Can the kindle (2) be used as a mobile internet device?

jibril · 02-23-2009, 11:38 PM

My parents pay $30 a month for a data plan that they use maybe a 5 times a year to charge something on paypal (virtual terminal) when they are on the road like a convention. Obviously, a kindle, after a year, would be free if used this way. Is it possible?

Or does the kindle 3g give you a reduce subset of the internet?

radiationman · 02-24-2009, 12:04 AM

From my understanding the Kindle doesn't have a great web browsing experience. They're probably not going to enjoy using it as a web device...

Leep · 02-24-2009, 12:15 AM

Kindle is slow and laborious to get anything from the web. Suggest an internet cafe as an alternative to travelers or a iTouch, which does decent email and web browsing.

cheers

jibril · 02-24-2009, 12:27 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by radiationman

From my understanding the Kindle doesn't have a great web browsing experience. They're probably not going to enjoy using it as a web device...

Well, the only sites they need to access will be google mail, paypal.com, and wikipedia....

Quote:

Originally Posted by Leep

Kindle is slow and laborious to get anything from the web. Suggest an internet cafe as an alternative to travelers or a iTouch, which does decent email and web browsing.

Well, they do 5 conventions a year. There is no wifi (okay there is, but some convention halls charge up to a ludicrous $500 for a one weekend access), they have a booth and need to charge credit cards through paypal.

They use a data plan with my father's T-mobile hooked with a notebook since the Razr's don't have a browser. However, the notebook-bluetooth-phone internet doesn't always work without my help (they are really bad with computers). That is slow anyways, so I don't think the kindle will be much slower.

But then am I correct that the Kindle whispernet can go to any site although the Kindle may not render everything like flash? I'm not clear if Sprint limits the navigation to just wikipedia and amazon.com or gives kindle users free reign....

Thomas Ryan · 02-24-2009, 12:52 AM

Kindle 1 and 2 have a rudimentary web browser.

If your are visiting sites comprised of text and simple image, it works OK.
If the sites you visit have complex layouts, or if they include animations of any kind, Kindle's e-ink technology doesn't lend itself to an acceptable viewing experience.

If the site is very interactive, with lots of pull-downs, pop-ups, check-boxes, etc, then the experience will be tedious, if not crippled outright. For example - there is no Flash. QuickTime, animated GIF, etc. on Kindle.

Lastly, the web-browser application is not very sophisticated relative to modern website layout conventions. Keep in mind Kindle's screen resolution doesn't match industry de-facto standards (Kindle: 600x800 vs 1024x?larger for most sites).

frecklpwr · 02-24-2009, 02:13 AM

I think that for the simple, infrequent tasks you describe, it would work really well.

Ervserver · 02-24-2009, 02:22 AM

Sounds like you need a Netbook instead of a Kindle

wallcraft · 02-24-2009, 07:45 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jibril

Well, the only sites they need to access will be google mail, paypal.com, and wikipedia...

Gmail works and wikipedia is built in. I don't know about paypal, but if it has a mobile browser interface it will probably work. Amazon has a 30 day return policy, so I think it is definitely worth getting one to try out.

TallMomof2 · 02-24-2009, 08:41 AM

I'm trying this out on the original Kindle and it's painfully slow. There are 2 modes to the web browser and default seems to work best. I was able to add funds to my account (from my bank), view transactions, and request payment.

It's slow and it eats up the battery so you would need to keep the Kindle plugged in to the charger. On the original Kindle I use a Palm Zire cable which has both a small device USB plug and a charging tip. If I keep the cell service on I keep the charging tip plugged in. The new Kindle charges directly from the USB plug but that could be a problem if the new Kindle goes into USB mode when plugged into a PC. You would need a charger that plugs into an electrical outlet, easy enough to find.

All I can suggest is to try out the Kindle with your parents and see if it will do what they need. Also remember that the web browser is considered experimental and features could change even though nothing has really changed since I bought my Kindle in November 2007.

AnemicOak · 02-24-2009, 10:41 AM

Do they usually have cell coverage where they are? Remember the Kindle relies on Sprint's network for connectivity so if there's no coverage, either because of where they are or because of the building they're in it won't work.

StanDaMan · 02-24-2009, 12:44 PM

I wouldn't use my Kindle for any kind of regular internet browsing...

jibril · 02-24-2009, 09:02 PM

Thanks to everyone that's been answering

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ervserver

Sounds like you need a Netbook instead of a Kindle

How will that be better than their existing notebook?

Quote:

Originally Posted by wallcraft

Gmail works and wikipedia is built in. I don't know about paypal, but if it has a mobile browser interface it will probably work. Amazon has a 30 day return policy, so I think it is definitely worth getting one to try out.

Yeah, I really like Amazon's service. However, I don't want to frivolously abuse the 30 return until I'm reasonably sure that this is something that they can use.

Quote:

Originally Posted by TallMomof2

I'm trying this out on the original Kindle and it's painfully slow. There are 2 modes to the web browser and default seems to work best. I was able to add funds to my account (from my bank), view transactions, and request payment.

It's slow and it eats up the battery so you would need to keep the Kindle plugged in to the charger.

On their notebook-bluetooth-phone connection, it takes about 1.5-2 minutes for paypal to show up. Is it slower than this?

They can't put in the charger as their is none at the shows (unless one pays a huge fee), but would browsing, say, 30-50 pages be beyond the range of the battery?

Quote:

Originally Posted by AnemicOak

Do they usually have cell coverage where they are? Remember the Kindle relies on Sprint's network for connectivity so if there's no coverage, either because of where they are or because of the building they're in it won't work.

Well, looking at the sprint map, in theory they should have coverage. But in reality.... Keep in mind these conventions usually take place in bigger towns - Pittsburgh, PA, Louisville, KY, etc.

wallcraft · 02-24-2009, 09:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jibril

Well, looking at the sprint map, in theory they should have coverage. But in reality.... Keep in mind these conventions usually take place in bigger towns - Pittsburgh, PA, Louisville, KY, etc.

I only use the Kindle web browser when I am traveling, and it has always connected immediately. However, my trips tend to be to large cities. I guess I disagree about the browser being too slow. It would be too slow for daily use, but it gets the job done for occasional use.

02-23-2009, 11:38 PM	#1
jibril Connoisseur Posts: 68 Karma: 54 Join Date: Feb 2009 Device: none	Can the kindle (2) be used as a mobile internet device? My parents pay $30 a month for a data plan that they use maybe a 5 times a year to charge something on paypal (virtual terminal) when they are on the road like a convention. Obviously, a kindle, after a year, would be free if used this way. Is it possible? Or does the kindle 3g give you a reduce subset of the internet?

02-24-2009, 12:52 AM	#5
Thomas Ryan Connoisseur Posts: 62 Karma: 250 Join Date: Feb 2009 Device: Kindle	Can the kindle (2) be used as a mobile internet device? Kindle 1 and 2 have a rudimentary web browser. If your are visiting sites comprised of text and simple image, it works OK. If the sites you visit have complex layouts, or if they include animations of any kind, Kindle's e-ink technology doesn't lend itself to an acceptable viewing experience. If the site is very interactive, with lots of pull-downs, pop-ups, check-boxes, etc, then the experience will be tedious, if not crippled outright. For example - there is no Flash. QuickTime, animated GIF, etc. on Kindle. Lastly, the web-browser application is not very sophisticated relative to modern website layout conventions. Keep in mind Kindle's screen resolution doesn't match industry de-facto standards (Kindle: 600x800 vs 1024x?larger for most sites).

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02-24-2009, 12:04 AM	#2
radiationman Connoisseur Posts: 83 Karma: 40 Join Date: Feb 2009 Device: Kindle 2	From my understanding the Kindle doesn't have a great web browsing experience. They're probably not going to enjoy using it as a web device...

02-24-2009, 12:15 AM	#3
Leep Guru Posts: 739 Karma: 1018859 Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: Near Seattle Device: kindle1, K3, K3G (thanks MR), iTouch, Kindle Touch	Kindle is slow and laborious to get anything from the web. Suggest an internet cafe as an alternative to travelers or a iTouch, which does decent email and web browsing. cheers

02-24-2009, 02:13 AM	#6
frecklpwr Member Posts: 15 Karma: 10 Join Date: Jan 2009 Device: kindle	I think that for the simple, infrequent tasks you describe, it would work really well.

02-24-2009, 02:22 AM	#7
Ervserver Wizard Posts: 2,624 Karma: 1008294 Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Iowa, USA Device: Nook Simple Touch	Sounds like you need a Netbook instead of a Kindle

02-24-2009, 08:41 AM	#9
TallMomof2 Kindlephilia Posts: 2,017 Karma: 1139255 Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Snowpacolypse 2010 Device: Too many to count	I'm trying this out on the original Kindle and it's painfully slow. There are 2 modes to the web browser and default seems to work best. I was able to add funds to my account (from my bank), view transactions, and request payment. It's slow and it eats up the battery so you would need to keep the Kindle plugged in to the charger. On the original Kindle I use a Palm Zire cable which has both a small device USB plug and a charging tip. If I keep the cell service on I keep the charging tip plugged in. The new Kindle charges directly from the USB plug but that could be a problem if the new Kindle goes into USB mode when plugged into a PC. You would need a charger that plugs into an electrical outlet, easy enough to find. All I can suggest is to try out the Kindle with your parents and see if it will do what they need. Also remember that the web browser is considered experimental and features could change even though nothing has really changed since I bought my Kindle in November 2007.

02-24-2009, 10:41 AM	#10
AnemicOak Bookaholic Posts: 14,391 Karma: 54969924 Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Minnesota Device: iPad Mini 4, AuraHD, iPhone XR +	Do they usually have cell coverage where they are? Remember the Kindle relies on Sprint's network for connectivity so if there's no coverage, either because of where they are or because of the building they're in it won't work.

02-24-2009, 12:44 PM	#11
StanDaMan Connoisseur Posts: 79 Karma: 10 Join Date: Feb 2009 Device: kindle	I wouldn't use my Kindle for any kind of regular internet browsing...

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