Amazon answers Kindle Touch 3G web browsing availability

[malone76]

Hey!

I just stumble on that article stating that we'll be unable to browse the web over 3G with the new Kindle 4 Touch 3G :

http://www.teleread.com/paul-biba/am...-availability/

As a seafarer, I was waiting for the new Kindle Touch, so I'll be able to read my email when in close range from the shore, but since I read that article, I'm back to the drawing board for the choice of a reader (Kindle NT, Sony T1, Kobo)...

Cheers,

Jonathan

[tomsem]

Originally Posted by malone76

Hey!

I just stumble on that article stating that we'll be unable to browse the web over 3G with the new Kindle 4 Touch 3G :

http://www.teleread.com/paul-biba/am...-availability/

As a seafarer, I was waiting for the new Kindle Touch, so I'll be able to read my email when in close range from the shore, but since I read that article, I'm back to the drawing board for the choice of a reader (Kindle NT, Sony T1, Kobo)...

Cheers,

Jonathan

There is, of course the K3 3G (Kindle Keyboard 3G). Its 3G is not restricted so much (except in certain locales).

[peregy]

Originally Posted by malone76

Hey!

I just stumble on that article stating that we'll be unable to browse the web over 3G with the new Kindle 4 Touch 3G :

http://www.teleread.com/paul-biba/am...-availability/

As a seafarer, I was waiting for the new Kindle Touch, so I'll be able to read my email when in close range from the shore, but since I read that article, I'm back to the drawing board for the choice of a reader (Kindle NT, Sony T1, Kobo)...

Cheers,

Jonathan

I'm on the same boat as you , I'm finishing the last year of the maritime university, and had the same idea as you, guess i'm planning ahead too much . Anyway seems the Kindle Keyboard 3g is our choice

[malone76]

Thanks for the welcome, I was lurking a lot before posting my 1st one

I played a little on the Kindle "keyboard" and I don't really like the look and feel of the keyboard... too vintage for me

I may go instead with the NT version with an Iphone for the 3G connectivity...

Cheers,

Jonathan

[SteveEisenberg]

Originally Posted by tomsem

There is, of course the K3 3G (Kindle Keyboard 3G). Its 3G is not restricted so much (except in certain locales).

The coverage map for KK 3G's purchased in the US is here:

http://client0.cellmaps.com/tabs.html#cellmaps_intl_tab

The most often reported restrictions have to do with the country you buy your Kindle in, or buy for primary use in. On this, see:

http://kindleworld.blogspot.com/p/co...3g-access.html

If they are residents of any of the 60+ countries WITH free 3G web-browsing enabled for its residents, their Kindles will also have free 3G web browsing enabled for 100+ countries (when traveling).

Note that browsing is only good on text-heavy web sites, and on web sites optimized for mobile devices.

As for the Touch: Amazon can change all or any of these rules tomorrow. If reviewers pan the 3G Touch for being much worse than the 3G KK because of lack of free international cell phone network web coverage (as I would), Amazon might conceivably back down. On the other hand, if Amazon strips from the 3G Touch what I consider to be the best feature of the 3G KK, with no impact on sales growth, Amazon's strategists will wonder whether they can get away with taking away the feature from the older devices.* I can't think of any strong business reason Amazon should continue free worldwide internet for long, with older eInk devices, if they get away with this on the new one.

______________________
* Unless Amazon has inflexible long term contracts with the cell phone companies in most of those 100+ countries. I'm guessing that they pay for usage.

[tubemonkey]

Originally Posted by SteveEisenberg

As for the Touch: Amazon can change all or any of these rules tomorrow. If reviewers pan the 3G Touch for being much worse than the 3G KK because of lack of free international cell phone network web coverage (as I would), Amazon might conceivably back down. On the other hand, if Amazon strips from the 3G Touch what I consider to be the best feature of the 3G KK, with no impact on sales growth, Amazon's strategists will wonder whether they can get away with taking away the feature from the older devices.* I can't think of any strong business reason Amazon should continue free worldwide internet for long, with older eInk devices, if they get away with this on the new one.

They won't back down. They'd be out of their minds to offer free, unlimited 3G internet access on a touch screen device.

In this case, interface is everything.

[SteveEisenberg]

Originally Posted by tubemonkey

They won't back down. They'd be out of their minds to offer free, unlimited 3G internet access on a touch screen device.

In this case, interface is everything.

There still will be font size problems on most web sites. There still will be a bit of a challenge where you have to know when to enable JavaScript, and when to disable to reduce the multi-window fatal message. You still won't really be able to browse, but rather have to find, on a PC, the sites likely to work well, process most through some web site like readingthenet.com or http://google.com/gwt/n, and then save the resultant url's somewhere the Kindle browser can pick them up.

Maybe the problem is that I don't have enough touch screen experience, but it seems to me that the touch screen won't change the fact that the web experience, just like the rest of an eInk device, is only superior, to the PC, for the one purpose of reading long texts (although the KK 3G is acceptable for email when traveling).

One Touch question is whether you can continuously zoom a web page with your finger tips. I'm thinking you can't.

If this was October 2007, wouldn't you say that Amazon would be crazy to include in their upcoming eReader free unlimited nationwide cell phone based internet, for at least four years, as owners of the original Kindle have experienced? And if this was a couple years later, wouldn't one say this even more strongly about seamlessly offering the service in over 100 countries? But, apparently, they did it, and still made money.

P.S. tubemonkey, if they give the Touch the same browser as the Fire, you are right. I was thinking that it would be pretty much the same text-friendly eInk browser, as indicated by the use of the word "experimental" in the amazon.com descriptions.

[BeccaPrice]

I just upgraded to a 3G k3 when my k2 broke, and no, you can't browse the internet with 3G on the new k3s anymore either. If I'd known that, I wouldn't have upgraded, but taken the refurb'd k2 they offered me instead. not that I use my kindle for the internet much, I just like to have the option.

[DreamWriter]

Originally Posted by BeccaPrice

I just upgraded to a 3G k3 when my k2 broke, and no, you can't browse the internet with 3G on the new k3s anymore either. If I'd known that, I wouldn't have upgraded, but taken the refurb'd k2 they offered me instead. not that I use my kindle for the internet much, I just like to have the option.

Just to clarify, did you purchase the Kindle Keyboard 3G model? And are you in the U.S.?

[DustyDisks]

Originally Posted by BeccaPrice

I just upgraded to a 3G k3 when my k2 broke, and no, you can't browse the internet with 3G on the new k3s anymore either. If I'd known that, I wouldn't have upgraded, but taken the refurb'd k2 they offered me instead. not that I use my kindle for the internet much, I just like to have the option.

Originally Posted by DreamWriter

Just to clarify, did you purchase the Kindle Keyboard 3G model? And are you in the U.S.?

Just checked their store and free 3G is still offered.

[DustyDisks]

Originally Posted by BeccaPrice

I just upgraded to a 3G k3 when my k2 broke, and no, you can't browse the internet with 3G on the new k3s anymore either. If I'd known that, I wouldn't have upgraded, but taken the refurb'd k2 they offered me instead. not that I use my kindle for the internet much, I just like to have the option.

Originally Posted by DreamWriter

Just to clarify, did you purchase the Kindle Keyboard 3G model? And are you in the U.S.?

Just checked their store and free wireless 3G is still offered.

[Atilla]

Originally Posted by BeccaPrice

I just upgraded to a 3G k3 when my k2 broke, and no, you can't browse the internet with 3G on the new k3s anymore either. If I'd known that, I wouldn't have upgraded, but taken the refurb'd k2 they offered me instead. not that I use my kindle for the internet much, I just like to have the option.

Where is your kindle 3 registered?

[Atilla]

Hmm, I think they changed the K3 3G info for Canada. Does this really mean no more open web for new 3G keyboard buyers?

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Important Product Information for Your Country
Your international shipment is subject to customs duties, import taxes and other fees levied by the destination country. We will show you these fees upon checkout. Learn more
Kindle ships with a micro-USB cable for charging your Kindle via a computer USB port
You can transfer personal documents to your Kindle via USB for free at anytime. Wireless delivery of personal documents is currently not available. Learn more
Kindle books, newspapers, and magazines are currently priced and sold in United States dollars
Access Wikipedia via Whispernet on the experimental web browser. Access other websites like Google via a Wi-Fi connection.
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[SteveEisenberg]

Originally Posted by Atilla

Hmm, I think they changed the K3 3G info for Canada. Does this really mean no more open web for new 3G keyboard buyers?

Hunting around both the US and Canada amazon sites a bit, my conclusion is:

-- If you buy your Kindle Keyboard 3G outside the US, or in the US for shipment outside, you are being told in writing the 3G internet is restricted to Wikipedia.

-- If you buy your Kindle Keyboard 3G inside the US for shipment inside the US, you might conclude that browsing is independent of whether the connection is WiFi or 3G. But, really, they aren't saying anything one way or the other.

This sounds to me a little like Bank of America's recent attempt to charge customers $5 per month for a debit card. It got them terrible publicity and they backed down. I think it will come down to whether reviewers consider free cell phone network internet an important feature. Am I optimistic? No.

Question for BeccaPrice: What happens when you are out of WiFi range and click on a link at the bottom of a Wikipedia article?

[andrys]

The wording for Canada has been like that for well over a year, though Canada was given the free 3G web browsing.