Kindle Wifi or 3G?

Mike14 · 02-10-2011, 09:04 PM

For those who have the 3g, was it worth it?

Thanks

SteveEisenberg · 02-10-2011, 10:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mike14

For those who have the 3g, was it worth it?

Thanks

If you already have a mobile internet device, like the iPhone, no.

If you can't afford the iPhone and want much cheaper everywhere access to text-based internet sites, yes.

If you have a need to make spur of the moment book purchases without waiting to come home, it may be worth it to you.

There are some other features 3G offers, like everywhere access to news blogs that Amazon sells for just a dollar or two a month.

For me it is totally worth it, but that has to do with how I use my Kindle.

bZkindle · 02-10-2011, 10:21 PM

it was worth it for me.
if you want to use the browser then it probably is worth it to you to.
if you just want to get the occasional book then probably not.

billmilo · 02-10-2011, 10:27 PM

I'm always near a wifi so I didn't need the 3G.

stargazir · 02-10-2011, 11:02 PM

If you travel frequently (or even infrequently) and are unsure of Wi-Fi availability it's worth it. Or if you don't want to pay potentially high hotel Wi-Fi rates.

If you want a white Kindle, you have to get 3G

captkjaneway · 02-10-2011, 11:19 PM

For the sake of £30 it was worth it - small price to pay IMHO for what has so far been faultless access in Hong Kong, Singapore and Beijing thus far.......testing in Delhi next week!

RobertJSawyer · 02-10-2011, 11:56 PM

I bought the Wi-Fi only Kindle 3, and regret not springing for the 3G. Being able to check email for free all over the world is a way cool thing.

chyron8472 · 02-11-2011, 12:53 AM

I'd say it's worth it.

My wife and I go to her parents house close to once per month, and where they live gets terrible internet access (not good enough bandwidth to warrant wi-fi.) I've used wikipedia more than once while there, not to mention downloaded a book/sample or two.

I was able to buy a book after talking to family about it while sitting in a Chik-Fil-A, and I don't think they have wi-fi.

Also, I don't have a smartphone/iPhone, and at one time while I was at BSF I noticed that my bro-in-law wasn't there, so I emailed him on my GMail account from my Kindle and asked if he wanted a copy of the lesson for that day.

It really does have its perks.

DreamWriter · 02-11-2011, 01:36 AM

I suppose the answer depends on whether or not you have regular access to wi-fi. I don't, so having 3G has been totally worth it for me. I use Kindle's browser to visit websites more often than I thought I would, and it's nice to be able to download books almost anywhere.

abookreader · 02-11-2011, 07:46 AM

It's not a necessary thing - most of my books get purchased via the computer and downloaded to Calibre first anyway. If the price difference is important to you you will most likely do just fine with the WiFi version.

But 3G is kind of nice to have when I'm away from home and get an itch to buy a new book.

As for using it to surf the web and check or things like that - I never use those functions. To slow and clunky.

bZkindle · 02-11-2011, 04:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by abookreader

As for using it to surf the web and check or things like that - I never use those functions. To slow and clunky.

it is....but for me it's not all that bad because I know where I want to go online and I read a lot of long-form articles with it.
but yeah, for simple 'surfing' and poking around it's clunky.

Crowl · 02-12-2011, 07:43 AM

I decided that for such a low and crucially one-off cost it was worth it for me even if I only ever used it for checking the amazon store or synching last page read when I was away from wifi access.

I think that if it had required a separate data contract or was likely to be mostly used at home then I wouldn't have bothered with 3g as was the case with my ipad which is wifi-only.

speedlever · 02-12-2011, 09:13 AM

I agonized over whether or not to get 3g. In the end, I know that most everywhere I go has wifi, so I saved the $50 and got the wifi only version. No regrets thus far.

I normally d/l books I buy (from other than Amazon) to my PC and then move them to calibre. Once in calibre, I email them to my K3 via wifi. I only sideload if/when the filesize is too large to send via email.

Shack70 · 02-12-2011, 09:21 AM

I bought the 3G because I don't have an internet enabled phone, I'm too cheap I guess

I can now check my email and do things like Facebook or Twitter when I am not at home. The extra $50 was totally worth it for me.

sirmaru · 02-12-2011, 09:30 AM

If one has frequent access to good WiFi spots, then the WiFi model is the only one required. Being retired I rarely leave home and have WiFi access 24/7.

In addition K3 will probably only be top of the line for 12 to 18 months. Then K4 will be introduced making K3 obsolete. Thus, keeping model purchase costs as low as possible pays off if one is going to buy the newest model frequently and give away the old model.

02-10-2011, 09:04 PM	#1
Mike14 Junior Member Posts: 1 Karma: 10 Join Date: Feb 2011 Device: Kindle 3	Kindle Wifi or 3G? For those who have the 3g, was it worth it? Thanks

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02-10-2011, 10:21 PM	#3
bZkindle Fanatic Posts: 510 Karma: 1025024 Join Date: Nov 2010 Location: Canada City, Soviet Canuckistan Device: k2, k3G, kindle DXG, Sony T-1, iPad, iPhone, stone tablet	it was worth it for me. if you want to use the browser then it probably is worth it to you to. if you just want to get the occasional book then probably not.

02-10-2011, 10:27 PM	#4
billmilo Connoisseur Posts: 59 Karma: 76 Join Date: Jan 2011 Device: Kindle 3 Wifi	I'm always near a wifi so I didn't need the 3G.

02-10-2011, 11:02 PM	#5
stargazir Enthusiast Posts: 45 Karma: 78 Join Date: Jan 2011 Location: Sydney, Australia Device: Kindle 3	If you travel frequently (or even infrequently) and are unsure of Wi-Fi availability it's worth it. Or if you don't want to pay potentially high hotel Wi-Fi rates. If you want a white Kindle, you have to get 3G

02-10-2011, 11:19 PM	#6
captkjaneway Cockney Sci-Fi Geek! Posts: 472 Karma: 1463094 Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: Wan Chai, Hong Kong Device: Kindle Paperwhite, Samsung Tab S 8.4", Samsung S6 Edge	For the sake of £30 it was worth it - small price to pay IMHO for what has so far been faultless access in Hong Kong, Singapore and Beijing thus far.......testing in Delhi next week!

02-10-2011, 11:56 PM	#7
RobertJSawyer Guru Posts: 737 Karma: 4306712 Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Toronto Device: Kobo Libra 2, Clara 2E, and Clara HD; Kindle PaperWhite	I bought the Wi-Fi only Kindle 3, and regret not springing for the 3G. Being able to check email for free all over the world is a way cool thing.

02-11-2011, 12:53 AM	#8
chyron8472 Groupie Posts: 180 Karma: 558490 Join Date: Jan 2011 Device: Kindle 5, Amazon Fire 5th Gen, Moto Z Play Droid	I'd say it's worth it. My wife and I go to her parents house close to once per month, and where they live gets terrible internet access (not good enough bandwidth to warrant wi-fi.) I've used wikipedia more than once while there, not to mention downloaded a book/sample or two. I was able to buy a book after talking to family about it while sitting in a Chik-Fil-A, and I don't think they have wi-fi. Also, I don't have a smartphone/iPhone, and at one time while I was at BSF I noticed that my bro-in-law wasn't there, so I emailed him on my GMail account from my Kindle and asked if he wanted a copy of the lesson for that day. It really does have its perks.

02-11-2011, 01:36 AM	#9
DreamWriter Books are brain food. Posts: 2,950 Karma: 4836916 Join Date: Nov 2010 Location: U.S. Device: Paperwhite · Fire HD6/HD8/HD10 · Galaxy Tab A7	I suppose the answer depends on whether or not you have regular access to wi-fi. I don't, so having 3G has been totally worth it for me. I use Kindle's browser to visit websites more often than I thought I would, and it's nice to be able to download books almost anywhere.

02-11-2011, 07:46 AM	#10
abookreader Wizard Posts: 1,516 Karma: 2567610 Join Date: Oct 2009 Device: Kindles - Keyboard, Fire, 2-US, iPhone, iPAD	It's not a necessary thing - most of my books get purchased via the computer and downloaded to Calibre first anyway. If the price difference is important to you you will most likely do just fine with the WiFi version. But 3G is kind of nice to have when I'm away from home and get an itch to buy a new book. As for using it to surf the web and check or things like that - I never use those functions. To slow and clunky.

02-12-2011, 07:43 AM	#12
Crowl Wizard Posts: 1,340 Karma: 1160346 Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: Southport, GB Device: Kindle Voyage, PW Signature edition	I decided that for such a low and crucially one-off cost it was worth it for me even if I only ever used it for checking the amazon store or synching last page read when I was away from wifi access. I think that if it had required a separate data contract or was likely to be mostly used at home then I wouldn't have bothered with 3g as was the case with my ipad which is wifi-only.

02-12-2011, 09:13 AM	#13
speedlever Fanatic Posts: 592 Karma: 138200 Join Date: Nov 2010 Location: NC, USA Device: PW2014, PW2012, iPad Pro	I agonized over whether or not to get 3g. In the end, I know that most everywhere I go has wifi, so I saved the $50 and got the wifi only version. No regrets thus far. I normally d/l books I buy (from other than Amazon) to my PC and then move them to calibre. Once in calibre, I email them to my K3 via wifi. I only sideload if/when the filesize is too large to send via email.

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02-12-2011, 09:21 AM	#14
Shack70 Guru Posts: 777 Karma: 1043626 Join Date: Dec 2010 Location: York, Pa Device: Kindle Paperwhite 11th Generation	I bought the 3G because I don't have an internet enabled phone, I'm too cheap I guess I can now check my email and do things like Facebook or Twitter when I am not at home. The extra $50 was totally worth it for me.

02-12-2011, 09:30 AM	#15
sirmaru Wizard Posts: 2,426 Karma: 6561538 Join Date: Nov 2007 Device: Kindle PW 2013, HDX 2013, Galaxy S5 2014	If one has frequent access to good WiFi spots, then the WiFi model is the only one required. Being retired I rarely leave home and have WiFi access 24/7. In addition K3 will probably only be top of the line for 12 to 18 months. Then K4 will be introduced making K3 obsolete. Thus, keeping model purchase costs as low as possible pays off if one is going to buy the newest model frequently and give away the old model.