Is Wifi a deal-breaker for you? - Page 5

wachuko · 04-12-2011, 09:30 AM

Why resist ease of use? Not against WiFi and would love to have Sony included it in their smaller readers. But not a deal breaker for me.

Kiteology · 04-12-2011, 11:55 AM

Both Wifi and the 3G were the reason I bought a dedicated reader MUCH earlier than I expected. A friend showed me his Kindle with lighted cover and proceeded to tell me that I could (somewhat awkwardly) surf the Internet without additional charge.

Being able to search for something I come across while reading is a big plus to me.

Astrakan · 04-12-2011, 01:34 PM

Wifi is definitely a deal breaker for me, and 3G is a borderline deal breaker. Meaning, I simply wouldn't buy an e-reader without wifi and if I got one for free I'd likely sell it or give it away.

When I'm at home I admit that wifi and 3G isn't all that big of a deal. My computer and a USB cable is never far away. But when I'm travelling, be it for a weekend or a few weeks, wireless access is fantastic.

The ease with which I can connect to the Calibre content server, or buy new books from Amazon, or even do some basic internet surfing like checking Wikipedia or IMDb, is worth too much to me to bother with a device that doesn't have some kind of wireless functionality.

I can, however, see myself buying an e-reader without 3G if I either got a really good deal on it or if it had some other feature I really desired that wasn't available on 3G readers.

stickybuns · 04-12-2011, 06:49 PM

I take my Kindle with me when I tutor literature because I want to have quick and easy access to the books my clients are reading.

I'm also a habitual fact checker and annotator. If I'm reading something, and I think, "Gosh, is that an allusion to X? What the heck does Y mean?" I'm very happy to be able to jump onto Wikipedia for a quick bit of research.

So, yes, having wifi (and for that matter, 3G) is a deal breaker for me.

Tattncat · 04-12-2011, 11:50 PM

I have three readers and a Touch, with my 700 working again (Thanks to the MR Sony forum) I seldem use my Touch for anything other than surfing for eBooks to add to my Library. However, since we travel extensively in our motor home, I could not do without one of my readers having the WiFi/3G capability. Currently I have about 3500 books ony readers. Again I keep my entire library loaded at all times, no room for paper books on a motor home.

Frida Fantastic · 04-13-2011, 04:45 AM

Wifi makes Instapaper to Kindle transmission happen. If it weren't for Instapaper, I probably wouldn't care about wifi so much.

Yes, Instapaper is just that good of an app.

tompe · 04-13-2011, 04:49 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bashfulbanshee

Wifi makes Instapaper to Kindle transmission happen. If it weren't for Instapaper, I probably wouldn't care about wifi so much.

Yes, Instapaper is just that good of an app.

For Android I use http://readitlaterlist.com/ and I assume the Kindle should be able reading using the web interface.

But I agree that this kind of applications are very useful.

Frida Fantastic · 04-13-2011, 05:16 AM

Nah, I don't use the web browser on the Kindle. It's slow-going, clunky controls, and specifically designed to say "Hey, you DO have wifi. Now go back to the Kindle store!" My gmail doesn't even load properly on it.

I use Instapaper for reading stuff offline. I take public transit several hours a day, and it's my main way of reading up on the news. So the night before, I just spend 12 minutes clicking on each worthwhile headline across various sites and/or good looking free short stories on places like Strange Horizons and other SF magazines, save it to Instapaper, and the next day--Instapaper sends it all as a periodical to the Kindle. Kind of like a custom-made newspaper. Not to be a walking advert, but, it is a darn good program. It ain't gonna break the NY Times subscription barrier, but it makes snacking on the free content across the board a lot easier.

wyndslash · 04-13-2011, 06:12 AM

@bashful: i hear people gushing about instapaper. i must check it out, then

Wickedkitten · 04-13-2011, 03:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bashfulbanshee

Nah, I don't use the web browser on the Kindle. It's slow-going, clunky controls, and specifically designed to say "Hey, you DO have wifi. Now go back to the Kindle store!" My gmail doesn't even load properly on it.

I use Instapaper for reading stuff offline. I take public transit several hours a day, and it's my main way of reading up on the news. So the night before, I just spend 12 minutes clicking on each worthwhile headline across various sites and/or good looking free short stories on places like Strange Horizons and other SF magazines, save it to Instapaper, and the next day--Instapaper sends it all as a periodical to the Kindle. Kind of like a custom-made newspaper. Not to be a walking advert, but, it is a darn good program. It ain't gonna break the NY Times subscription barrier, but it makes snacking on the free content across the board a lot easier.

Snap. I never actually turn the wifi off on my kindle mainly because of instapaper and also Calibre Recipes. I have Calibre set to download my "newspapers" every morning at 7 and email them to my Kindle so I can sit and read through them with my morning coffee.

No wifi would definitely be a deal breaker, but I don't need 3G because I can just tether my Kindle to my Android mobile and use that for a hotspot for when we go away on holiday.

issybird · 04-13-2011, 05:44 PM

Wifi is handy. If I buy a book from B&N with my laptop, it downloads automatically to three of my reading devices (and the fourth can't read it anyway), which saves me tethering three devices. That said, most of my content was sideloaded anyway. And since my most recent acquisition is the 350, clearly it's not a dealbreaker.

Now, if you could download purchases from any ebookstore to any Wifi device wirelessly, then we'd be talking, and Wifi would approach dealbreaker status.

Bottom line: I always have plenty to read on all my devices and I can't imagine I'd be caught short with bupkes.

The Terminator · 04-13-2011, 08:24 PM

I have neither and it doesn't really bother me at all. It's easy enough to load it up with books every time I want too by USB. So in my opinion no.

patrickt · 04-13-2011, 08:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cgk

But would you go back to a device that had neither?

No. Download via WiFi is too convenient.

solitarywolf · 04-13-2011, 08:54 PM

I've been using the Sony Readers since the 500 series. I don't have a need for Wi-Fi. My partner has the 950 and rarely uses the Wi-FI. There are enough books on my Reader that I can entertain myself until I get home to "jack-in" to the internet and buy more books.

For me the deal-breaker is how much the Sony looks over the other brands. Hands down, IMO the Sony is the "Jewel" of e-readers.

kennyc · 04-13-2011, 09:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cgk

But would you go back to a device that had neither?

Not that big a deal for me. I plug my readers in to charge and that's when I load the books. I never purchase books directly via the readers.

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04-12-2011, 09:30 AM	#61
wachuko eBook Worm Posts: 205 Karma: 2745996 Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: Orlando, FL Device: Kindle Paperwhite/ Sony PRS-505/PRS-600 Silver/PRS-T1	Why resist ease of use? Not against WiFi and would love to have Sony included it in their smaller readers. But not a deal breaker for me.

04-12-2011, 11:55 AM	#62
Kiteology Member Posts: 15 Karma: 10 Join Date: Mar 2011 Location: Way Upstate New York, USA Device: Kindle3, PC, iTouch	Both Wifi and the 3G were the reason I bought a dedicated reader MUCH earlier than I expected. A friend showed me his Kindle with lighted cover and proceeded to tell me that I could (somewhat awkwardly) surf the Internet without additional charge. Being able to search for something I come across while reading is a big plus to me.

04-12-2011, 01:34 PM	#63
Astrakan Member Posts: 33 Karma: 111410 Join Date: Mar 2011 Device: Kindle 3G	Wifi is definitely a deal breaker for me, and 3G is a borderline deal breaker. Meaning, I simply wouldn't buy an e-reader without wifi and if I got one for free I'd likely sell it or give it away. When I'm at home I admit that wifi and 3G isn't all that big of a deal. My computer and a USB cable is never far away. But when I'm travelling, be it for a weekend or a few weeks, wireless access is fantastic. The ease with which I can connect to the Calibre content server, or buy new books from Amazon, or even do some basic internet surfing like checking Wikipedia or IMDb, is worth too much to me to bother with a device that doesn't have some kind of wireless functionality. I can, however, see myself buying an e-reader without 3G if I either got a really good deal on it or if it had some other feature I really desired that wasn't available on 3G readers.

04-12-2011, 06:49 PM	#64
stickybuns Evangelist Posts: 405 Karma: 479729 Join Date: Feb 2011 Device: Kindle 3, Kindle Paperwhite 2	I take my Kindle with me when I tutor literature because I want to have quick and easy access to the books my clients are reading. I'm also a habitual fact checker and annotator. If I'm reading something, and I think, "Gosh, is that an allusion to X? What the heck does Y mean?" I'm very happy to be able to jump onto Wikipedia for a quick bit of research. So, yes, having wifi (and for that matter, 3G) is a deal breaker for me.

04-12-2011, 11:50 PM	#65
Tattncat Bookworm Posts: 673 Karma: 1029391 Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: Salt Lake City, Utah, USA Device: Nook Tablet, Samsung Galaxy Tab3, Sony PRS700, Sony PRS505	I have three readers and a Touch, with my 700 working again (Thanks to the MR Sony forum) I seldem use my Touch for anything other than surfing for eBooks to add to my Library. However, since we travel extensively in our motor home, I could not do without one of my readers having the WiFi/3G capability. Currently I have about 3500 books ony readers. Again I keep my entire library loaded at all times, no room for paper books on a motor home.

04-13-2011, 04:45 AM	#66
Frida Fantastic SF/F book blogger Posts: 270 Karma: 502030 Join Date: Mar 2011 Location: Vancouver, Canada Device: Kindle 3	Wifi makes Instapaper to Kindle transmission happen. If it weren't for Instapaper, I probably wouldn't care about wifi so much. Yes, Instapaper is just that good of an app.

04-13-2011, 05:16 AM	#68
Frida Fantastic SF/F book blogger Posts: 270 Karma: 502030 Join Date: Mar 2011 Location: Vancouver, Canada Device: Kindle 3	Nah, I don't use the web browser on the Kindle. It's slow-going, clunky controls, and specifically designed to say "Hey, you DO have wifi. Now go back to the Kindle store!" My gmail doesn't even load properly on it. I use Instapaper for reading stuff offline. I take public transit several hours a day, and it's my main way of reading up on the news. So the night before, I just spend 12 minutes clicking on each worthwhile headline across various sites and/or good looking free short stories on places like Strange Horizons and other SF magazines, save it to Instapaper, and the next day--Instapaper sends it all as a periodical to the Kindle. Kind of like a custom-made newspaper. Not to be a walking advert, but, it is a darn good program. It ain't gonna break the NY Times subscription barrier, but it makes snacking on the free content across the board a lot easier.

04-13-2011, 06:12 AM	#69
wyndslash Wizard Posts: 2,951 Karma: 3000001 Join Date: Feb 2011 Device: Kindle 3 wifi, Kindle Fire	@bashful: i hear people gushing about instapaper. i must check it out, then

04-13-2011, 05:44 PM	#71
issybird o saeclum infacetum Posts: 20,375 Karma: 223034386 Join Date: Oct 2010 Location: New England Device: H2O, Aura One, PW5	Wifi is handy. If I buy a book from B&N with my laptop, it downloads automatically to three of my reading devices (and the fourth can't read it anyway), which saves me tethering three devices. That said, most of my content was sideloaded anyway. And since my most recent acquisition is the 350, clearly it's not a dealbreaker. Now, if you could download purchases from any ebookstore to any Wifi device wirelessly, then we'd be talking, and Wifi would approach dealbreaker status. Bottom line: I always have plenty to read on all my devices and I can't imagine I'd be caught short with bupkes.

04-13-2011, 08:24 PM	#72
The Terminator Retired Posts: 2,552 Karma: 37638420 Join Date: Nov 2010 Location: Vancouver Island Canada Device: Kobo Touch, Optimus One (2.3), Nexus 7 (4.2)	I have neither and it doesn't really bother me at all. It's easy enough to load it up with books every time I want too by USB. So in my opinion no.

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04-13-2011, 08:54 PM	#74
solitarywolf Ink Drinker Posts: 219 Karma: 347666 Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: San Francisco, CA Device: Kindle Scribe, Kindle 2021, Ipad Pro, iPhone Pro	I've been using the Sony Readers since the 500 series. I don't have a need for Wi-Fi. My partner has the 950 and rarely uses the Wi-FI. There are enough books on my Reader that I can entertain myself until I get home to "jack-in" to the internet and buy more books. For me the deal-breaker is how much the Sony looks over the other brands. Hands down, IMO the Sony is the "Jewel" of e-readers.