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Kindle 3g & Wireless or Kindle Wireless

  • 02-11-2010 1:36pm
    #1
    closifer
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 478 ✭✭


    A bit of advice needed. Im hoping to buy a Kindle for someone as a Xmas present and I dont fully understand the difference between the 2 models. Could someone explain it to me? The price of the kindle with wireless is very attractive but I would rather spend the extra cash if the 3g will make a huge difference to the useability.

    Thanks!


Comments

  • #2
    emo72
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 6,314 ✭✭✭emo72


    closifer wrote: »
    A bit of advice needed. Im hoping to buy a Kindle for someone as a Xmas present and I dont fully understand the difference between the 2 models. Could someone explain it to me? The price of the kindle with wireless is very attractive but I would rather spend the extra cash if the 3g will make a huge difference to the useability.

    Thanks!

    well i got one for myself. i was going for the wireless version, then i realised that the 3g is free worlwide. so i went for the 3g. its always handy to have a free internet browser, even if it is basic.

    i knew id kick myself if i settled for the cheaper one:D

    also you can download books from anywhere in the world with your 3g. no extra cost.


  • #3
    Zab
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,931 ✭✭✭Zab


    The 3G version can access the internet (which includes all Amazon services like buying books and downloading paid-for newspapers) anywhere within range of a cell tower (just like a mobile phone).

    The wifi only version can only access the internet within range of an accessable wifi AP, such as your wifi router at home or other free wifi hotspots in some cafes etc.

    So whether the 3G is "worth it" or not really depends on your habits and plas for the kindle. If you travel or move around a lot etc. It's unlikely that you'll use the internal browser for general web browsing though, it's not really up to it and we have to assume that Amazon will get around to charging for browsing at some point. It could be handy in a pinch of course.

    The primary functions of the kindle are very likely to be reading books and periodicals. After you get these things onto the kindle it doesn't matter whether they came from 3G or wifi, so it's just the the possible locations where this can occur that is affected. I will say that the idea of having a newspaper subscription delivered directly to your kindle no matter where you are is nice, but in reality wifi will suit me 90% of the time.


  • #4
    Vinnie70
    Closed Accounts Posts: 32 ✭Vinnie70


    I have a question too guys if ye dont mind answering it. I have a friend living in America and was wondering if I could order it to his address and he could bring it home with him at Christmas? And if this is possible, will I be able to use the 3g service here if it wasn't ordered for Ireland?

    Cheers :)


  • #5
    Packet
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 188 ✭✭Packet


    Vinnie70 wrote: »
    I have a question too guys if ye dont mind answering it. I have a friend living in America and was wondering if I could order it to his address and he could bring it home with him at Christmas? And if this is possible, will I be able to use the 3g service here if it wasn't ordered for Ireland?

    Cheers :)


    The US and Irish Kindles have different order pages and also different SIMs. The US K3 has an AT&T SIM and the Ireland/European K3 has a Vodafone SIM.

    Either K3 will work in Ireland and both give you Internet Access.

    The ideal permutation if the website allows it would be to order the Irish Kindle for delivery to a US address and crucially qualify for free delivery.

    The Irish Kindle with the Vodafone SIM gets its Internet "Whispernet" access via Amazon's UK GGSN. If you ordered the US Kindle the Internet would be via the gateway in the US. If Amazon ever decides to restrict the use of K3 with AT&T SIMs held by non-US resident users you might lose out. I have an AT&T K3 which Amazon sent me to replace a Vodafone K3 so I'm hopeful but not entirely confident they won't one day restrict my Internet Access as the 3G roaming charges incurred by its use in Ireland are probably greater for Amazon. It typically connects to Meteor and so goes across a commercial GRX exchange before terminating in the US. Since it doesn't seem to prefer Vodafone I assume they don't have a commercial arrangement in place to handover the traffic to AT&T at a favorable rate.


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