Kindle Touch - first thoughts

[pidgeon92]

Originally Posted by MikeCL

Question since I haven't seen anything yet so is all webpage stuff locked down on the touch?

Mine is a wi-fi only, and it works fine via wi-fi.

[MikeCL]

Maybe some 3G owners can chime in? That's the only reason why I get the K3 keyboard.

[pilotbob]

Originally Posted by MikeCL

Question since I haven't seen anything yet so is all webpage stuff locked down on the touch?

The answer is probably no, but what exactly do you mean by "locked down"?

BOb

[MikeCL]

that they only allow google or wikipedia on the 3G version and not like the K3Kb where I can go to any webpage.

[ucfgrad93]

I have a 3G KK. I have tried the web browser once or twice just to see what it is like. Frankly, it is just a horrible experience. I would rather use my iPhone to search the web. My next Kindle will likely be a wifi only version.

[Bookworm_Girl]

Can anyone share their thoughts on the X-Ray feature please? Do you think it works well? Do you miss not having the ability to select a specific word (or words) to look up in the Wikipedia? I use Wikipedia often on my K3 and am concerned the X-Ray feature won't be very effective by comparison.

[Fbone]

The could have included a few more fonts.

[catsittingstill]

I don't actually have a Touch myself, so can't check hands-on. But when I called Kindle Support about it (was thinking about upgrading) they said the Kindle Touch wifi + 3G could access the web but only via wifi. Which was why I went with the Kindle Keyboard instead.

I have tried websurfing via 3G and it's admittedly slow. But it works. I don't have a smartphone (can't afford the monthly ransoms) and there have been times when mapquest + 3G have saved me a lot of time and trouble, slow or not.

Some folks say there are free wifi hotspots everywhere but 1) in my opinion "free with a four dollar coffee" is not free and 2) I live way the heck out in the country; there is *one* "free" AT&T hotspot less than five miles from my house, and the time I tried to access it, it didn't work and the staff looked helpless when I asked what I needed to do to get the wifi that was supposed to come free with my milkshake.

So I spent the extra money for the 3G and got the KK so it would work for web browsing and am happy with my decision. The touch sounds very cool otherwise--I like the smaller profile that being able to leave the keyboard off gives--and I hope you folks are enjoying yours.

[SCION]

Originally Posted by catsittingstill

...

Some folks say there are free wifi hotspots everywhere but 1) in my opinion "free with a four dollar coffee" is not free...

You can often get a decent connection from the parking lot. I rarely buy something solely for WiFi access, unless I'll be using the connection for more than 10-15 minutes.

[blue_skies]

Originally Posted by catsittingstill

...there have been times when mapquest + 3G have saved me a lot of time and trouble, slow or not.

How well does mapquest display on the Kindle? Do you have to use a mobile version of the site?

[shinew]

Originally Posted by Bookworm_Girl

Can anyone share their thoughts on the X-Ray feature please? Do you think it works well? Do you miss not having the ability to select a specific word (or words) to look up in the Wikipedia? I use Wikipedia often on my K3 and am concerned the X-Ray feature won't be very effective by comparison.

It works pretty well. However since it's machine generated, not all the related terms are included, and vice versa, some irrelevant terms are not included. In Dune(40th Anniversary edition) for example, generic word "mankind"(and without explanation) & "dinning hall" are in the xray It is also useful to quickly check where in the book the characters/phrases have appeared by looking at the graphic bar.

[Bookworm_Girl]

Originally Posted by shinew

It works pretty well. However since it's machine generated, not all the related terms are included, and vice versa, some irrelevant terms are not included. In Dune(40th Anniversary edition) for example, generic word "mankind"(and without explanation) & "dinning hall" are in the xray It is also useful to quickly check where in the book the characters/phrases have appeared by looking at the graphic bar.

Thanks, shinew. I think the X-ray feature is pretty cool. However, I wish they hadn't changed the word look-up options to remove Wikipedia & Google searches. Seems there are quite a few options (landscape is another example) that have been removed from the Kindle Touch that are still available in the Kindle 4 (Non-Touch). I think I'll be sticking with my K3 for awhile.

[pilotbob]

Originally Posted by MikeCL

that they only allow google or wikipedia on the 3G version and not like the K3Kb where I can go to any webpage.

Ah.. then the answer is yes. You can not surf the web on Amazons dime via 3G on the new models.

But, I got a cell phone for that.

BOb

[Bookworm_Girl]

Originally Posted by SCION

You can often get a decent connection from the parking lot. I rarely buy something solely for WiFi access, unless I'll be using the connection for more than 10-15 minutes.

I was sitting in a parking lot waiting to meet someone for dinner the other night and noticed my phone was on Wi-fi and not 3G. It was picking up the AT&T Wi-fi connection from McDonald's across the street.

[Leep]

One new trick that I pleased me on the Kindle Touch was accessing the Dropbox and being able to download a book from there directly onto my Kindle. Very convenient and the book doesn't have to be sent through the Amazon servers like Calibre book sharing.

cheers