the fact it exists tells me I'm not the only one who ever found a particular cover a deal breaker, but at a guess it didn't exist back when I first paid to get rid of special offers - with the first PW. At least that's what I'll tell myself.


Yeah, not sure how long it's been there. But maybe it will help people going forward!

Betsy


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## H7Py49 (Mar 17, 2016)

I found this sub menu option after a *left* click on the second button from the left (Action) for amazon to PW usb transfers (did not try it yet) - The "Download & transfer via USB" option:


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## Andra (Nov 19, 2008)

Keep in mind that if you download to your computer, you have to specify which Kindle will be getting the book.  If you only have one Kindle, that's not a big deal to start.  BUT if you get a replacement device, you will have to download all your books to your computer again so they will be coded for the new device.  I have definitely had too many Kindles and too many books in my library to go through that process every time I get a new Kindle.
I'm one of the ones who swears by 3G.  I got used to it with the early models before they had wifi as an option and the one Kindle that I got that was only wifi drove me up the wall when I was traveling.  Yes, I know it's not that hard to connect to wifi somewhere to download books and now I have the option to hotspot my phone, but I have been spoiled with the 3G and am lazy and used to instant gratification when it comes to my Kindles.


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## H7Py49 (Mar 17, 2016)

Andra said:


> Keep in mind that if you download to your computer, you have to specify which Kindle will be getting the book. If you only have one Kindle, that's not a big deal to start. BUT if you get a replacement device, you will have to download all your books to your computer again so they will be coded for the new device. I have definitely had too many Kindles and too many books in my library to go through that process every time I get a new Kindle.
> I'm one of the ones who swears by 3G. I got used to it with the early models before they had wifi as an option and the one Kindle that I got that was only wifi drove me up the wall when I was traveling. Yes, I know it's not that hard to connect to wifi somewhere to download books and now I have the option to hotspot my phone, but I have been spoiled with the 3G and am lazy and used to instant gratification when it comes to my Kindles.


Most of my earlier questions were made before I knew what to ask. Right now, I only have the books I bought from Amazon ( 2 purchases + 1 that was $0.00 ), so they are there when I connect (to amazon). So nothing "on" the computer.

I did have a slight case of buyers remorse when I opened my brand spanking new PW and got in the car to drive down the road to the casino to connect using their guest wi fi to register and download the books, so my replacement is 3G!


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## barryem (Oct 19, 2010)

I just use 3G Kindles too.  I have Wifi at home so I don't need 3G to keep books on it but when I'm reading and I run into something in the book I want to know more about I like to look it up on Wikipedia and for that you need an internet connection.  When I didn't have 3G in my Kindle 3 it was pretty frustrating not to be able to look things up.  Beginning with the Paperwhite I started getting only 3G Kindles.

Another feature that requires an internet connection is the translation feature and when a book has foreign phrases I feel lost without that.

I don't think 3G is essential but it's a very important feature and well worth the price difference.

Barry


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## Betsy the Quilter (Oct 27, 2008)

Everyone's different.  It wouldn't be worth it for me as I work from home and have WiFi here, and most places I go for any length of time have WiFi.  If I know I'm going somewhere for a while where WiFi will be iffy, I just download a whole mess o' books.  Plus I have the iPhone to use as a hotspot.  Or to look things up on, easier than I can on the Kindle.  I haven't had 3G capability since my K1, and haven't missed it once.

Different strokes!  If I didn't have WiFi at home, or was out and about a lot, I'd probably feel differently.

Betsy


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## Ann in Arlington (Oct 27, 2008)

I'm with Betsy . . . where we live there's almost always wifi and when there's not my phone can be a hotspot.


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## H7Py49 (Mar 17, 2016)

Betsy the Quilter said:


> Everyone's different. It wouldn't be worth it for me as I work from home and have WiFi here, and most places I go for any length of time have WiFi. If I know I'm going somewhere for a while where WiFi will be iffy, I just download a whole mess o' books. Plus I have the iPhone to use as a hotspot. Or to look things up on, easier than I can on the Kindle. I haven't had 3G capability since my K1, and haven't missed it once.
> 
> Different strokes! If I didn't have WiFi at home, or was out and about a lot, I'd probably feel differently.
> 
> Betsy


I didn't think of using my 5S as a hotspot to register with amazon the other day - learn something new every day!


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## Ann in Arlington (Oct 27, 2008)

H7Py49 said:


> I didn't think of using my 5S as a hotspot to register with amazon the other day - learn something new every day!


Yes . . . it can be a real convenience. Last night we were in a hotel and there is free wifi, but because you have get to a web page and click an acknowledgement, it doesn't work great with the kindle. This morning I activated the wifi hotspot on my phone, woke up the kindle -- which found it right away, because I've used it before -- and downloaded the morning paper. Then I turned the hotspot off. It hardly uses any data so it also is not likely to chew up your minutes, even if you download a lot of books. Works great!


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## Betsy the Quilter (Oct 27, 2008)

H7Py49 said:


> I didn't think of using my 5S as a hotspot to register with amazon the other day - learn something new every day!


Yeah, should have suggested it earlier when we were talking about WiFi. I've only had a smartphone for a little over a year, and don't always think about the hotspot thingy. (I also have a 5S)

Betsy


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## H7Py49 (Mar 17, 2016)

Ann in Arlington said:


> were in a hotel and there is free wifi, but because you have get to a web page and click an acknowledgement, it doesn't work great with the kindle.


That's exactly what happened when I drove to the casino / hotel. After choosing the ___guest wi fi, at first the casino's splash screen came up and I quickly clicked past it, then I lost the wi fi connection. On the second try, I let the splash screen load, then one more click to continue and I was in business.


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## H7Py49 (Mar 17, 2016)

Betsy the Quilter said:


> Yeah, should have suggested it earlier when we were talking about WiFi. I've only had a smartphone for a little over a year, and don't always think about the hotspot thingy. (I also have a 5S)
> 
> Betsy


I upgraded from my dumb phone to a 5S last October, so I'm still new to wi fi.


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## BillSmithBooksDotCom (Nov 4, 2012)

quick question on transfer USB -- do you have to have the Kindle app loaded on your PC to download or does Amazon just give you a download to your computer and you manually move it to the attached Kindle?

I ask because I run Linux on my home PCs (as live CDs, no persistent system) and there is no Kindle app. 

(Yes, I know, theoretically you can do WINE and all of that nonsense ... I'm not looking for that kind of solution. I am just curious if Amazon lets you download the file directly to your computer and transfer via USB to the Kindle without running any kind of specialty application...just want to know how the system works.)


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## GBear (Apr 23, 2009)

BillSmithBooksDotCom said:


> quick question on transfer USB -- do you have to have the Kindle app loaded on your PC to download or does Amazon just give you a download to your computer and you manually move it to the attached Kindle?
> 
> I ask because I run Linux on my home PCs (as live CDs, no persistent system) and there is no Kindle app.
> 
> (Yes, I know, theoretically you can do WINE and all of that nonsense ... I'm not looking for that kind of solution. I am just curious if Amazon lets you download the file directly to your computer and transfer via USB to the Kindle without running any kind of specialty application...just want to know how the system works.)


Yes, it's just a file download. You select where to store the file on your PC. After that's completed, you can transfer the file to the documents folder on the USB-attached Kindle. Easy.


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## H7Py49 (Mar 17, 2016)

BillSmithBooksDotCom said:


> quick question on transfer USB -- do you have to have the Kindle app loaded on your PC to download or does Amazon just give you a download to your computer and you manually move it to the attached Kindle?


You don't need a Kindle app. This is from a Windows 7 desktop pc... Go to your Amazon orders, then go to Digital Orders, then you are in Manage Your Content and Devices. Below is a screenshot of MYCaD. The second box with the ... inside of it, if you left click (not right click) it, you get the options in pic #2 below. Choose Download & transfer via USB.
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## BillSmithBooksDotCom (Nov 4, 2012)

GBear and H7Py49: THANK YOU!!! Just the answer I was hoping for. (I could have used wifi if I had to but this answer is very helpful.)


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## Meemo (Oct 27, 2008)

H7Py49 said:


> Cool - I retired from the U.S.N. in 2004!
> 
> Looking at a book I wanted (I put a hold, 1 person ahead of me) to get when my PW arrives early next week, I noticed my library also uses Overdrive.
> 
> I'll have to check out the Las Vegas system (I'm in Henderson next door).


Since you're retired Navy, and like audiobooks, check into getting connected with OneClick digital through the Navy library for audiobooks (and possibly eBooks for reading on tablets/phones). The Air Force library recently got on board with OneClick and has a good selection with them - I have a pretty long wish list there. There are OneClick apps for both iThings and for Android (there's also one for the Kindle Fire). One downside is that the eBooks can't be read on a regular Kindle, but if you don't mind reading on a phone or tablet you can read the eBooks that way on the app.

You might also want to check with your local library, I'd been using it with Free Library of Philadelphia for a while, but even my little local library is now connected with OneClick. You can have multiple libraries listed on OneClick, the way you can with the Overdrive app on a phone or tablet. I've rarely seen a book that I needed to put on hold - in fact I'm not sure whether they even have a hold system. It may be like the Hoopla library, which I also access via Free Library of Philadelphia, where there are no holds.

I did have to go in to the local AF base library to get signed up for OneClick access. I don't know what the procedure might be for Navy.


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## Ann in Arlington (Oct 27, 2008)

Meemo said:


> Since you're retired Navy, and like audiobooks, check into getting connected with OneClick digital through the Navy library for audiobooks (and possibly eBooks for reading on tablets/phones). The Air Force library recently got on board with OneClick and has a good selection with them - I have a pretty long wish list there. There are OneClick apps for both iThings and for Android (there's also one for the Kindle Fire). One downside is that the eBooks can't be read on a regular Kindle, but if you don't mind reading on a phone or tablet you can read the eBooks that way on the app.
> 
> You might also want to check with your local library, I'd been using it with Free Library of Philadelphia for a while, but even my little local library is now connected with OneClick. You can have multiple libraries listed on OneClick, the way you can with the Overdrive app on a phone or tablet. I've rarely seen a book that I needed to put on hold - in fact I'm not sure whether they even have a hold system. It may be like the Hoopla library, which I also access via Free Library of Philadelphia, where there are no holds.
> 
> I did have to go in to the local AF base library to get signed up for OneClick access. I don't know what the procedure might be for Navy.


Don't know about this "OneClick" you mention, but as a retiree (or dependent of) you can have a 'card' to the Navy General Library Program. You can borrow ebooks in Kindle format via Overdrive. Click to 'sign in' at the upper right and it will tell you how to register for the site.


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## H7Py49 (Mar 17, 2016)

Ann in Arlington said:


> Don't know about this "OneClick" you mention, but as a retiree (or dependent of) you can have a 'card' to the Navy General Library Program. You can borrow ebooks in Kindle format via Overdrive. Click to 'sign in' at the upper right and it will tell you how to register for the site.


Awesome! I am getting errors when trying to follow the links to create an account, both IE 11 and Chrome v49. I found the mailto and emailed for assistance.



Meemo said:


> Since you're retired Navy, and like audiobooks, check into getting connected with OneClick digital through the Navy library for audiobooks (and possibly eBooks for reading on tablets/phones). The Air Force library recently got on board with OneClick and has a good selection with them - I have a pretty long wish list there. There are OneClick apps for both iThings and for Android (there's also one for the Kindle Fire). One downside is that the eBooks can't be read on a regular Kindle, but if you don't mind reading on a phone or tablet you can read the eBooks that way on the app.


Any links to this OneClick?


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## Meemo (Oct 27, 2008)

Overdrive is great and the Navy's selection is amazing. OneClick is just another source where you can borrow audiobooks and/or eBooks, but you just have to use an app to read or listen. Hoopla is another. I know the Navy does offer books on OneClick because when I go to set up a profile in the app, the Navy comes up as one of the military libraries, as does the Air Force. It's like Overdrive - some libraries pay for more of the total OneClick collection than others.  But as I said, for the Air Force library I had to get a library card from my local base to get access. (The library I had gone to to get my card for the AF Overdrive library has since been closed, luckily there are two bases near us.)  I'm not sure if you can sign up for a Navy card online or not. You start the sign up process for getting OneClick by entering your library card number. 

Point being - check with your library to see what other digital services they offer.  Overdrive isn't the only source of eBooks and audiobooks to borrow. It's just a matter of what your local library offers. There's Hoopla and OneClick for books and audiobooks. Hoopla also offers videos and music. Freegal offers free music. Freading offers ebooks (but in ePub). Zinio for magazines that are yours to keep, not just borrow. To my knowledge though, Overdrive is the only one that allows you to send Kindle books to an eInk Kindle. And I know for a lot of folks, that convenience trumps all else.


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## Meemo (Oct 27, 2008)

H7Py49 said:


> Awesome! I am getting errors when trying to follow the links to create an account, both IE 11 and Chrome v49. I found the mailto and emailed for assistance.
> 
> Any links to this OneClick?


You can go to http://www.oneclickdigital.com/ but you do need to install the app on a phone or tablet, then you need a library card to access your library's collection on OneClick. Also check out the Hoopla app, I noticed the Henderson library is part of Hoopla and Hoopla offers music, movies and TV shows to borrow as well as eBooks and audiobooks.


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## H7Py49 (Mar 17, 2016)

Meemo said:


> Point being - check with your library to see what other digital services they offer. Overdrive isn't the only source of eBooks and audiobooks to borrow. It's just a matter of what your local library offers. There's Hoopla and OneClick for books and audiobooks. Hoopla also offers videos and music. Freegal offers free music. Freading offers ebooks (but in ePub). Zinio for magazines that are yours to keep, not just borrow. To my knowledge though, Overdrive is the only one that allows you to send Kindle books to an eInk Kindle. And I know for a lot of folks, that convenience trumps all else.


I have seen Hoopla when searching for films / movies to watch, and they had the film available for streaming, but I never pursued it. I will have to look into it!

I have two separate login links for my library. The first is for traditional books, DVDs, and Kindle ebooks (this is where I inadvertently got the audio book). The second shows me what Kindle books I have checked out, checkout limit (7), hold limit, what I have on hold, etc. I still go to Amazon's Manage Your Content and Devices to return Kindle book early.

I did get a library card from a neighboring city (Las Vegas), but found out after the fact that since I have a Henderson address I don't have access to their Kindle ebooks. Bummer.


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## northofdivision (Sep 7, 2010)

One of the best things about owning a PC (Mac for that matter) if you also have an e-reader (Kindle or Kobo or Sony), is that you could use Calibre, one of the greatest things about e-book collecting (archiver, bookshelf, converter, reformatter). It also has an amazing feature of pulling any magazine or newspaper you want daily and have it delivered to you (or you can just plug in your Kindle and upload New York Times, Newsweek, Sport Illustrated articles...literally hundreds of aggregates) I have a lot of Mobi files and Epub files and you can use Calibre to organize it all and have it ready for any e-reading on any device.


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## H7Py49 (Mar 17, 2016)

Meemo said:


> Also check out the Hoopla app, I noticed the Henderson library is part of Hoopla...


Decided to try it out and now I can watch movies from the library using Hoopla on my PC. Nice.


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## Meemo (Oct 27, 2008)

Great!  It always depends on the library of course, but there are a lot of digital offerings that libraries can access if they choose to, or can afford to - Overdrive is just the best-known one.  Hoopla even has eBooks - you just have to read them on a phone or tablet. I know that's a deal breaker for some folks - myself, I don't mind it occasionally.


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## H7Py49 (Mar 17, 2016)

Ann in Arlington said:


> ... as a retiree (or dependent of) you can have a 'card' to the Navy General Library Program. You can borrow ebooks in Kindle format via Overdrive. Click to 'sign in' at the upper right and it will tell you how to register for the site.


Got an email reply to my question and the nice Lady let me call her and walked me through getting an account and I'm set up on overdrive and a bunch of other stuff that I'll explore later:

Ebsco eBook & AudioBooks
TumbleBooksCloudJR
Audio Book Cloud
OneClick Digital ..., &
Gale Virtual Reference Library


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## H7Py49 (Mar 17, 2016)

H7Py49 said:


> Decided to try it out and now I can watch movies from the library using Hoopla on my PC. Nice.


May 1st - 15 more movies!


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