Buying a Kindle - advice please

scoobydoo


Joined: 10/11/2008
Posts: 2434

Message Posted:
10/04/2011 07:43

I have made up my mind that I am definitely going to purchase a Kindle however there are 2 different ones and I would like to know from those of you who have Kindles whether it is worth paying the extra for the 3G model.



I have a few questions:



1. These ereaders hold a huge amount of books, surely you would have enough books on there to last you a good length holiday?



2. Is the difference in price so little that I might as well buy the 3G?



3. Are there any other added benefits to paying for the 3G model?



4. Is it easy to download to either Kindle?



5. Do you wish you had bought the other model, if so, why?



Thanks!

ozankoys


Joined: 20/06/2008
Posts: 905

Message Posted:
10/04/2011 07:56

We have an ordinary wi-fi kindle which downloads books in a matter of seconds, you can purchase as many as you want at a time and can preview books as well to read a few chapters.

You can also surf the web and e-mail from it, this is a free service (in TRNC anyway) and can obviously use it at any wi-fi hotspot you happen to be visiting.

I do not know of any further advantages the 3G could give you unless it is for people who do not have wi-fi?

I would recommend however getting one with a light as this was not available when we bought ours at Christmas.

Groucho



Joined: 26/04/2008
Posts: 7993

Message Posted:
10/04/2011 08:09

The 3G one is the way to go... 3G coverage is free (well it's paid for by Amazon as a kickback for the network carrying WhisperNet).

This means that you can use your Kindle anywhere the 3G network is operating and it does not matter which network.

It makes a great back-up for the Wireless Internet when that goes down for whatever reason - mostly power cuts at the most inconvenient time....

Go for it!

malsancak


Joined: 23/08/2009
Posts: 2874

Message Posted:
10/04/2011 09:20

you can't use Kindle to download UK library books unless you are willing to convert them. I use the Sony ereader to download from Kent County Council library and don't need to convert.

arrry



Joined: 19/08/2008
Posts: 1235

Message Posted:
10/04/2011 09:34

I love my gadgets and the Kindle along with my i-phone are the best ! I read a book in a day on Thursday ! It's so easy to use and to carry around with you , that it makes you read more . I only have the wi-fi version but for the extra £40 the 3G is the better of the two , although it's battery doesn't stay charged as long as the wi-fi one. And as for having enough books for your holiday ...............i think it holds 2,500 books !!!!. Oh and also don't forget to download some music into as well so you can have music while you read !!

lakelander


Joined: 24/06/2010
Posts: 8

Message Posted:
10/04/2011 10:08

I bought the WiFi Kindle in February and am very happy with it. The 3G model will give you more options but I personally don't see the need in paying the extra £40.



If you're likely to regularly be in areas where Wifi or an internet connected computer are not available then yes it would be useful. I simply download a few books at a time so I've always got enough on there to keep me reading.

CJtill


Joined: 02/05/2008
Posts: 836

Message Posted:
10/04/2011 10:16

Was thinking of buying a Kindle but find it virtually impossible to establish how (and where from) you can download the free (out of copyright) books.

Would suggest you investigate that area before you buy.

Michael

DoctorW


Joined: 28/11/2010
Posts: 334

Message Posted:
10/04/2011 11:51

I would recommend the kindle - I have the 3G version but really never use the 3G as I am always close to a wireless connection. Unfortunately the kindle doesnt come with a built in light you need to get a case that has a light built in, I have one, but have never used it but I suppose some may. As for free books just do a search on google for free ebooks and there are dozens of sites. Project Gutenberg appears to have more books than any of the others and all can be downloaded in mobi format for the kindle. These have to be downloaded to your computer and copied over via USB as there is no wireless delivery. Buy one and like lots of us you will find it indispensible.

No1Doyen


Joined: 04/07/2008
Posts: 16617

Message Posted:
10/04/2011 13:24

After researching this last year and gathering information on Cyprus44 I bought my wife a Kindle for Xmas. I decided that the basic Wi-Fi model was more than adequate and already she has about 80 books on there. Some free, some purchased.

It's very easy to use and downloading is a doddle.

It can hold thousands of books - far too many to read in an average lifetime! )

PaulW



Joined: 20/07/2009
Posts: 651

Message Posted:
10/04/2011 13:40

Bill I have it on good authority that you bought your wife a candle, so she can read in the dark and you can save on the electric.

Paul

aussiejock



Joined: 06/10/2010
Posts: 350

Message Posted:
10/04/2011 18:32

I was going to buy the kindle, but bought an epad instead, called a Flytouch 10 inch Android 2.1, it holds 2 SD Cards 32gig each, has 2 USB ports, 1 HMDI port, WIFi, 3G, has full computer functions and most importantly an EBook reader that can use ePub, txt, and a few other formats, its a touch screen and while reading you can turn over the pages by sliding your finger over the page, it's a good size and will show 2 pages on the screen, it has gmail, hotmail. facebook etc everything you need, also has GPS, I download all my books from Torrentz.com, I have now 1000 books to read, so that should last a while, cost from China was $176 US, $25 US each for two 32 gig SD Cards, I bought it from CNDIGIT I also bought 6 Iphone 4 phones, $80 US each, really nice but doesn't have some functions as the original Apple iphone 4s but for the price they were a bargain, and very smart looking phones plus it holds 2 sim cards, and phone is unlocked.





Robert

omall


Joined: 16/10/2009
Posts: 6

Message Posted:
10/04/2011 19:04

If you buy a KINDLE go on e-bay put in kindle books and there you will get dvd with 2500 books

in kindle format just copy and paste into your kindle the dvd cost is £2:50 free p&p.

hope this helps.

omall


Joined: 16/10/2009
Posts: 6

Message Posted:
10/04/2011 19:04

If you buy a KINDLE go on e-bay put in kindle books and there you will get dvd with 2500 books

in kindle format just copy and paste into your kindle the dvd cost is £2:50 free p&p.

hope this helps.

dippersgirl



Joined: 04/05/2010
Posts: 795

Message Posted:
10/04/2011 20:41

I bought the wifi kindle as it said on amazon that north cyprus was not covered by 3g. Is that not true?

westender


Joined: 14/05/2009
Posts: 328

Message Posted:
10/04/2011 20:49

I bought the 3G Kindle & it is definitely worth the extra as I do not have Internet access when I'm in NC. I can sit on the beach & order a book that arrives in seconds & I can catch up on the news & C44! The Internet seems to work quicker in Cyprus than in the UK for some reason but it has frozen on me once but it is very easy to reboot!

gooligan


Joined: 30/01/2007
Posts: 1591

Message Posted:
10/04/2011 20:50

msg 14,the 3G version works fine here http://www.cyprus44.com/forums/55989.asp

scoobydoo


Joined: 10/11/2008
Posts: 2434

Message Posted:
11/04/2011 07:04

Thank you to everyone who responded to this.



We have wifi internet at home and as such could not real see any 'real' benefits of paying the extra for 3G, might as well spend it on the expensive covers! We just wanted to hear from those of you with experience in using the Kindle as to whether the extra £41 was really worth it.



After reading the above, I can fully understand why some would have 3G but I am getting the feeling it is unnecessary for us as stated on the advertising they hold 3,500 books, more than enough for me!



With regards to those of you who mentioned other ereaders, well we are going to get 2, one being a Kindle and one being another brand so as to cover all options.



Thanks also to the ideas of going onto ebay for books, I hadn't thought of that but no doubt when we get our Kindle we will be doing more research on where to get the cheapest books.

Groucho



Joined: 26/04/2008
Posts: 7993

Message Posted:
11/04/2011 08:02

The 3G will work at all times when wireless networks are down... due to power cuts etc. As you can do Internet banking on this for free it's really useful as a back-up system.



A few areas are only 'GPRS' (although these are reducing rapidly as the 3G networks ramp-up and it still works fine but slower than 3G) , some areas are 'Edge' and most are full super fast 3G. 3G is faster than nearly all the WiFi connections here (save 4mb ones on landlines) and as it's free to use it's worth the extra bucks. Internet browsing whilst you are out and about can be really handy.

yrys88


Joined: 08/08/2009
Posts: 1140

Message Posted:
11/04/2011 12:40

Hi



We sell Android tablet pc's for which are great for reading ebooks.



It has wifi and you can also add 3G with a dongle if you like..



I will load on a load of free ebooks with it too.

only 144 pounds



thanks

yen

yrtrnc@yahoo.co.uk

erolz


Joined: 17/11/2008
Posts: 3456

Message Posted:
11/04/2011 13:08

Anyone conisdering investing in a device to read ebooks should be aware of the difference in display techonolgy used in dedicated e readers like the kindle and those used in tablet PC's, laptops and smartphones.



http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electronic_paper



Personally I would not want to read ebooks on a device that uses an lcd screen, like tablet PC's use (and laptops) but would seek a device using some kind of e paper technology, like the kindle and other dedicated e reades use. Not only are such displays more suitable to book reading, they also use vastly less power than light emitting, constantly refreshing LCD screens use and thus an ereader will typicaly last over 100 hours per charge vs a tablet PC at around 10 hours per charge.



You certainly can use a tablet PC to read ebooks, as you can a laptop or a smartphone even, but the experience would be less enjoyable in my opinion than on a dedicated e reader using an e paper display technology.

aussiejock



Joined: 06/10/2010
Posts: 350

Message Posted:
11/04/2011 13:47

that's not true they are lovely to read from, turn the brightness right down on the epad and it's a pleasure to read books, and it looks like a paper book, you can change the colour for day time or night time reading, change the fonts, and it comes with all the advantages of a small net book, I looked at lots of ebook readers and the epad won me over with the touch screen. and my wife loves it, so I'm going to get another one for me.





Robert

DoctorW


Joined: 28/11/2010
Posts: 334

Message Posted:
11/04/2011 13:47

Agree with Message 20. Tablet PC's are not ideal for reading books - If thats what you want get a Kindle. If you are more interested in Internet, Facebook etc then a Tablet PC is a good compromise as I dont feel that Kindle handles this very well. Still that is not what I bought the Kindle for so I am not disappointed.

Groucho



Joined: 26/04/2008
Posts: 7993

Message Posted:
11/04/2011 14:03

The Kindle weighs in at 236 grams... lighter than most Tablet PC's. Batteries last for yonks and recharge simply via mains or USB from the same smart lead.

Not sure why on Earth you need one with a light built in?

You can download ebooks in almost any format (all the way from plain text to mobi) and format them for use on the Kindle using programs like Calibre on your PC.

Then email them to your Kindle email account and they automatically download to your device...

erolz


Joined: 17/11/2008
Posts: 3456

Message Posted:
11/04/2011 14:05

aussiejock, it is a matter of personal opinion and all I was trying to do was make people aware that there is a big difference in displays between the epaper displays found on dedicated ereaders like the kindle and those found on tablet pcs, laptops and smartphones. Some, like yourself will have no problem using a tablet pc for reading books, but others do, myself included. Paper books do not emit light. E paper displays do not emit light. LCD displays used on tablet pcs, laptops and smartphones do emit light. Anyone considering purchasing a device just for reading ebooks should understand this difference was the point I was trying to get accross, thats all.

No1Doyen


Joined: 04/07/2008
Posts: 16617

Message Posted:
11/04/2011 22:36

"Not sure why on Earth you need one with a light built in? "



Perhaps it's easier on the eyes.



I never watch a TV in a darkened room without a side light on.

Groucho



Joined: 26/04/2008
Posts: 7993

Message Posted:
11/04/2011 22:38

Yeah but you have lights... you don't need a book with its own light so why does a Kindle need one... unless you want to read dodgy stuff under the covers!

mahdel


Joined: 28/05/2009
Posts: 255

Message Posted:
12/04/2011 09:47

I dont know if they've extended this offer to the UK, but the American version of amazon has just dropped the price of the wifi kindle by around 20% if you agree to have targeted ads and screensavers on the kindle hompage (not the books)

yrys88


Joined: 08/08/2009
Posts: 1140

Message Posted:
12/04/2011 13:15

Theres a program on android where it blackens the background and lights up the text only for easy reading. The light is adjustable ofcourse. Eink readers are expensive and can only be used for reading, not much good for browsing the net without colour. Although the battery life is improved. Not a problem if you are close to a socket. Tablet pc life not bad when reading though, I must say!

breezyboy


Joined: 14/05/2007
Posts: 1179

Message Posted:
12/04/2011 18:11

When my daughter bought me my Kindle they were quite a bit cheaper at John Lewis than Amazon. My son then bought me the cover and I only tried using the light once and it wasnt very good. I download half a dozen books at once so would not find the 3g any use at least for me.

scoobydoo


Joined: 10/11/2008
Posts: 2434

Message Posted:
13/04/2011 06:40

I have decided to go for the model without the 3G based on the fact that it holds 3,500 books and not even my husband will run out of reading material for months!



Thank you for all your responses and I will come back on here later to find out where (other than Amazon) the best sites are that you manage to find all your books on!