by pkmcr
There's little doubt that the Amazon Kindle has established itself and indeed is widely regarded as the best eBook reader available today.
Like me, when you come to buy yours you might still have a hard time deciding which model to buy. Broadly speaking the Kindle comes in two types. Those are the Wi-Fi only model, and the Wi-Fi plus 3G model.
Do you really need the added connectivity that the Kindle 3G provides. I found the decision quite easy in the end and hopefully you will too!
Amazon tell us that the main reason for having the 3G connectivity is so that can browse the Kindle store and download their free and paid eBooks from just about anywhere the world.
Amazon do have incredibly good coverage on their 3G network.
So if you are simply away from home without an easily accessible Wi-Fi connection, or you are traveling abroad, you will always be able to access new eBooks to read. As a really avid reader or book lover that is an incredible benefit isn't it!
Another real benefit is that you can use the free 3G connection for other things than just getting hold of new Kindle eBooks.
You can use the experimental web browser and be able to check your emails on the web if you have no other way of accessing them.
Obviously the Kindle wasn't made for web browsing, which means that you may find the web browser a little slow, however if you have an emergency then it could be a real bonus to be able to access your email!
If you find yourself reading on your Kindle, when you are away from a Wi-Fi connection, and you want to quickly look up information the Free 3G connectivity is going to save the day. You might to find out more about a certain author on Wikipedia. With the 3G connection you can do that easily in many more locations than with the Wi-Fi only model.
Of course it's great that this connectivity is completely free for life! For the additional $50 more you have to pay you can avoid the need to be tied into a costly data plans, as you would with a device like the iPad 2. You can also connect from remote locations and indeed countries all around the world. Can you imagine doing that on your cell phone? It could quite easily cost a small fortune, but it's all included in the price of a 3G Kindle.
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| Kindle Paperwhite 3G, 6" High Resolution Display with Built-in Ligh... Amazon Digital Services, Inc Only $42.61 |
The biggest drawback you might feel is the additional cost. Going for the 3G option on your Kindle is going to cost you an extra $50.
With the Wi-Fi version already costing over $100, this might make it more than some potential users what to spend. However, it's important to remember that you really are getting an incredible deal when you think that you will never need to pay for a 3G data plan. The ability to connect to Amazon's 3G network is free for life!
Are you likely to make use of that, or indeed is the person you are buying a Kindle as a gift for, going to use it enough? If you or they are then that might well make the additional $50 well worth it.
The only other disadvantage, that I can think of, is that having 3G connectivity switched on all the time is going to drain your battery a lot faster. If I do leave it on when I am on my travels then I always make sure I have my charger with me! Or of course you can simply turn it off when you are not using it in order to conserve power.
In conclusion the decision is yours! It really is a very personal choice Whether or not to choose the 3G Kindle.
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| Wi-Fi 7 In Depth: Your guide to mastering Wi-Fi 7, the 802.11be pro... Addison-Wesley Professional Only $31.72 |
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| The Briar Club: A Novel William Morrow Only $1.99 | The Story Collector: A new magical du... One More Chapter Only $0.99 | The Lost Bookshop: The most charming ... One More Chapter Only $13.99 |
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Which Of The Kindle Options Is Your Favorite?
I just bought a kindle yesterday. After some comparison, I decided on the Kindle 3G and WiFi. So far Im loving it. I also bought the bookcover with the built in light. The Kindle was $189, the bookcover was $59.95, Downloading books and games was so easy. I stayed up until 3am playing with it. Very easy to use. With one click books are sent to the Kindle. Some of the games are free too.
I have the second generation Kindle, with the 3G option since that was the only choice then. But if I were to buy another Kindle, I'd still get the 3G option. The difference in price, over the long run, is minimal, and I like the idea of being able to connect anywhere, even when I don't have access to Wi-fi.
I love my Kindle :-)
I have decided to buy myself a kindle out of my online earnings- so the next question was- is it worth the extra- thanks for tackling this ( I'm still not sure!)
Wow, that is a great deal to have the 3G capability for life. I will definitely look into that one when I get ready to buy. Thanks for the information.
My daughter just purchased a wi-fi one. I'll have to let you know how she likes it.
I use the 3G most of the time. The only time I need wi-fi is for downloading pdf's that I have had converted free via Kindle. Those will not download from the 3G and must have wi-fi. I am glad I have the 3G.
My Kindle was a gift so I didn't have a choice. Even if I could have chosen, I'd have probably gone for the wi-fi only option. I don't travel much now so I think it's unlikely I would ever use 3G. Now I've read your article, I can see how it would be useful for some people, though.