# I'm NOT slamming Kindle 3G users . . .



## Zell (Dec 27, 2010)

. . . but why would a person want a Kindle 3G to connect remotely (other than Wi-Fi) to download media when they could just download via Wi-Fi then take those books/etc. with them?  I realize the Kindle does have an "Experimental" web browser but, in my opinion, the Kindle's web browser is pitiful as a tool to access the internet -- which is why it's still in the experimental stage.  (I'm really looking forward to a more refined browser when it's available.)

If a 3G user travels a lot I'm certain they can still download media via a hotel/motel Wi-Fi -- or the many other places that offer Wi-Fi.

I'm not being on the offensive here, I'm just trying to understand the benefit of the 3G and why someone would want to own it. 

Thanks!


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## SusanCassidy (Nov 9, 2008)

I've often finished one book, and needed another when at the doctor's office (it takes a couple of hours to get my medication once a month).  I usually have a bunch of samples, and until I read the sample, I don't buy the book.

I find it to be very handy.


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## Elk (Oct 4, 2010)

3G is great when wi-fi is not available, for everything from buying books to checking email.

If this is not of interest, the w-fi only version is for you.


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## ZsuZsu (Dec 27, 2009)

I find the 3G to be VERY handy- I spent about 10 days in Florida at my father's house while he was gravely ill... I had not anticipated spending that much time there, and quickly ran out of new books to read (although I had about 100 on my device, none of those appealed).  My father does not have Wi-Fi, and it seemed inappropriate to borrow a car, leave the house and go in search of a hot spot.  Instead, I used the 3G on my kindle to quickly and easily grab new books without having to go anywhere.  (My husband has a Wi-Fi only Kindle and he ended up buying books on his iPhone and reading on the teeny screen)

I have also found the 3G to be useful when travelling- many hotels charge for Wi-Fi and many have pretty weak signals- I have taken advantage of the 3G while lying at the pool out of Wi-Fi reach numerous times.  I also used the 3G while vacationing in Mexico lying on the beach....

Wi-Fi is a great thing to have- but for me, personally, I use the 3G alot!


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## Vegas_Asian (Nov 2, 2008)

I never am home. Work has no wifi. Schools wifi takes a lot of effort to get on wifi. 3G is jus easier.


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## Belle2Be (Aug 29, 2010)

I actually really like the web browser, its fast and works better than my fiance's blackberry when we need to find an address or phone number or answer to a bet or something.


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## Cindy416 (May 2, 2009)

I love it because I live in the boondocks, 8 miles from the nearest town, in which there is one McDonald's and that's the only public wi-fi hotspot.  I have wi-fi at home and in my classroom (but that may change). I want to be able to download a book or a sample whenever and wherever I want. If I'm somewhere and I hear about a good book or an interesting author, I want to be able to browse the Amazon store while the author or book is on my mind. I also want to be able to buy a book after having read a sample, wherever I may be.

I realize that many people have wi-fi access nearly everywhere, but I don't. I figured that the extra $50 necessary to buy the 3G Kindle 3 would be money well-spent, and I still feel that way.


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## Pushka (Oct 30, 2009)

Because not everyone has wifi?  Because k2 and k1 came with 3G and wifi is a new feature of k3.  Because people who travel and stay at hotels usually have to pay for wifi. enough reasons ?


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## Zell (Dec 27, 2010)

By the way, I personally don't go through a lot of books each week or even each month like some of you may.  So I'll buy 2-3 books I want and it'll take me over a month or more to read them.  Right now I have about 6 or 7 books, to include the Bible, on my Kindle and I read a couple at a time and it will take me quite awhile to get through them.  So for me, I just download them at home and take the Kindle with me when I want to.  Even when I don't have my Kindle with me, when outside of the house, I can read one of my e-books via my iPhone.


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## pidgeon92 (Oct 27, 2008)

Convenience.


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## musclehead (Dec 29, 2010)

In addition to all the greats points mentioned above...

Some people subscribe to newspapers or blogs.  These are delivered every day, whether the Kindle is awake or asleep.  For these people, the volume of downloads is much higher than those who buy a book or two a month.  Those people don't want to be constantly worried about being in a hotspot.


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## Zell (Dec 27, 2010)

Vegas_Asian said:


> I never am home. Work has no wifi. Schools wifi takes a lot of effort to get on wifi. 3G is jus easier.


Makes sense.


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## MAGreen (Jan 5, 2009)

I am in Okinawa, Japan and I love the 3G! It works all over the island, well, except for a few dead spots in the jungle areas....but with all the deadly snakes who'd want to read out there? Wifi is sketchy and slow out here, so it's a lot easier to have the 3G.


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## Zell (Dec 27, 2010)

Cindy416 said:


> I love it because I live in the boondocks, 8 miles from the nearest town, in which there is one McDonald's and that's the only public wi-fi hotspot. I have wi-fi at home and in my classroom (but that may change). I want to be able to download a book or a sample whenever and wherever I want. If I'm somewhere and I hear about a good book or an interesting author, I want to be able to browse the Amazon store while the author or book is on my mind. I also want to be able to buy a book after having read a sample, wherever I may be.
> 
> I realize that many people have wi-fi access nearly everywhere, but I don't. I figured that the extra $50 necessary to buy the 3G Kindle 3 would be money well-spent, and I still feel that way.


Understandable. Good for you.


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## Zell (Dec 27, 2010)

Pushka said:


> Because not everyone has wifi? Because k2 and k1 came with 3G and wifi is a new feature of k3. Because people who travel and stay at hotels usually have to pay for wifi. enough reasons ?


Yup!


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## Zell (Dec 27, 2010)

Pushka said:


> Because people who travel and stay at hotels usually have to pay for wifi. enough reasons ?


By the way, most hotels/motels these days offer free Wi-Fi. Interestingly, it's the high-end hotels that charge -- and it's an arm and a leg to get it.


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## Pushka (Oct 30, 2009)

Zell said:


> By the way, most hotels/motels these days offer free Wi-Fi. Interestingly, it's the high-end hotels that charge -- and it's an arm and a leg to get it.


I think you might be assuming that kindle users only live and travel in USA. Certainly where I travel free wifi is rare and only offered in Club and premium rooms. Certainly not free in Australian hotels.


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## musclehead (Dec 29, 2010)

Zell said:


> By the way, most hotels/motels these days offer free Wi-Fi. Interestingly, it's the high-end hotels that charge -- and it's an arm and a leg to get it.


That's because they know their guests "need" internet. And most are on expense accounts anyway, which means the company pays for it!


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## Gayle (Aug 31, 2009)

Recently, while visiting friends, we attended a study group session at their local church.  The instructor mentioned a couple of books to read.  No wifi was available, but I was able to use 3G to go to Amazon and download samples in just a matter of a couple minutes.  Also, I travel in my motorhome and sometimes wifi is not an option.  Convenience is the key, and I like having instant gratification. lol

Gayle


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## osnova (Oct 20, 2009)

Last year I traveled to Eastern Europe and China.  3G worked!   Wi-Fi at the hotels often costs money (have just read the posts above, I guess I stayed at more expensive work-paid hotels) and is limited.
Once on the road I needed an address of a business and I googled it on my Kindle.


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## Zell (Dec 27, 2010)

Pushka said:


> I think you might be assuming that kindle users only live and travel in USA. Certainly where I travel free wifi is rare and only offered in Club and premium rooms. Certainly not free in Australian hotels.


Good point. I don't assume all Kindle users are in the U.S. but obviously did not consider situations outside of the U.S. I stand corrected.


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## luvmy4brats (Nov 9, 2008)

Because I have crappy internet service at best, and most of the time the 3G is faster than my owen wifi, because it was a feature on the K1 and K2 that I've grown accustomed to, because I'm one that will whip out my Kindle wherever I am and demo it for someone who is interested, because I'd rather not always have to try to find a free wifi spot when I'm out and about and because I want to.

I don't use the browser on the Kindle unless I have no choice.. which is rare because I almost always have my iPad (also 3G) and/or iPhone with me..


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## AnnetteL (Jul 14, 2010)

I planned to get the WiFi version, but for my b-day my husband got the 3G. I'm glad he did. I don't know that I'll use it a ton, but it's really nice to know that I have access to the Kindle store from anywhere.


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## Zell (Dec 27, 2010)

musclehead said:


> That's because they know their guests "need" internet. And most are on expense accounts anyway, which means the company pays for it!


That's about right. They take you for whatever they can get at your company's expense. But if you're there on pleasure it's a killer.


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## sherylb (Oct 27, 2008)

Zell said:


> By the way, most hotels/motels these days offer free Wi-Fi. Interestingly, it's the high-end hotels that charge -- and it's an arm and a leg to get it.


I drove across country from Florida to Washington state and at least half of the motels did not have Wi-Fi. The other half either charged to use or was so weak I could not use it and had to plug in.
I live in a small city that thinks it is pretty tech-savy and even though Wi-Fi is available in some places, it is not standard by any means.
I like the 3G because I KNOW I will more than likely have some coverage one way or the other should I need it.
Also, I just thought of this...at home I do have Wi-Fi, but hubby likes to stream stuff and that boggs down the pipe so even though I do have it, it is not always the best solution.


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## MichelleR (Feb 21, 2009)

Zell said:


> . . . but why would a person want a Kindle 3G to connect remotely (other than Wi-Fi) to download media when they could just download via Wi-Fi then take those books/etc. with them? I realize the Kindle does have an "Experimental" web browser but, in my opinion, the Kindle's web browser is pitiful as a tool to access the internet -- which is why it's still in the experimental stage. (I'm really looking forward to a more refined browser when it's available.)
> 
> If a 3G user travels a lot I'm certain they can still download media via a hotel/motel Wi-Fi -- or the many other places that offer Wi-Fi.
> 
> ...


Before there was WiFi, there was 3g, and it was reliable. WiFi is the Newish Kid on The Block.

I live in a very cold, snowy, windy place and lose internet fairly often.

I want what I want when I want it and don't want to give a thought to not being able to get a book since one of the beauties of the Kindle is it makes me feel like I have a bookstore at my fingertips even though I live in a remote place. I don't care how the book gets to me as long as it gets to me and 3G is insurance.

A few weeks ago, my husband and I went to a concert and then stayed overnight in a cabin. While the cabin is lovely and actually as well appointed as a home, the lady who runs the place doesn't provide WiFi because her guests are there to get away from it all.

When I bought my nephew one, I went 3G because I wanted it all to be fun and effortless.

I have no issue with people going WiFi only if that's what works best for them, but as long as they offer a 3G model, I'm getting it.

I do rather obsessively read new Kindle reviews and one of the top complaints is WiFi issues. Some people, amazingly enough, don't seem to understand they need a WiFi connection, but other people just have issues with it. Buying 3G reduces the chance of frustration, from what I see.


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## Zell (Dec 27, 2010)

AnnetteL said:


> I planned to get the WiFi version, but for my b-day my husband got the 3G. I'm glad he did. I don't know that I'll use it a ton, but it's really nice to know that I have access to the Kindle store from anywhere.


I just bought/downloaded your book. Congratulations from someone living in SLC.


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## Belle2Be (Aug 29, 2010)

Zell said:


> By the way, most hotels/motels these days offer free Wi-Fi. Interestingly, it's the high-end hotels that charge -- and it's an arm and a leg to get it.


That's a pretty big assumption. I stayed at a hotel in a pretty big resort (but the hotel was on the cheaper side, 80 a night), you had to pay for wifi. It's actually been my experience in every hotel I've been in, I've yet to find free wifi. Even at a bookstore you have to buy a coffee or something for an hour of wifi.


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## Zell (Dec 27, 2010)

Belle2Be said:


> That's a pretty big assumption. I stayed at a hotel in a pretty big resort (but the hotel was on the cheaper side, 80 a night), you had to pay for wifi. It's actually been my experience in every hotel I've been in, I've yet to find free wifi. Even at a bookstore you have to buy a coffee or something for an hour of wifi.


Depends on where you stay, I guess. I travel a lot in the U.S. and I hardly ever have to pay for Wi-Fi except for places that charge $180+ per night.


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## mooshie78 (Jul 15, 2010)

Internet is almost always pay in the business hotels (Marriott etc.)--places I stay for conferences etc.  I still don't care as I can put it on my expense account and get reimbursed.  That and I just load up with a book or two before leaving, so I seldom used the 3G when traveling back when I had a K1 or K2.  So I opted Wifi only when I got a K3 as I just didn't use the 3G enough to pay $50.

But great that they have both options out there so everyone can get what they need.


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## RaggedyMoe (Dec 1, 2010)

Well, I for one do not have WiFi. And I don't like it. Been to sister in laws and her WiFi takes to long to open up. Had a computer guy come over and work on it but still slow.
Anyway I like my 3G, it is faster to find a book and load it. 
Just Saying....


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## mooshie78 (Jul 15, 2010)

RaggedyMoe said:


> Well, I for one do not have WiFi. And I don't like it. Been to sister in laws and her WiFi takes to long to open up. Had a computer guy come over and work on it but still slow.
> Anyway I like my 3G, it is faster to find a book and load it.
> Just Saying....


That's just an internet or router problem. My internet is 10mbps, and using wifi doesn't give any noticeable slow down vs plugging directly into the modem. So books etc. download to my Kindle a lot faster on WiFi than they did on the 3G on my K2.

Again, the 3G is great. Just didn't want people thinking WiFi was slower. As long as the internet is faster than 2.4mbps (the max speed of 3G with full signal etc.), WiFi will be faster than 3G on any device that isn't having connection issues etc.

I'd never go without WiFi given the amount of gadgets I have that need wifi internet access these days with Kindles, game consoles, blu ray players, laptops etc. around the house.


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## KathyY (Dec 31, 2009)

I got 3G because I was afraid that I might want it. I didn't know if there might be something coming that would make me wish I had it. I don't use it. I usually use my laptop to order books and I have Wi-Fi in my house so they download instantly. I really don't need the 3G. If I want to get on line and am not near my laptop I will use my iPhone--much easier than the Kindle.


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## Zell (Dec 27, 2010)

KathyY said:


> I got 3G because I was afraid that I might want it. I didn't know if there might be something coming that would make me wish I had it.


That's what I was thinking when I was considering it but got the Wi-Fi version anyway.


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## Lyndl (Apr 2, 2010)

We'll be travelling around Europe for 6 weeks in May/June.  Although many Hotels claim to offer free wi-fi,  reading their reviews tells a different story. It's usually only available in the lobby, and is often weak or non-existent.  No matter how many books I load onto my Kindle I'm sure I'll want something new while I'm away


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## BTackitt (Dec 15, 2008)

I bought the 3g for my college student son.. the wifi on his campus is.. slow at best, and spotty or worse 90% of the time. we also travel fairly often, and many places charge for wifi access, so the 3g is better. He can get any book he wants at any time he wants, and we don't have to hunt down a wifi connection.


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## chuckf410 (Dec 27, 2010)

I got 3G because I'm a geek. I like that when I want to look something up real quick in most places that I'm at I can go to wikipedia or google to get the answers. Also, I can show the kindle functions off to friends and family. 

I know many people who I would recommend the wifi version for simply because I know them well enough that their situations don't need the 3G. 

If my aunt decides to get a ebook reader it'll have 3g. She doesn't own a computer (and therefore no internet access at home). For her it won't be a choice. 

As for the hotel wifi, I don't trust it. Most of the time the security on them is lacking at best. When I do use them (paid or not) the first connection I make is a secure connection back to my home proxy server, then out from there. On the laptop its easy, the kindle would require extra hardware. 

3G security is not perfect, but is better than hotel wifi.


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## luvmy4brats (Nov 9, 2008)

mooshie78 said:


> That's just an internet or router problem. My internet is 10mbps, and using wifi doesn't give any noticeable slow down vs plugging directly into the modem. So books etc. download to my Kindle a lot faster on WiFi than they did on the 3G on my K2.
> 
> Again, the 3G is great. Just didn't want people thinking WiFi was slower. As long as the internet is faster than 2.4mbps (the max speed of 3G with full signal etc.), WiFi will be faster than 3G on any device that isn't having connection issues etc.
> 
> I'd never go without WiFi given the amount of gadgets I have that need wifi internet access these days with Kindles, game consoles, blu ray players, laptops etc. around the house.


Wifi at my place IS slower and it's not a router issue. I live out in the boonies and I swear I have the world's worst internet. For me, 3G is faster.


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## Ann in Arlington (Oct 27, 2008)

I got the WiFi/3G kindle basically because I'd already budgeted for it. . . it really did occur to me that I only needed WiFi but I thought, hey, I'd already planned to spend that much to upgrade so why not.

And I'm glad I did.  For books, yeah, I download at home with WiFi and I always have many on the device so I'd probably never need to get one in an emergency.  But my subscriptions come daily.  As an example, we were traveling last week and, while all three hotels we stayed in had WiFi, only two of them offered it free.  I was glad I had the 3G so that I didn't have to pay $11 to access the WiFi to d/l my newspaper.  Not sure it even would have worked because I don't know that there would have been a way to register payment.

And the ones that did have free WiFi required a log in. . . .I did it at the first one just to prove I could  but at the one the next day I just used the 3G because it was easier.


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## Chad Winters (Oct 28, 2008)

i went wifi only when i upgraded my K1 and I don't miss it at all. I have hundreds of unread books on my Kindle and almost always have wifi access at least once per day. I don't have any books I have to get that fast. I'll just make a note and download it later


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## Geoffrey (Jun 20, 2009)

I'm with chuckf on this - I'm a geek so of course I got the more gadgety one.   I also travel so it's useful to have it no matter where I happen to be - and as others have mentioned, it's familiar since that's how the K1 and K2 functioned.

I could probably live with a wifi version but I didn't want to limit by ability to get books whenever I pleased.


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## kisrita (Aug 5, 2010)

I bought the 3G version because I have to travel for work and was expecting to have to travel to Wuhan China a lot which takes 3 connecting flights from CT (minimum) and if a flight is delayed, cancelled, etc, the layover could get extended by hours. I wanted to make sure I would always have access to something to read. Interestingly though I haven't had to use 3G or even wifi yet on a trip. Last November I went to Europe for 5 days and last month to China for 7 days, and in order to preserve battery, I turned off wireless during both trips. I loaded up enough books that I didn't run out of reading materials, even though the China trip included two 15 hour flights, plus 4 shorter flights. And the Kindle battery had no problem with it!  So even though I have 3G, I don't actually use it because using it would eat up too much battery, and I don't want to pack the charging wire and a converter for it. But I don't regret buying the 3G, I like knowing that I have a choice.


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## mooshie78 (Jul 15, 2010)

Luvmy4brats said:
 

> Wifi at my place IS slower and it's not a router issue. I live out in the boonies and I swear I have the world's worst internet. For me, 3G is faster.


I know. I was just pointing out that it's your internet that's slower so everyone was clear. As there have been people who post who don't know the difference between WiFi and 3G etc. The Kindle appeals to a lot of non-techie types, so I try to be preemptively helpful in clarifying the few tech details. 

So I just wanted to make sure people (who aren't tech inclined) know that WiFi speed is determined by the speed of the internet connection, while 3G is maxed at 2.4mbps. So for people with decent internet, WiFi is faster and you'll want to use that if you have good internet even if you have the 3G and WiFi model, and just use the 3G when away from home etc.

Also, if you're 3G is faster than whatever internet you have, have you considered ditching the internet you have and getting the 3G home internet form Verizon. Only downside is it's a bit pricey and has a monthly data limit (2GB I think). My parents are in the boonies as well, and they use it as the only other options they have is dial up (only get on at 26.4 kbps, no DSL or Cable internet providers in their area yet) or expensive satellite internet. They don't get 3G signal though, just 1x, but still faster than the dial up they can get.


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## Cindy416 (May 2, 2009)

mooshie78 said:


> I know. I was just pointing out that it's your internet that's slower so everyone was clear. As there have been people who post who don't know the difference between WiFi and 3G etc. The Kindle appeals to a lot of non-techie types, so I try to be preemptively helpful in clarifying the few tech details.
> 
> So I just wanted to make sure people (who aren't tech inclined) know that WiFi speed is determined by the speed of the internet connection, while 3G is maxed at 2.4mbps. So for people with decent internet, WiFi is faster and you'll want to use that if you have good internet even if you have the 3G and WiFi model, and just use the 3G when away from home etc.
> 
> Also, if you're 3G is faster than whatever internet you have, have you considered ditching the internet you have and getting the 3G home internet form Verizon. Only downside is it's a bit pricey and has a monthly data limit (2GB I think). My parents are in the boonies as well, and they use it as the only other options they have is dial up (only get on at 26.4 kbps, no DSL or Cable internet providers in their area yet) or expensive satellite internet. They don't get 3G signal though, just 1x, but still faster than the dial up they can get.


Where I live (in the boondocks), I only have access to a business called NW Communications Co and Hughes Internet (satellite). I use the NW Communications service, but it's pretty pricey @$44.95/mo. for around 1.5 mbps. If I were get Hughes, the prices that I saw are about 4 times what I pay in order to get maximum data allowance. I don't have a limit right now, which is good. I'm sure many people would consider my internet access to be very slow, but it's SO much faster than that dinosaur known as dial-up that you won't hear me complaining in the least.
I don't get 3G here n my area, so I, too, get 1x, but it works. I'm a techie, and would not last long w/o my iPad, Wii, iPhone, laptops, and desktop computers, and I'm just thrilled to finally have (comparatively) hi-speed internet in my very rural home.

As for the Kindle 3 and its wi-fi and 3G varieties, I am enough of a geek that I have to have 3G. I also now have a 64GB iPad w/3G. I never know when I might need it.


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## luvmy4brats (Nov 9, 2008)

mooshie78 said:


> Also, if you're 3G is faster than whatever internet you have, have you considered ditching the internet you have and getting the 3G home internet form Verizon. Only downside is it's a bit pricey* and has a monthly data limit (2GB I think).* My parents are in the boonies as well, and they use it as the only other options they have is dial up (only get on at 26.4 kbps, no DSL or Cable internet providers in their area yet) or expensive satellite internet. They don't get 3G signal though, just 1x, but still faster than the dial up they can get.


That wouldn't for us at all... there are 6 of us in this house.. My oldest and I each usually hit the 2GB a month just on our iPad/iPhone usage.. I can't imagine how much we use when we factor in our laptop use...

I don't mind so much.. It's only when my cable gets cut by lawn mowers in the summer and snow plows in the winter (it runs across the road) that I really get irritated with it. If I need to download a bunch of stuff, I head to the library or Panera Bread in town.


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## mlewis78 (Apr 19, 2009)

I have more books on my kindle than I will ever have time to read!  Can't imagine needing to buy books when I'm out and about.  What did you guys do when you didn't have ebooks and had to wait until you could get to a book store or receive your online book purchases?


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## Whidbeyislandgirl (Apr 19, 2009)

Restaurants, car, ferry lines, doctors office, dentist office, hair salon, my mothers house, hotel with no WiFi, beach, park... I buy books at places other than my home or work. Why would I NOT want 3G?? I don't always plan ahead.


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## Cindy416 (May 2, 2009)

mlewis78 said:


> I have more books on my kindle than I will ever have time to read! Can't imagine needing to buy books when I'm out and about. What did you guys do when you didn't have ebooks and had to wait until you could get to a book store or receive your online book purchases?


I made lots of trips to libraries, bookstores, and shopped at Amazon.


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## racheldeet (Jan 21, 2010)

Last time I travelled cross-country, both the hotels and both the airports I went through had no wifi, or had it at a ridiculous cost. I was baffled, to be honest, and glad I had 3G on my K2!


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## luvmy4brats (Nov 9, 2008)

mlewis78 said:


> I have more books on my kindle than I will ever have time to read! Can't imagine needing to buy books when I'm out and about. What did you guys do when you didn't have ebooks and had to wait until you could get to a book store or receive your online book purchases?


 I didn't actually read physical books prior to my Kindle. I only listened to audio books. And I had an iPod with a very large hard drive to keep them all on . My problem is that I never know what I'm going to be in the mood to read.


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## AmberLi (Sep 15, 2010)

I switch between kindle and my android app fairly often when I'm out and about, and I bought the 3G primarily so they would sync with each other wherever I am!

Also, I thought the wifi didn't work if the public hotspot required a log-in?  Hotels I stay in usually seem to have free wifi, but you almost always have to agree to their terms and log in.


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## Xopher (May 14, 2009)

We got our youngest daughter the 3G version for her so she can have access anywhere. When she took her laptop to college, they had security software that had too be installed to access their network (screwed up access away from campus). She wouldn't be able to do that with her Kindle.

I constantly sync what I am reading whenever I take a break. That way, when I am without my Kindle, I can still read on my Android phone. Some of the business trips I take use hotels that charge for internet access, and some have special login pages. Those are not easy to use on the Kindle, so it is much easier to use 3G.

My mom doesn't have internet access. So when I go to visit her (she lives on the opposite coast), I have to rely on 3G and my phone's data connection during my stay. We also have a cabin up in the mountains where we stay a week or more at a time (no electricity on forestry land). There is a cell tower on top of one of the ski resorts. Even though it is miles away, I can still get a bar or two of service. So, even out in the middle of nowhere, I can get my subscriptions, blogs, and a book or two.


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## masoquismo (Jan 14, 2011)

I debated with myself for awhile before I got the 3G. However practicality won out. I'm not often in places where there is free wi-fi offered, nor do I expect to be in the future. While my house does have wireless set up, with two other people besides myself constantly online, the wireless is substandard. It makes even trying to sync and download one book via wi-fi a complete hassle. I like the ability to be anywhere and download books as I please.


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## Toby (Nov 25, 2008)

I like having the ability to download a book or a sample anywhere with my 3G. Also, just in case I needed the 3G. It's that feeling of security. I just found out recently how to get directions to wherever on my Kindle, so if I am on the road, I'd need the 3G.


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## Tris (Oct 30, 2008)

I disagree with the statement that it is only the higher end hotels make you pay.  I was all over Ireland and did not spend but two nights in very small and local B&Bs.  I would STILL have to pay for wifi connection...or search high and low looking for the dang connection.  They were basic and very comfortable...but without my K2i's 3G, I would've missed my friend asking me to be her maid of honor, and not keep in touch with friends and family back home.  Plus it was awesome when I could email and what not from my Kindle on the road riding in our coach/bus.  None of the wifi in our group could do that.  

Tris


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## 3pointers (Jan 8, 2010)

We traveled from Washington state to Texas this past Christmas with an iPad, Kindle DX, and laptop in the car with us.  It started snowing 45 minutes from home.  In a remote area in Oregon, we were directed off the highway due to a 5 semi-truck accident ahead, although we didn't know the reason for being forced to exit, as there were no signs or police directing traffic, just the cones forcing you off the highway.  The exit was next to a gas station and we asked a trucker what was going on, which is how we found out about the accident.  He had no idea when the road would reopen - said probably about 2 hours or so.

Almost everyone just pulled onto the shoulder of the onramp to wait.  

At that moment, I really wished we had 3G for the iPad so we could get more detail, but hadn't needed it and so had never subscribed.

However, because I did have 3G on my Kindle, I thought what the heck, let's see what I can find.  I was pleasantly surprised that I was able to access the DOT website and get all the information I needed.  Granted, the Kindle sucks for most websites, but this one also had a site for mobile viewing, so that's what I used and it was good enough.

We also used it on the way home because we had heard that chains were required ahead, but upon checking the DOT site, it said they weren't required.

So in a pinch, it came through and I'm glad I got it.


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## Cindy416 (May 2, 2009)

3pointers said:


> We traveled from Washington state to Texas this past Christmas with an iPad, Kindle DX, and laptop in the car with us. It started snowing 45 minutes from home. In a remote area in Oregon, we were directed off the highway due to a 5 semi-truck accident ahead, although we didn't know the reason for being forced to exit, as there were no signs or police directing traffic, just the cones forcing you off the highway. The exit was next to a gas station and we asked a trucker what was going on, which is how we found out about the accident. He had no idea when the road would reopen - said probably about 2 hours or so.
> 
> Almost everyone just pulled onto the shoulder of the onramp to wait.
> 
> ...


I'm not sure about this, but from what I've read about my iPad with 3G, I can subscribe at any given time for either 200 MB or 2 GB. I think it's done as needed, if that's what works out for you. I may be wrong about this, as I have yet to use the 3G service on it. You might want to look into this in case you every get in a position where you need directions, but want something that's easier to see.

I'm glad to hear that you used your Kindle's 3G to make your difficult situation a bit better. Not only were you able to get directions, but you had good books on hand to help you pass the time if needed.


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## LauraElizabeth (Mar 19, 2010)

I do not have Wi-Fi at home.

I have to drive 5 miles just to get the wireless signal!

*I would have to drive 30 miles to McDonald's to get WiFi.*

I am only away from my house about once a week. Yes, the Kindle is slow as far as internet goes but for the occasional check the email/facebook/google calendar or phone number it is not too bad.......and I don't have any other device to check with and few of the towns I go to have wi-fi.


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## Ann in Arlington (Oct 27, 2008)

AmberLi said:


> Also, I thought the wifi didn't work if the public hotspot required a log-in? Hotels I stay in usually seem to have free wifi, but you almost always have to agree to their terms and log in.


I was definitely able to connect at a Hampton Inn last week, as was my son whose Kindle is WiFi only . . . .and I had previously connected at a Panera Bread shop. . . .


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## patrickt (Aug 28, 2010)

I don't care if you use 3G, WiFi, or only download books via cable. I can't believe people are talking about this. Get whatever you need or want. It's silly.


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## geko29 (Dec 23, 2008)

mlewis78 said:


> Can't imagine needing to buy books when I'm out and about. What did you guys do when you didn't have ebooks and had to wait until you could get to a book store or receive your online book purchases?


I didn't read, period. In the decade prior to getting my K1, I read maybe one book for pleasure (maybe another 100 or so for work/school, but that's different). In the 27 months since, I've read 132, and it's solely due to convenience.

As to the original question, I got the 3G purely for convenience sake. I do most of my reading at work on my lunch break, and while we have WiFi, it's reserved exclusively for testing mobile applications (we've published two iOS apps, and have just started on an Android app.). And while I am aware of the SSIDs and passwords (I should be, I set the damn thing up ), connecting my Kindle to it would be a violation of policy, and i just don't roll like that.

Plus, there's the other place I do a lot of reading--vacation. Last year, we went three places. The condo in Branson had wifi, but the signal was somewhat weak in our unit, and we all had difficuty getting on for another reason. Later in the week I logged onto their access point (username admin, no password!) and found out they were only handing out 20 total addresses, and the reservations lasted a WEEK! This is in a complex with 300 units. I "fixed the glitch" so we were all able to get on again, but by then there were only two days left in the trip. Thanks to 3G, I was able to finish a couple books by new authors, and immediately buy and read the sequels, which would not have been possible otherwise.

Then a hotel in Frankenmuth, MI, which likewise provided free WiFi, but we were the very last unit on the top floor, and calling the signal weak was an understatement. Then, provided you actually could connect, a rather involved login process was required--and had to be repeated every time the signal was lost. Again 3G makes this effortless.

Finally, a condo in Las Vegas had WiFi, but it was $15/day, $30 for 3 days, or $60 for the whole week. I didn't bother to check if that was per person or per device. And again, there's the complicated login procedure, this time with AT&T.

3G is just easier and more convenient to me. Yes, I am an extreme techy, and make my living as a Network Engineer. But part of the point of Kindle is that I can just focus on reading, without constantly fiddling with the plumbing that makes it possible for me to get books. $50 for unlimited use in perpetuity is a bargain. I pay more than half that much every month for my phone. So for the few places I go frequently (my house, parents' house, father-in-law's house), my Kindle is joined to the wireless network. 3G covers me everywhere else, with no setup whatsoever.


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## LauraElizabeth (Mar 19, 2010)

patrickt said:


> I don't care if you use 3G, WiFi, or only download books via cable. I can't believe people are talking about this. Get whatever you need or want. It's silly.


If you think it is silly, then why are you reading and replying to this thread?

I agree everyone needs to do what works for them but I love hearing how others do things. I don't find it silly at all.


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## ReaderK (Jan 5, 2011)

This is a totally valid question, and it was definitely part of my decision making when purchasing an e-reader. I was faced with the same dilemma when I was shopping for ebook readers. I enjoy hearing about how others view this topic and their perspective on it too. 

I think the bottom line is risk versus reward. How much money am I spending, and what am I getting in return for it? The difference between wi-fi only and 3g is $50 - which is essentially $50 for lifetime instant internet connectivity. One of they key decision points for me was knowng that I never have to pay for connectivity again for the life of my device. Now, if the price were a lot steeper, it might have affected whether I would have opted for the wi-fi only version. 

At first, I didn't think the 3g was going to be a big deal. I thought I would only be accessing the Kindle store from my home that has wi-fi, and so forth. But the convenience is definitely worth the extra money. For example, I was reading a book in my car at lunch (it's the only place I can hide for more than 5 minutes of privacy without someone wanting something from me) and finished the book. I was able to get the next book in the series immediately, right from the driver's seat of my car. I didn't have to look for a hot spot, or wait until I got home, do any configuration management, or anything. 

As for "what did you do before e-books"...well, what I had done in the past was to write something half-illegible on a post-it note and hope I remembered it when I got to a bookstore. Usually, the post it note was in another purse, or if I did find it, I had NO idea what it referred to so it ended up being useless to me. I will say that since the e-book phenomenon, I have not only been reading more (which is always a good thing, IMO), but I've been introduced to different styles of writing, different genres, different authors...all things I would not have normally done "back in the day". I'm more adventurous in my reading and broadening my horizons, which I attribute to the e-reader. 

Of course, like all purchases, you have to evaluate your own lifestyle and environment and see what works best for you and your situation. That's the beauty of having choices! Some people don't have a need for 3g - maybe they're self-employed and spend all their time at home with a reliable wi-fi connection. Others have already mentioned why they felt 3g was better for them.


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## Crystalmes (Jan 28, 2010)

I have wi-fi only, it was a gift, and I felt like a spoiled baby asking to return it for the 3G since I have wifi access all the time for the most part... I regret it a little..


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## Cindy416 (May 2, 2009)

SueEllen said:


> I do not have Wi-Fi at home.
> 
> I have to drive 5 miles just to get the wireless signal!
> 
> ...


I'm with you, SueEllen. I think it may be difficult for some people to remember that there are those of us who don't live a stone's throw from a wi-fi hotspot, or who still have dial-up. I love the fact that 3G (or 1x) is available to most of us most of the time and in the majority if places. For some, they don't see a need to spend the extra $50, others of us do, whether out of necessity or out of choice. I love the fact that the option is available.


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## history_lover (Aug 9, 2010)

Zell said:


> Even when I don't have my Kindle with me, when outside of the house, I can read one of my e-books via my iPhone.


I think this is the main difference for people who don't want/need 3G on their Kindle. Most people with a smartphone probably don't need 3G on their Kindle because they have it on their phone. It's definitely easier to use the browser on a touchscreen and in the unlikely event I need to buy a book while out and about, I could always use my iPhone (in fact, I rarely even take my Kindle out any more, I just use my phone). Though personally, I have enough of the free books already on my Kindle that I could also just fall back on one of those if I ever did find myself out with my Kindle and didn't want to use my phone. So overall, I'm with you, I don't see the need for 3G. But I can see how people without a smartphone might see a greater need for 3G.


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## Cindy416 (May 2, 2009)

I have an iPhone 4, but I seldom read on it. My Kindle
3 is always with me, and I have a 3G one. Of course, I'm a huge geek, so that probably explains a lot.


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## Egham (Oct 26, 2010)

I purchased the 3G version for the sheer convenience of it.  I read a lot of history and science books and often do quick Wikipedia or Google searches on topics for which I want additional information.  Sometimes I'll also do on-the-spot Amazon book searches on a topic that catches my interest.  I travel extensively and if I had to take the time to enter WiFi settings (assuming WiFi was even available) each time I wanted to do this, I likely wouldn't bother.  A significant portion of the joy of reading such topics would, for me, be lost.  With 3G, it's a snap.


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## dpinmd (Dec 30, 2009)

Zell said:


> Even when I don't have my Kindle with me, when outside of the house, I can read one of my e-books via my iPhone.


As others have noted, besides the ability to download books (and access the web), another thing you need wireless connectivity for is to sync your books between devices. With the Wi-fi only version, if you are reading on your Kindle somewhere without wi-fi access, the next time you read on your iPhone, you'll be at the wrong place in your book. (Or vice versa.) I have a K2 that I keep at my office, and a K3 that I use at home and elsewhere. Having the 3G connection means that no matter WHERE I was when I last read on my K3, I'll be at the right place in my book when I turn on my K2 at lunch the next day.

(Of course, if you only ever use your Kindle at home - and have wi-fi - and read on your iPhone everywhere else, then this wouldn't be an issue.)


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## bwbollom (Jul 30, 2010)

I looked at it as $50 for free internet access anytime and (just about) anywhere...for life (or at least until Amazon changes the policy). No, it's not the greatest way to access the internet ever, but it is usable and convenient since I often have my K3 with me. 

Also, as others have said, vacation is a key thing for me. I took a trip to Hawaii and Japan a couple of months back and the K3 purchase was one of the biggest for me in setting up this trip. I was under the (correct) understanding that the K3's 3g would work in Japan. I had immediate and direct access to email and most of my regular websites while out of the country and it was AWESOME! This was my primary form of connection to my friends and family back home. I did have a netbook with me as well, so whenever I found a hotspot, I would connect that way, but I was backpacking so a lot of the time I was on trains, buses, walking around cities, etc. and I could immediately find necessary info for where I was going, text messages to my wife, etc. It was just the access that I needed and worked near flawlessly whenever I decided to log in. 

I couldn't have spent a better $50 even if I only used it on that single trip...but now it's there whenever I want and I love it!


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## WilliamM (Feb 10, 2009)

easy answer ..wi-fi isnt everywhere and when it is at times its a pain in the ass to connect , connectivity is limited and many other issues with public wireless sites
i didnt have a choice when I bought my Kindle 2 but if i did go Kindle 3 id still get a 3G model...why limit yourself?
then again i still have a landline in my house even though I  have a cell phone


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## Vegas_Asian (Nov 2, 2008)

i am actually postimg via kindle right now. jus flew in. dont kmpw if thefamily has wifi. passing pearl harbor


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## Zell (Dec 27, 2010)

Chad Winters (#102) said:


> i went wifi only when i upgraded my K1 and I don't miss it at all. I have hundreds of unread books on my Kindle and almost always have wifi access at least once per day. I don't have any books I have to get that fast. I'll just make a note and download it later


If a person has the K3 wifi (as I do) and considering all the wifi hotspots out there, if they don't have it at home, seems to me they could keep a running list of books they want then download them when they get to a hotspot or somewhere where there's wifi. Then they'll have a bunch of books on their Kindle ready to read.

In many cases described above, I can see where having the K3G would be the only way to go, but I'd bet most Kindle users could get their books via wifi somewhere. But then again, if they have to travel all the way to a McDonald's/etc. all the time to do it then it's probably worth having the K3G. Though I've never downloaded something in a hotspot, I guess it could be a slow process and then again worth the K3G.

As for those who travel often, as I do, and want the ability to download books while on the road, I guess I'm wondering why not just download all the books you want on your Kindle before you travel then you have them with you.


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## Cindy416 (May 2, 2009)

Fuzzy Dunlop said:


> easy answer ..wi-fi isnt everywhere and when it is at times its a pain in the ass to connect , connectivity is limited and many other issues with public wireless sites
> i didnt have a choice when I bought my Kindle 2 but if i did go Kindle 3 id still get a 3G model...why limit yourself?
> then again i still have a landline in my house even though I have a cell phone


Finally, I have found someone else who still has a land line!  We have our primarily because of the fax machine that we use with our farming operation, but the phone number is the original one that I was assigned when I moved to this little hamlet (1,200 people on a good day, counting pregnant women LOL) in 1972. Once my husband and I were married, we kept the phone number, moved to the country, and have been here now for almost 37 years. Maybe we'd hold on to the land line even if we didn't have a fax machine. I'm sentimental that way.


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## mooshie78 (Jul 15, 2010)

dpinmd said:


> (Of course, if you only ever use your Kindle at home - and have wi-fi - and read on your iPhone everywhere else, then this wouldn't be an issue.)


Yep. And that's the way most people who read on multiple devices seem to do it. Unless you're a lady with a big purse, or a guy who always has a briefcase or backpack on him, the Kindle just isn't convenient to take around compared to a phone that's always in a pocket when out and about.

My Kindle stays on the night stand except for when I travel out of town. So I had little use for 3G and opted to save the $50. But it's a great feature and clearly many others do use it a lot and value it, so I'm glad they have both options rather than just one or the other.


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## Zell (Dec 27, 2010)

Tris said:


> I disagree with the statement that it is only the higher end hotels make you pay. I was all over Ireland and did not spend but two nights in very small and local B&Bs. I would STILL have to pay for wifi connection...
> 
> Tris


I did not consider the international presence here on the forum. I was referring to hotels/motels here in the U.S. I have no idea how it works outside of the country.


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## Zell (Dec 27, 2010)

SueEllen said:


> I do not have Wi-Fi at home.
> 
> I have to drive 5 miles just to get the wireless signal!
> 
> ...


If I were in your boots I'd have the K3G for sure.


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## Zell (Dec 27, 2010)

SueEllen said:


> If you think it is silly, then why are you reading and replying to this thread?
> 
> I agree everyone needs to do what works for them but I love hearing how others do things. I don't find it silly at all.


Thumbs-up to this!


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## Cindy416 (May 2, 2009)

mooshie78 said:


> Yep. And that's the way most people who read on multiple devices seem to do it. Unless you're a lady with a big purse, or a guy who always has a briefcase or backpack on him, the Kindle just isn't convenient to take around compared to a phone that's always in a pocket when out and about.
> 
> My Kindle stays on the night stand except for when I travel out of town. So I had little use for 3G and opted to save the $50. But it's a great feature and clearly many others do use it a lot and value it, so I'm glad they have both options rather than just one or the other.


Count me in as "a lady with a big purse." In fact, I don't carry ANY purses that aren't large enough to hold my iPhone and my Kindle.


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## Zell (Dec 27, 2010)

Vegas_Asian said:


> i am actually postimg via kindle right now. jus flew in. dont kmpw if thefamily has wifi. passing pearl harbor


I can tell you're posting from your Kindle.


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## Cindy416 (May 2, 2009)

Zell said:


> I can tell you're posting from your Kindle.


    That's what happens when I post via my iPhone when I don't have auto-correct enabled. Of course, when auto-correct is enabled, it's anyone's guess what words will be substituted for my intended words when I type in a hurry and don't look out for the corrections. LOL.


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## BTackitt (Dec 15, 2008)

Well, I am a lady who hasn't carried a purse (except for EXTREMELY special occasions) in over 5 yers, and yet, my Kindle goes everywhere with me. I don't have a smart phone, don't want one, I don't text, my phone is strictly for phone calls. I have a K2, and when I dies I will get whatever the latest Kindle version is with whatever version of internet access there is. I have enough books on it, that I can concievably read a book a day for almost 3 years, (I hit 308 last year so this is not that big a stretch) but so what? I still use the internet access on it not quite daily, but certainly more than once a week. and not in wifi-able areas 90% or more of the time.


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## Cindy416 (May 2, 2009)

BTackitt said:


> Well, I am a lady who hasn't carried a purse (except for EXTREMELY special occasions) in over 5 yers, and yet, my Kindle goes everywhere with me. I don't have a smart phone, don't want one, I don't text, my phone is strictly for phone calls. I have a K2, and when I dies I will get whatever the latest Kindle version is with whatever version of internet access there is. I have enough books on it, that I can concievably read a book a day for almost 3 years, (I hit 308 last year so this is not that big a stretch) but so what? I still use the internet access on it not quite daily, but certainly more than once a week. and not in wifi-able areas 90% or more of the time.


What do you carry your Kindle in? Do you just have it in its case? I'd be so afraid that it would get rained or snowed on, or that I'd either drop it, leave it behind accidentally, or have it lifted while I put it down to use a debit/credit card. Do you just leave it in the car? Around here, the weather is either too hot or too cold to leave my Kindle, regardless of how carefully I'd hide it, in the car. (I have put it in an empty cooler in the trunk on the rare occasion that I've left it in the car for a few minutes.)


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## BTackitt (Dec 15, 2008)

I live in Tx, so not alot of snow, normally. I just carry it in my hand in an M-Edge executive cover I got for it when I bought it. If I have to pull my wallet out of my back pocket to use a card for something, I just tuck it under my arm. It is NEVER out of my reach except when charging.


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## Cindy416 (May 2, 2009)

BTackitt said:


> I live in Tx, so not alot of snow, normally. I just carry it in my hand in an M-Edge executive cover I got for it when I bought it. If I have to pull my wallet out of my back pocket to use a card for something, I just tuck it under my arm. It is NEVER out of my reach except when charging.


I'm impressed! I'd have mine either dropped, stolen, or stained/ruined in no time, even given the fact that I absolutely LOVE it and would watch over it very carefully.


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## mooshie78 (Jul 15, 2010)

Yeah, I couldn't stand carrying something around in my hand all the time when I'm out shopping or walking around the city etc.

That said, I'm probably not an avid reader compared to most since I really only read (not count work stuff at work) before sleeping most days.  When out and about the only time I'd want to read is in waiting rooms etc., so a lot of times there I'll just take my briefcase/attache work bag with me so I have my Kindle or work related reading to kill time.

Point being I've never felt a need to have my Kindle with me all the time as I don't do much reading in public, or while traveling (other than on the plane) etc.


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## LauraElizabeth (Mar 19, 2010)

Cindy416 said:


> Finally, I have found someone else who still has a land line!


I'm another one. Our cell phone does not work where we live, so if we are going to have a phone at home it has to be a landline.


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## Egham (Oct 26, 2010)

SueEllen said:


> I'm another one. Our cell phone does not work where we live, so if we are going to have a phone at home it has to be a landline.


And, I'm yet another. We actually have three land lines, 2 with DSL and faxes since we both work from home and the third is our "home" or "after hours" phone which is seldom used these days.


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## mooshie78 (Jul 15, 2010)

I've been without a landline since late 2005.  Haven't missed it a bit.  But I live in a city so get great cell reception.  I don't make a lot of calls anyway and do more communicating with e-mail, text messages, facebook and MSN messenger anyway.  Phone calls are usually just to the girlfriend or my parents and random stuff like getting Dr's appointments etc.


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## WilliamM (Feb 10, 2009)

Cindy416 said:


> Finally, I have found someone else who still has a land line!  We have our primarily because of the fax machine that we use with our farming operation, but the phone number is the original one that I was assigned when I moved to this little hamlet (1,200 people on a good day, counting pregnant women LOL) in 1972. Once my husband and I were married, we kept the phone number, moved to the country, and have been here now for almost 37 years. Maybe we'd hold on to the land line even if we didn't have a fax machine. I'm sentimental that way.


id really love to hook up an old dial phone 
my landline is more for emergency calls..i still find cell phones unreliable and do not want to depend on one for any emergency calls


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## boyd32450 (Dec 30, 2010)

Well I can see many reasons but one in particular comes to mind.......my ex lives in North Hollywood and her internet is dial-up because the area she lives in is not a high priority for fast internet. 3g works fine though.


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## mooshie78 (Jul 15, 2010)

Fuzzy Dunlop said:


> my landline is more for emergency calls..i still find cell phones unreliable and do not want to depend on one for any emergency calls


Definitely a need if cell service isn't reliable in your area.

In a city the landlines went out more often than cell signal, so I saw no need to keep paying for a landline for myself. Though the obvious problem is if there's no power for days and you can't charge the phone--but that's never happened since I've been living in cities since the highly populated areas get top priority for repairs after storms etc.

Besides I live in a 300-some unit high rise condo building, so plenty of doors to knock on, as well as a 24 hour concierge, if I have an emergency and my cell isn't working for some reason.


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## Zell (Dec 27, 2010)

Cindy416 said:


> That's what happens when I post via my iPhone when I don't have auto-correct enabled. Of course, when auto-correct is enabled, it's anyone's guess what words will be substituted for my intended words when I type in a hurry and don't look out for the corrections. LOL.


I'm just kidding. I have a hard time writing anything unless I'm doing it on a full-size keyboard.


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## Zell (Dec 27, 2010)

SueEllen said:


> I'm another one. Our cell phone does not work where we live, so if we are going to have a phone at home it has to be a landline.


I wish we were cell phone only at home. My wife works from home as a customer service supervisor for a major airline. We have to have a phone line.


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## bordercollielady (Nov 21, 2008)

I bought  a  3G  but  don't think I  will do it  for my next  Kindle.  Once  I connected to my  wireless router -I discovered  how much  faster  it is to download  books.     I  have  enough  books  on  the Kindle  that I won't ever run out when I'm  out and  about.

Also -  while  I have worked for a  Telco for 32 years  (so I have  a bias) -  I still find it  cheaper and easier to use my landline  when  I work at home and I'm often on the phone for hours  at a time.  Dont have to chew up wireless minutes,  the connection is  more reliable,  and I still have my cell  handy in case  I need to call  or receive other  calls.


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## Cindy416 (May 2, 2009)

I neglected to mention that cell phone reception can be pretty spotty where I live, and there would be times when we would have no phone reception at all were we to get rid of our land line.


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## mlewis78 (Apr 19, 2009)

To each his own.  Amazon has both, because some people don't have wi-fi at home and are wiling to pay the extra $50.  Seems like overkill for me, however.


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## KindleChickie (Oct 24, 2009)

Just today I was sitting in an area without wifi and someone was talking about a biography, I popped out my Kindle and it had it downloaded in 2 minutes flat.  If I would have waited until i was in a hotspot chances are I would have forgotten about the book.

I also will many times just stick a few dollars and/or a credit card in my Kindle cover and go off without a purse.  Especially if I am going to sit at a cafe or bistro and read my newspapers.

And in some cases, I have even used it to check movie start times or mail.  I went to the grocery store the other day and decided to send a few bucks to a friend via western union.  I popped out my Kindle and retrieved their info.

Its convenient and economical when you factor in how many months I have had free 3G courtesy of Amazon.com.


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## mlewis78 (Apr 19, 2009)

KindleChickie said:


> Just today I was sitting in an area without wifi and someone was talking about a biography, I popped out my Kindle and it had it downloaded in 2 minutes flat. If I would have waited until i was in a hotspot chances are I would have forgotten about the book.


That's just what I don't want to do. If I forget about a book later, that's fine. Can't read everything that is recommended to me. It's fine for other people to do this, but it's not for me. I buy my kindle books from the computer at home and not directly from my kindle.


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## Buttercup (Oct 28, 2008)

I haven't read the other replies but I can't get Wifi at work, or camping or a lot of places so 3g is fantastic!


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## LauraB (Nov 23, 2008)

I never bother with wifi on my k3. When I got it I never entered the password and told it to "forget" the wifi at our house, so it goes straight to 3G. It will connect at B&N and Panera if I don't "forget" them. I put Panera on forget because the one I go to makes you go through some "I agree" stuff each time and its too much trouble.


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## pahiker (Feb 27, 2010)

I'd never want just a wi-fi hook up!  I go camping and there aren't a lot of hot spots at campgrounds to download a daily newspaper.  3G works great everywhere I've travelled!


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## MichelleR (Feb 21, 2009)

KindleChickie said:


> Just today I was sitting in an area without wifi and someone was talking about a biography, I popped out my Kindle and it had it downloaded in 2 minutes flat. If I would have waited until i was in a hotspot chances are I would have forgotten about the book.


Yep. I used to find myself in a bookstore and unable to remember a book or author. A dead end. Love that those days are over!


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## fancynancy (Aug 9, 2009)

Good question.  Thanks for asking it.  I'm still enjoying my K2us, which has both, but if and when my K2 dies, I'm not sure which way I will go.  My wi-fi at home is good, and like you, I don't read more than 2 or 3 books per month plus the New Yorker.  When I took a vacation in Paris, I had all the books, including maps and tour guides, that I needed on my Kindle before I left.  We even took a tour of the Louvre using the self-guide on my Kindle.


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## Elk (Oct 4, 2010)

mlewis78 said:


> That's just what I don't want to do. If I forget about a book later, that's fine.


Is this just a function of finding a way to avoid spur of the moment purchases? I'm far from critical, just curious if your using wi-fu only as a bit of self control. 

And I see that you are of the flutist rather than flautist camp. The better choice.


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## Vegas_Asian (Nov 2, 2008)

Cindy416 said:


> That's what happens when I post via my iPhone when I don't have auto-correct enabled. Of course, when auto-correct is enabled, it's anyone's guess what words will be substituted for my intended words when I type in a hurry and don't look out for the corrections. LOL.


My itouch does this all the time when I posting on kb


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## Cindy416 (May 2, 2009)

MichelleR said:


> Yep. I used to find myself in a bookstore and unable to remember a book or author. A dead end. Love that those days are over!


I was in a restaurant one day when the waiter came over and asked about my Kindle. Of course, I was more than happy to show it to him. When he told mbout a book that he thought I might like, I downloaded a sample after he leftbthe table. Later, I showed the sample to him, and he said that won him over, and he was going to order a Kindle when he got off work.


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## mooshie78 (Jul 15, 2010)

One thing I wasn't aware of until reading another thread here yesterday, is that you can't independently turn the wifi and 3g off on that model.

So that made me extra glad that I went WiFi only since I'd always keep it off on the 3G model since the 3G eats the battery so much quicker (rated at 10 days vs. 3 weeks for the wifi only model with wireless turned on).  I always kept the 3g off on my k1 and k2 as I don't get subscriptions or use whispersync enough to take the battery life hit.

But with the wifi only, I can live with 3 weeks instead of a month, and its nice to have the whispersync incase I want to read a little on the Kindle app on my office PC etc.


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## mlewis78 (Apr 19, 2009)

Elk said:


> Is this just a function of finding a way to avoid spur of the moment purchases? I'm far from critical, just curious if your using wi-fu only as a bit of self control.
> 
> And I see that you are of the flutist rather than flautist camp. The better choice.


I had the self-control as well with my K1 and K2 by buying at home on my computer as well. When I bought my first kindle, I was talking to some friends at work who said "uh-oh -- much easier to make impulse purchases on this." Decided that I would only rarely buy directly from the kindle. Guess my point was that I don't need to buy books when I'm out or away.

Wi-fi is faster at home than 3G was (at least on my K2) anyway.

Elk, do you play flute (or any other instrument)?


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## KindTrish (May 25, 2009)

I use my 3G quite often.  I live off the grid and that is how I get my magazine's and newspapers delivered.  Also, in airports, I will browse the book stores, get on the plane and then download my book for reading on the plane.  Not all planes have wireless,  although it is getting more common.  I love the independence that the 3G provides as I do not have to worry about when and if a wireless source will be available.

I now do have the option of using my phone as a wireless hotspot, but why bother when the 3G is so handy and already built in the K2.


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## LauraB (Nov 23, 2008)

fancynancy said:


> Good question. Thanks for asking it. I'm still enjoying my K2us, which has both,...


I don't understand this. Your k2us has "both" of what?


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## Elk (Oct 4, 2010)

mlewis78 said:


> Elk, do you play flute (or any other instrument)?


Trumpet, primarily classical. I also make on location recordings of concerts, from small chamber groups to full orchestra and choir.

I played flute years ago just for fun. I was reasonably technically proficient, but never developed the magical, velvety tone of an accomplished flutist.


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## ladyknight33 (Feb 2, 2009)

I don't have a K3 as yet in another 9 days. My daughter is buying it and I told her I wanted the 3G model. I have a K2 and the convience of being able to buy and download now are worth the extra $50 to me.


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## zeppo (Jan 13, 2011)

mooshie78 said:


> One thing I wasn't aware of until reading another thread here yesterday, is that you can't independently turn the wifi and 3g off on that model.
> 
> So that made me extra glad that I went WiFi only since I'd always keep it off on the 3G model since the 3G eats the battery so much quicker (rated at 10 days vs. 3 weeks for the wifi only model with wireless turned on). I always kept the 3g off on my k1 and k2 as I don't get subscriptions or use whispersync enough to take the battery life hit.
> 
> But with the wifi only, I can live with 3 weeks instead of a month, and its nice to have the whispersync incase I want to read a little on the Kindle app on my office PC etc.


Hey, you lost me a little here. I may be misunderstanding which post you are responding to when you say "that model."

Best I can tell from other posters talking about the battery life on their Kindle 3Gs is that you can turn wifi and 3g off independently. Can some one confirm this?

In regards to the person that said this thread is silly... that person totally missed the point. This is indeed a worthwhile thread. I wondered the same thing. I couldn't see much use of paying an extra $50 for the wireless and wanted to find out what value people were getting out of it, just like Zell. Surprisingly, I may have been won over to shelling out the extra $50, if and when I take the plunge on a kindle. I don't really care about the immediacy of downloading a book. It will be easy to download plenty of reading to have on hand whenever I finish an ebook and am not near a wifi or usb connection to the internet. I could keep numerous collections of short stories on hand I am interested in reading, no problem. But the idea of having access to email whereever I go is pretty cool, even though it is really sluggish and difficult to navigate. I tried it out yesterday on a friends. I don't have an internet phone, plus, if I ever get lucky enough to travel internationally again, it would definitely be worth it then.


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## pidgeon92 (Oct 27, 2008)

zeppo said:


> Best I can tell from other posters talking about the battery life on their Kindle 3Gs is that you can turn wifi and 3g off independently. Can some one confirm this?


No, you cannot turn them off independently. Wireless is either on or off.


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## Betsy the Quilter (Oct 27, 2008)

Fuzzy Dunlop said:


> id really love to hook up an old dial phone
> my landline is more for emergency calls..i still find cell phones unreliable and do not want to depend on one for any emergency calls


We have two dial phones hooked up, in addition to several cordless phones.

Betsy


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## Jamjar (Nov 22, 2008)

I have the wireless and 3G.  I wanted the 3G because I had it with my Kindle 1.  It is a one-time purchase. I use my wireless at home for most downloaded books.  My sister, received a Kindle 3 without 3G and does not have wireless at home.  She needs to go to her local supermarket to get wireless, for her, downloading to her computer might be best without the 3G.  I just like to convenience of 3G.


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## zeppo (Jan 13, 2011)

pidgeon92 said:


> No, you cannot turn them off independently. Wireless is either on or off.


I'm not sure if I'm missing someone's meaning here or if what you state above conflicts with what I read in a post about battery life here yesterday (http://www.kboards.com/index.php?topic=49038.0 ) titled "K2 vs K3, battery differences?"

The first reply to that posts says:

"I usually got about 2.5 weeks on my K2 with 3G off. On the K3 I'm getting right around 3 with the WiFi on. " ...

"3G eats a lot of battery though, the 3G K3 is only rated for 10 days if you leave the wireless on. "

so from the above it leads me to understand that this K3 owner gets 3 weeks battery life with wiFi on but that would be reduced to 10 days if they turned on 3G wireless. So it would seem you can have wifi on independently of the wireless 3G by this post. I am confused as to whether you and this poster disagree, or if it is me misunderstanding what you both are trying to say.


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## MAGreen (Jan 5, 2009)

zeppo said:


> I'm not sure if I'm missing someone's meaning here or if what you state above conflicts with what I read in a post about battery life here yesterday (http://www.kboards.com/index.php?topic=49038.0 ) titled "K2 vs K3, battery differences?"
> 
> The first reply to that posts says:
> 
> ...


I believe they are talking about different models. The K2 only has 3G. The K3 has two models, one with wifi only and one with 3G and wifi. If you have both 3G and wifi, you cannot turn wifi and 3G on and off independently. It is either wireless on or off. You can choose to not connect to a wifi network while having wireless on meaning that you are connecting with the 3G. However, you cannot turn 3G off while having wifi on.
So the first comment about getting 3 weeks with wifi on would be the wifi only model. The second comment about it lasting 10 days would be the 3G and wifi model with wireless left on.


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## Chad Winters (Oct 28, 2008)

that is an advantage to the wifi only model that i hadn't considered


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## Casse (Oct 16, 2009)

pidgeon92 said:


> Convenience.


This 

Travel frequently for work and on several occasions have found a new author or series, finished the book, and downloaded the next one one the plane prior to take off.

It's only $50 - no additional fees - worth it IMO


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## Pushka (Oct 30, 2009)

pidgeon92 said:


> No, you cannot turn them off independently. Wireless is either on or off.


You do have the following options though.
No wireless on (neither 3G or wifi)
Wireless on, wifi connected to available wifi setting. In this scenario, 3G is not connected
Wireless on, wifi available but ignored (through setting management) 3G connected
Wireless on, no wifi available, 3G connected
Wireless on, no wifi available, no 3G signal available.


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## mooshie78 (Jul 15, 2010)

zeppo said:


> I'm not sure if I'm missing someone's meaning here or if what you state above conflicts with what I read in a post about battery life here yesterday (http://www.kboards.com/index.php?topic=49038.0 ) titled "K2 vs K3, battery differences?"
> 
> The first reply to that posts says:
> 
> ...


The K2 was ONLY 3G, no WiFi. With the K3 you can get a version that's only WiFi, or one that has 3G and WiFi.

On the WiFi only K3 you get about 3 weeks with the WiFi on. On the K3 that has WiFi or 3G they are both on all the time, so you only get 10 days with the wireless on--even if you don't actively use the 3G as you can't turn off the 3G antenna while leaving the WiFi antenna on. So the 3G is eating battery life even if it's not connected to 3G because you're at a WiFi hot spot.

So if you're always at a wifi hot spot (i.e. really only use the Kindle at home like I do), the WiFi only is not only $50 cheaper, but also allows you to use whisper sync while getting 3 weeks of battery life instead of the 10 days you'd get with the WiFi and 3G version.

Again, not knocking 3G users, as it is a useful feature for many. Just throwing it out there to help anyone on the fence about which model to get as their is a price and battery life hit that may not be worth it for some like me who have good WiFi at home and seldom take the Kindle out of the house.


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## sherylb (Oct 27, 2008)

Which is a moot point if you turn off Wi-Fi/3G when not actively using it.


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## mooshie78 (Jul 15, 2010)

sherylb said:


> Which is a moot point if you turn off Wi-Fi/3G when not actively using it.


True, but then you can't use the whispersync if you're reading on multiple devices. So with the WiFi only I can pick up reading on my office PC and other places I have the kindle app while till getting 3 weeks battery life.

Something I never did before as I kept the 3G off on my K2 as it ate the battery too fast.

So it's just a matter of one's personal needs and uses for their kindle on which version is ideal for them.


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## screwballl (Jan 4, 2011)

In my case:

1) I preload plenty of books

2) I am rarely away from home long enough to need it, but

3) if I am away from home, I am usually in the middle of a book already or have enough preloaded

Therefore I have no use for 3G, so I bought the wifi only model.


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## Pushka (Oct 30, 2009)

mooshie78 said:


> True, but then you can't use the whispersync if you're reading on multiple devices. So with the WiFi only I can pick up reading on my office PC and other places I have the kindle app while till getting 3 weeks battery life.
> 
> Something I never did before as I kept the 3G off on my K2 as it ate the battery too fast.
> 
> So it's just a matter of one's personal needs and uses for their kindle on which version is ideal for them.


But by default, the kindle uses WIFI and not 3G. So you can keep the wireless on with the wifi/3G and consume the same battery as the wifi only model.


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## Joe Chiappetta (May 20, 2010)

I am on a city of Chicago bus reading kindle boards and replying via 3G. That is a great use for it as a traveller.


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## mooshie78 (Jul 15, 2010)

Pushka said:


> But by default, the kindle uses WIFI and not 3G. So you can keep the wireless on with the wifi/3G and consume the same battery as the wifi only model.


But I thought the 3G antenna still being on ran the battery down faster even if it's connected to WiFi? Amazon just lists the battery life on the 3G/Wifi model as 10 hours with wireless on--so I'd thought it didn't matter whether 3G was actively being used (otherwise they could have listed different battery lives for 3G connection vs. WiFi for that model).

If that's not the case then I stand corrected on that point.

But would still be happy I saved the $50 since my Kindle seldom leaves the house.


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## AnThem (Dec 28, 2010)

I thought the same thing so opted not to fork over the extra cash for the 3G. Now I wish I had. I don't have wifi at home and I thought it would be no big deal to find an open connection, but I can't. I have to wait until I'm at work or someone's house to use their wifi. I also have the kindle app on my black berry and occasionally read on it, but I can't sync my devices. It's not a huge deal, I can just enter the location, but it would be another perk of having 3G.


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## Belle2Be (Aug 29, 2010)

mooshie78 said:


> But I thought the 3G antenna still being on ran the battery down faster even if it's connected to WiFi? Amazon just lists the battery life on the 3G/Wifi model as 10 hours with wireless on--so I'd thought it didn't matter whether 3G was actively being used (otherwise they could have listed different battery lives for 3G connection vs. WiFi for that model).
> 
> If that's not the case then I stand corrected on that point.
> 
> But would still be happy I saved the $50 since my Kindle seldom leaves the house.


I'm confused as to what you think the plus is?
On the Kindle 3 Wifi,you can turn the Wifi off, and have a 3 week battery.
On the Kindle 3 3gWifi, you can turn the 3GWifi off and have a 3 week battery. 
There is no difference, since there is no point to leaving the wifi OR 3G on when you aren't using it.


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## mooshie78 (Jul 15, 2010)

Belle2Be said:


> I'm confused as to what you think the plus is?
> On the Kindle 3 Wifi,you can turn the Wifi off, and have a 3 week battery.
> On the Kindle 3 3gWifi, you can turn the 3GWifi off and have a 3 week battery.
> There is no difference, since there is no point to leaving the wifi OR 3G on when you aren't using it.


Again, if you read on multiple devices, the benefit of leaving the wireless on is that the whispersync is always working so you can always pick up reading right where you left off on any other devices with Kindle apps.

And on the K2 WiFi--the battery life is 3 weeks with the wifi ON, and a month with it off. Vs. 10 days (advertised on Amazon anyway) with the wireless on the K3 3G model.

It's nice to get 3 week battery life and still have whispersync on all the time, vs having to turn on wireless, wait for it to connect and select the sync option in the menu and turn off the wireless again everytime you finish reading on the Kindle and think you'll want to pick up later on a PC or iPhone etc.


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## Belle2Be (Aug 29, 2010)

mooshie78 said:


> Again, if you read on multiple devices, the benefit of leaving the wireless on is that the whispersync is always working so you can always pick up reading right where you left off on any other devices with Kindle apps.
> 
> And on the K2 WiFi--the battery life is 3 weeks with the wifi ON, and a month with it off. Vs. 10 days (advertised on Amazon anyway) with the wireless on the K3 3G model.
> 
> It's nice to get 3 week battery life and still have whispersync on all the time, vs having to turn on wireless, wait for it to connect and select the sync option in the menu and turn off the wireless again everytime you finish reading on the Kindle and think you'll want to pick up later on a PC or iPhone etc.


I don't read on anything but my Kindle, so I don't know how that works. Interesting though


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## mooshie78 (Jul 15, 2010)

Belle2Be said:


> I don't read on anything but my Kindle, so I don't know how that works. Interesting though


Yeah. Basically if wifi or 3G is connected it's constantly updating your furthest page read info, so you can then open the book on the kindle for PC app, or iPhone etc. and sync right to the page you left off and start reading again.

Great feature for those of us who sometimes read in the office but don't carry the Kindle around etc.


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## sherylb (Oct 27, 2008)

mooshie78 said:


> Yeah. Basically if wifi or 3G is connected it's constantly updating your furthest page read info, so you can then open the book on the kindle for PC app, or iPhone etc. and sync right to the page you left off and start reading again.
> 
> Great feature for those of us who sometimes read in the office but don't carry the Kindle around etc.


I read between my Kindle 3G and my Droid X. 
When reading on my Kindle 3G, I have found if I leave wireless/3G on while at home it does NOT automatically sync with Amazon. My wireless goes to sleep and I have to tell it to sync, at which time it re-connects with the wireless. It's easier for me to note the location and punch it up on my phone than to sync.


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## mooshie78 (Jul 15, 2010)

I haven't had problems using my K3 and the Kindle for PC app.

If I read with the WiFi on, and then come into the office and sync up in the app it jumps to the right page the couple times I've done it lately anyway.


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## Belle2Be (Aug 29, 2010)

mooshie78 said:


> Yeah. Basically if wifi or 3G is connected it's constantly updating your furthest page read info, so you can then open the book on the kindle for PC app, or iPhone etc. and sync right to the page you left off and start reading again.
> 
> Great feature for those of us who sometimes read in the office but don't carry the Kindle around etc.


  You mean there are people who don't consider their ereader an extension of themselves? Mine is like a 3rd arm or second brain or something


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## Teinouji (Dec 13, 2010)

I planned on getting the Kindle with 3G, but I'll just use the WiFi at home since I pay for it monthly. I'd rather save the money. Also, I plan to always keep a handful of books on my Kindle (when I order it next Tuesday). Oh, can you tell that I'm excited.


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## mooshie78 (Jul 15, 2010)

Belle2Be said:


> You mean there are people who don't consider their ereader an extension of themselves? Mine is like a 3rd arm or second brain or something


Yeah, I'm not a super avid reader. I read a ton for work being a professor, so my leisure reading is usually limited to a bit at night before sleeping, or on plane trips, in waiting rooms etc.

Also, being a guy I don't carry a purse, and I usually don't have a backpack or brief case when I'm out and about (other than when going to the office) so it's too hard to carry something like the Kindle around since it's too big for a pocket.


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## MagicalWingLT (May 12, 2009)

I find the WiFi bothersome... Half the time it barely works at home... Sometimes my wireless router needs to reset thus giving a new password automatically... And then I don't know it does it till when I try to use the WiFi on the Kindle or on my Wii and it says "Can't Connect" 

With the 3G I don't have any of those problems... Don't have to worry about not being able to connect...


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## mooshie78 (Jul 15, 2010)

Yeah, that is one downside.  Apparently the K3 doesn't like some routers.  Thankfully I've had no problems with mine.  My router occasionally needs reset.  But it stays on the same WPA password so that's not a hassle.  And it's probably once a month or less that it gets screwy and needs reset. 

So thankfully for me I seldom have any wifi issues with my K3 or laptop or other gadgets.


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## Rebekah (Oct 9, 2009)

I'm kind of late to the party here, but my 2 cents:

This is my second Kindle; my K2 only had 3G and there was no choice at the time...

I chose the K3 with both 3G and WiFi for several reasons; I didn't even consider the WiFi only as an option for myself.  We are Americans living in Germany and we move pretty frequently (once a year or so).  While I have WiFi at home for the moment, we never have the guarantee that it will be a viable option everywhere we might move to.  Also, although I didn't purchase either of my Kindles for this purpose, I've sometimes been grateful for the web browsing to at least check my email when I may not have a way of communicating via phone while traveling.  Using the 3G is very convenient for that purpose...as any time we've been away from home and tried to use WiFi for other devices such as the laptop, it has often been a pain to try to try to access it.


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## Julia (Jul 30, 2010)

Didn't read all the replies but honestly, because it's the best.  Sure if everything works out just right for wi-fi, that's all you need but why jump through any hoops I don't need to jump through? With 3G, I don't have worry about being in a hot spot or even consider if the hotel has free wi-fi or internet. It's just not an issue. I can get books and check any website I want away from home from any location. Speeding down the road on a road-trip (not driving of course!) or at the park with my kids.


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## geko29 (Dec 23, 2008)

MagicalWingLT said:


> I find the WiFi bothersome... Half the time it barely works at home... Sometimes my wireless router needs to reset thus giving a new password automatically... And then I don't know it does it till when I try to use the WiFi on the Kindle or on my Wii and it says "Can't Connect"


If your wireless router generates a new WEP/WPA password every time you restart it, you need to throw it in the trash and buy one that isn't a piece of junk. There's no reason you should tolerate that.


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## Pushka (Oct 30, 2009)

geko29 said:


> If your wireless router generates a new WEP/WPA password every time you restart it, you need to throw it in the trash and buy one that isn't a piece of junk. There's no reason you should tolerate that.


I think they might mean reset it? I have only done this once in 10years, but it has been restarted many times. Otherwise yes, get rid of it, that would drive me batty too.


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## Ctychick (Jan 5, 2011)

I also got 3G primarily to ensure that WhisperSync was always working for me. Although it's not often, I'm always grateful to be able pick up my place on my Android phone in a pinch when I don't have my Kindle handy. An added benefit of being able to read on your phone - being able to read in a dark movie theater when I take my kids. If you reverse the print to white on black, there's barely any light given off, so you don't disturm anyone and can still read comfortably. I discovered this when taking my daughter to see Tangled. I loved it when we saw it the fist time, but the second time - not so much. I read the whole time!


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## MagicalWingLT (May 12, 2009)

Um hate to say it but it happens alot to people using wireless routers... I had this router for a year now so No I don't need to throw it in the trash... Even with other routers I had the same problem happened a lot... It's a common problem for people who use wireless routers....


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## dadooronronron (Jan 20, 2011)

My kids bought me a 3G kindle a week ago for my birthday. At first I thought that was excessive and that I'd have been just as happy with a wi-fi Kindle. Wrong! I don't know about the rest of the world but here in Liverpool UK there are not that many free wi-fi hotspots - I usually stand outside the Apple store if I'm in the city centre!. 

Also, hotels and the like often charge and are not cheap. I've just enjoyed a 2 week cruise with Norwegian Cruise Lines (excellent by the way) but boy do they know how to charge for wi-fi access! Two minutes for $1.50 and the service is satellite not broadband so think old dial-up speeds. If you wanted to browse the Kindle bookstore and make a few purchases, it could easily cost you the price of a few books.


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## Fireheart223 (Oct 3, 2010)

Elk said:


> 3G is great when wi-fi is not available, for everything from buying books to checking email.
> 
> If this is not of interest, the w-fi only version is for you.


Besides just for the browser, you need the 3G to download books if you don't have WiFi access, which not everyone does. Where I used to live, we didn't have a wireless router, so no WiFi. Not to mention that if your WiFi stops working, like it did where I'm living now for a few days last week, then you have no way to download items. So I'm personally glad to know that I always have my 3G if I need it.


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## TLM (Apr 8, 2010)

Having a K2i, I am spoiled by the 3G connection.  If/when I need to upgrade and the 3G connection is still free I will spend the extra $50 for the 3G model.  My Droid had both Wi/Fi and 3G.  Having to put in a password for "free" wireless isn't convenient and it is so much easier to just use the 3G.  And I have also been in places where I didn't have Wi/Fi, hotels - poor signal or not free, work, etc.  While traveling in I-70 I was out of 3G range last summer for about 1 hr and wouldn't you know it, I had just finished a sample that I wanted to buy and finish reading!  It was a long hour until I got to Columbus and within ATT 3G range again.  That was scary enough that I don't want to think about having Wi/Fi only and no access  .  With 3G I was able to download my daily blogs at my gym this morning while on the recline bike and read them.  I haven't inquired, but I bet they don't have Wi/Fi there.  I am never without my Kindle2.


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## zeppo (Jan 13, 2011)

Fireheart223 said:


> Besides just for the browser, you need the 3G to download books if you don't have WiFi access, which not everyone does.


Are you saying the Kindle 3 doesn't have a USB port? I didn't realize this, if this is the case. Another reason I may opt for 3g version if true.


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## musclehead (Dec 29, 2010)

zeppo said:


> Are you saying the Kindle 3 doesn't have a USB port? I didn't realize this, if this is the case. Another reason I may opt for 3g version if true.


Both versions of the K3 have USB ports. You can transfer books to the Kindle via USB.


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## Fireheart223 (Oct 3, 2010)

zeppo said:


> Are you saying the Kindle 3 doesn't have a USB port? I didn't realize this, if this is the case. Another reason I may opt for 3g version if true.


No, it does. Sorry, I should've said that you need 3G to download wirelessly if you don't have WiFi. Forgot about manually since I never use it


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## mlewis78 (Apr 19, 2009)

I buy a lot of my books from other sources (including free public domain classics), so I email from Calibre to the free kindle address, via Wi-Fi.


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## zeppo (Jan 13, 2011)

Fireheart223 said:


> No, it does. Sorry, I should've said that you need 3G to download wirelessly if you don't have WiFi.


Actually what I think you should have said then is you need 3G or a usb connection to the internet if you don't have WiFi. Not everyone that has an internet connection has WiFi, though I guess that is changing rapidly. I'm a little behind the times in that respect. But that is where I was confused.


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## Gail K (Feb 26, 2010)

Zell said:


> . . . but why would a person want a Kindle 3G to connect remotely (other than Wi-Fi) to download media when they could just download via Wi-Fi then take those books/etc. with them? I realize the Kindle does have an "Experimental" web browser but, in my opinion, the Kindle's web browser is pitiful as a tool to access the internet -- which is why it's still in the experimental stage. (I'm really looking forward to a more refined browser when it's available.)
> 
> If a 3G user travels a lot I'm certain they can still download media via a hotel/motel Wi-Fi -- or the many other places that offer Wi-Fi.
> 
> ...


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## beesocks (Feb 4, 2010)

I have the wifi only model.  My next kindle will have 3G   I did it to save money, but I'm NEVER near a wifi signal, don't have it at home, don't visit any places with it.  I knew of course that I'd need a wifi signal to download, but i thought I would sideload everything.  I didn't realize how annoying it would be until I got it, so my poor K3 sits ignored in favor of my trusty K2.  Its actually faster to load via USB than the 3G download to kindle, but sometimes you just don't want to move to get another book


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## SailorMerry (Dec 18, 2010)

I usually have access to wifi (at home, at school, and at work), but my problem is that I'm still on my parents' phone plan (I'm in college) and my dad refuses to let anyone get any sort of data plan (because he's a cheapskate that's cheated the phone company into a ridiculously cheap voice plan and doesn't want o "mess it up" ). So whenever we go vacation or to visit my grandparents, etc., I'm left cut off from the rest of the world, essentially (again, I'm in college and I'm used to being plugged-in all the time). With the free 3G, I can actually check my e-mail, facebook, etc. 

So yeah, I got the 3G as a lifeline.


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## Guest (Jan 31, 2011)

MagicalWingLT said:


> Um hate to say it but it happens alot to people using wireless routers... I had this router for a year now so No I don't need to throw it in the trash... Even with other routers I had the same problem happened a lot... It's a common problem for people who use wireless routers....


No it's not. I've had my current router for two years and before that we had another for nearly 3. We've NEVER had the issue you are describing and neither had anyone I know with a router. You either have a misconfigured router or one that is a piece of junk.


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## Guest (Jan 31, 2011)

When I upgrade to the K3 I will most likely get the WiFi only model. We have excellent WiFi at home and I have a 3G/4G hotspot from my cellular provider that gives me access everywhere so paying the extra $50 doesn't make sense for me. I can understand why most people prefer it though!


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## Organized_Chaos (Jan 31, 2011)

Zell said:


> . . . but why would a person want a Kindle 3G to connect remotely (other than Wi-Fi) to download media when they could just download via Wi-Fi then take those books/etc. with them? I realize the Kindle does have an "Experimental" web browser but, in my opinion, the Kindle's web browser is pitiful as a tool to access the internet -- which is why it's still in the experimental stage. (I'm really looking forward to a more refined browser when it's available.)
> 
> If a 3G user travels a lot I'm certain they can still download media via a hotel/motel Wi-Fi -- or the many other places that offer Wi-Fi.
> 
> ...


1. 3G is faster than my internet at home. 
2. I don't have to go hunt for a wifi spot to download a book.
3. Edge is faster than the wifi at my home.
4. My phone doesn't have internet

The main reason I bought the 3G version was because of #3 and #2. Seriously. It just depends on the user's needs. If you have fast internet in your home and you are always around wifi, then you don't need the 3G model. There are two places in the nearest town with free wifi. An it's a 15 minute drive for me to get there. Since my wifi is slow and unreliable, 3G was the better choice for me.


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## Amiedoll (Jun 29, 2010)

I don't have 3g on my new kindle, I barely used it on my k2i, so wireless was fine for me. I can see why others would get it though. I have hundreds of books on my kindle and since I usb charge it anyway I just use calibre to organise my books.
I got my k3 today, and it hooked up to my wireless easily and I sent it some of my Amazon books with no problems, it was just as fast as usual so that's fine  . 

I don't tend to travel so not having wireless is not an issue since my kindle barely leaves my home, and when it does I make sure I have everything I want to read on it already.


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## CoffeeCat (Sep 13, 2010)

Cindy416 said:


> I love it because I live in the boondocks, 8 miles from the nearest town, in which there is one McDonald's and that's the only public wi-fi hotspot. I have wi-fi at home and in my classroom (but that may change). I want to be able to download a book or a sample whenever and wherever I want. If I'm somewhere and I hear about a good book or an interesting author, I want to be able to browse the Amazon store while the author or book is on my mind. I also want to be able to buy a book after having read a sample, wherever I may be.
> 
> I realize that many people have wi-fi access nearly everywhere, but I don't. I figured that the extra $50 necessary to buy the 3G Kindle 3 would be money well-spent, and I still feel that way.


This.


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