Kindle Touch 3G - no web browsing via 3G?

[DreamWriter]

Originally Posted by graycyn

I know that I was hoping that web browsing *would* be available on a Kindle 3G Touch. I don't have a smartphone or any other device with a data plan, so the ability to be able to check email when traveling might've gotten me to buy a new Kindle just for that purpose.

Me too. I don't own a smartphone either.

I was wondering if Amazon would do something like this for the new touch model, simply because browsing gets much easier with a touchscreen.

I hadn't even thought about how much easier the Kindle web browser would be using a touchscreen, but you're right! The browser would still be limited by the annoying parent/child window limitation that Harry brought up, but it would be much easier to actually navigate the web page using Touch (entering URL addresses, getting to input fields, moving around the page, etc.).

[tomsem]

Well, you can use skweezer.com to complete the library borrowing workflow using the Kindle browser. Basically it 'flattens' web sites so you can use very limited browsers, and it handles the 'new window' problem.

I'm not sure it is secure, and it definitely is not pretty, and I'm not sure it is worth it, but it did work for me using my K3.

[SteveEisenberg]

Originally Posted by tomsem

Well, you can use skweezer.com . . .

I'm not sure it is secure, and it definitely is not pretty, and I'm not sure it is worth it, but it did work for me using my K3.

I don't hardly use skweezer, so just decided to do a test where I put the Guardian news summary through Skweezer.com, and then through readingthenet.com to get a more readable font, and then to tinyurl.com so that anyone who is reading this on a computer can easily enter the url on their Kindle. Result:

http://www.tinyurl.com/3fv6ev3

Then I tried the exact same using rsskindle.com instead of skweezer.com:

http://tinyurl.com/3l7erfg

skweezer brings in advertisements, which is, I suppose, a more ethical approach. I'd be OK with that except that skweezer seems slower to load despite cutting off the ends of some articles. Not acceptable. The second link above, the one from rss kindle, is not merely acceptable. I like it better than the cluttered PC version.

This test is just illustrative and may be unfair to skweezer due to the rss aspect of the original page. I suspect your example of library borrowing indicates that if you are trying to go something with the converted web page, rather than read the text, skweezer is worth trying.

Bottom line:

Kindle is indeed optimized for reading long texts! That's true on the book reader side as well as on the browser side. Just as you will have problems with a complex graphic laden pdf on the book side, you also will have problems with a complex web site. It does take playing with a web site, by running it through the various filters, to get it how you like it. This may differ from how I like it. For example, I like large fonts and no illustrations.

Originally Posted by chas0039

There's the problem. I have a Kindle 3.

m.gmail.com works slowly but acceptably, using 3G, on my US Kindle 3. I don't try graphic emails, just regular text to text. It's not wonderful, but the monthly service price is right.

[Pushka]

Originally Posted by yifanlu

Ok, here's some good news. I've emailed amazon again asking if they'll ever remove the 3G internet browsing feature from Kindle 3 (Keyboard):

Quote:
Hello,

I'll be happy to help you.

The Kindle 3 (Kindle Keyboard) supports free 3G experimental internet browsing and I can confirm that it will continue to do so in the future. This feature won't be removed from Kindle 3.

We look forward to seeing you again soon.



This isn't the kindle touch though.

[yifanlu]

Originally Posted by Pushka

Quote:
Hello,

I'll be happy to help you.

The Kindle 3 (Kindle Keyboard) supports free 3G experimental internet browsing and I can confirm that it will continue to do so in the future. This feature won't be removed from Kindle 3.

We look forward to seeing you again soon.



This isn't the kindle touch though.

Read my previous post. They confirmed that 3G Internet browsing is removed on the touch (no more "speculation", it's true). I proceeded to ask if they are going to remove it from old kindles, which they said no.

[carld]

Well, if I'm restricted to wifi web browsing anyway, then I might as well get a Kindle Fire. That's really disappointing, and surprising.

[HarryT]

Originally Posted by carld

Well, if I'm restricted to wifi web browsing anyway, then I might as well get a Kindle Fire. That's really is disappointing, and surprising.

We seem to be getting contradictory stories. It may be advisable to wait and see before making any decision on what to buy.

[DreamWriter]

Of note is that Amazon has not reworded these two statements (my bold) on their Kindle Touch 3G product page:

WebKit-Based Browser:
Kindle Touch 3G's experimental web browser is based on WebKit. It's easy to find the information you're looking for right from your Kindle Touch 3G. Experimental web browsing is available via Wi-Fi.

Battery Life:
A single charge lasts up to two months with wireless off based upon a half-hour of daily reading time. Keep wireless always on and it lasts for up to 3 weeks. Battery life will vary based on wireless usage, such as shopping the Kindle Store, downloading content, and web browsing (browsing available only in Wi-Fi mode).

If that language had been inserted erroneously, I'm sure it would have been corrected by now. I don't think there's any ambiguity there. It clearly states "browsing available only in Wi-Fi mode."

Personally, I'm not counting on being able to web-browse using 3G on the Kindle Touch 3G. And if downloading Amazon books is about all I could use 3G for, I'm not sure I want to pay the premium for that.

I guess it's best to take a "wait and see" attitude until customers start receiving the 3G model and can report with certainty how it works. Or customer service agents start giving consistent answers as this question is included in their training (I hope). You can always order a Kindle Touch 3G and return it if it doesn't meet your needs. Also, there's still lots of time before they'll be available (November 21), so you could always place your order and then cancel before it's shipped.

[andrys]

I wrote a long piece on this 3G Web browsing confusion on Kindle Touch 3G -- the blog article is titled "Clarification needed from Amazon re Kindle Touch 3/G/WiFi's 3G-experimental web browsing feature or omission - Update:"

Amazon hasn't given any clarification that I can see but it seems they may be very slowly educating their customer reps now to the apparent reality that their product page wording everywhere does point to their not including free 3G web browsing on the Kindle Touch e-readers despite early Customer Support responses saying they were.

In the last year, though, Amazon has ALWAYS just said on country-specific pages that the Kindle 3 3G experimental web browser would work via WiFi -- BUT even with that wording over the last year, it has also worked with 3G.

Now they've added the word "only" about the WiFi capability but barely noticeable -- within the paragraph on "Battery" use -- where few would notice it. And they've not changed that wording in the last 2 days.

I did write their executive offices to ask them to please clarify this as people are trying to make buying decisions and their customer reps have been replying to one and all that the Touch devices WILL do the same web browsing BUT their product pages are unchanged despite those words.
Clarity was needed (to understate it).

I quoted some of those Kindle customer support replies, reported at Amazon Kindle forums, and those were 100% positive about Kindle Touch free-3G-web access being available for Touch models as it is with Keyboard models UNTIL late last night and this morning. The responses from Kindle support reps have changed after that.

Now it seems that the word may be out to more customer reps that things are different with Kindle Touch.

Amazon probably doesn't want, apparently, to say they've dropped a feature, so that feature remains available with the Kindle Keyboard model (which is selling as part of the "Kindle Family" -- and, as someone noted, 3G web access is awkward enough with the keyboard's 5-way-controller to make overuse of 3G web browsing less likely than on a Touch device.

The wording that yifanlu received from Kindle customer representative Pushka is clear -- the support rep feels 3G web will continue on the old K3, a device that's now called "Kindle Keyboard 3G." Yifanlu reported this specific response:

"The Kindle 3 (Kindle Keyboard) supports free 3G experimental internet browsing and I can confirm that it will continue to do so in the future. This feature won't be removed from Kindle 3. "

That is the most definite answer I've ever seen from Kindle support reps in written form involving the 'future' which Amazon rarely makes statements about.

*** BUT this seeming change (or new policy for new devices) appears to be *supported* by the web-access table I've referenced at the Link that SteveEisenberg gave earlier, at
http://kindleworld.blogspot.com/p/co...3g-access.html

I reference and link to the table that Amazon UK does, and info on that online table has always matched the 3G web access described for the Amazon.com country-specific product pages.

Amazon UK JUST changed wording on that table and I noted it the other day when I wrote an update to the "Clarification Needed..." blog entry.

Instead of saying (as it has for some time)
---} "The experimental web browser is free to use over Kindle's 3G or Wi-Fi connections."

... it NOW says:
--- } "The experimental web browser is free to use over Kindle Keyboard's 3G or Wi-Fi connections."

However, it's also true that shipments of Touch Kindles are not even due in the UK

---- "Ships from and sold by Amazon Digital Services. U.S. only" --

so in a way, it's still unclear as they don't HAVE the Touch models -- but it seems to me that Amazon is definitely leaving things so that they CAN just say the free 3G web browsing is not a part of the new Kindle Touch.

No 'change' ... No 'removal' --- because it was given for Kindle Keyboard (and previous Kindle models) and it still is.

BUT I have no idea what they are thinking. The answers today are not encouraging for free 3G Web browsing with Kindle Touch 3G. But I'm glad they'll continue it with the Kindle Keyboard (we now have strong indications of that, at least for awhile).

A lot may depend on negotiations with AT&T as the latter try to deal with not enough bandwidth, the government not looking kindly on the deal to bring in TMobile -- and in the past, the really good deal for Amazon, $-wise, was said to have been with Sprint.

But Amazon got this going with AT&T worldwide, which was something (no other e-reader even tried to do free Wikipedia access along with the 3G downloading of store books, internationally) -- and at least, for now, we have some assurances it'll stay for awhile with the Kindle 3/Kindle Keyboard 3G model.

Will be watching the Kindle forums and this thread though.

- Andrys

[Pushka]

So this is a new response from Amazon CS:


Hello,

I understand your concern and I'm happy to help.

Kindle Touch 3G has WebKit- Based Browser features; you can browse the web over Wi-Fi and and WhisperNet(3G coverage).

However, for international customer's, Internet access using your Kindle's Web Browser through Whispernet is not available in most countries outside the United States when using your Kindle's 3G connection, however most customers can access Wikipedia and other website.

I think in the USA that 3G browsing will continue, but perhaps not everywhere else. Although.....there is reference to International Customers (ie Not USA people travelling Internationally) which may mean that USA models might be capable of 3G browsing internationally, but International models (when they are announced/released) may not have 3G accessible web browsers.

[tomsem]

I sent a detailed email to Amazon CS. I'll try to post their verbatim response here tomorrow, but the gist of it is that 3G Touch will have only access to amazon.com and Wikipedia.org over 3G. I was sufficiently convinced that I cancelled my pre order.

[HarryT]

Originally Posted by tomsem

I sent a detailed email to Amazon CS. I'll try to post their verbatim response here tomorrow, but the gist of it is that 3G Touch will have only access to amazon.com and Wikipedia.org over 3G. I was sufficiently convinced that I cancelled my pre order.

I don't believe that this will be the case, but let's just wait and see.

[carld]

Originally Posted by HarryT

We seem to be getting contradictory stories. It may be advisable to wait and see before making any decision on what to buy.

You're right, it's just getting more muddled. I wonder if Amazon will release review units and how soon they'll be out there? That may be the only way to settle this.

[Heart_Mom]

I'm considering buying the Kindle Keyboard for e-reading, but also for having free access to the web when I'm out. If the Kindle Touch will give me that access, it obviously makes sense to wait for it.

Does anyone know for sure if the Kindle Keyboard will continue to be available after the Kindle Touch is available, and also if the Kindle Keyboard will continue to have free 3G browsing if I wait to buy it until early December?

I think my first choice is to not buy anything until we know for sure what free 3G browsing capacity the Kindle Touch 3g has. But I don't want to miss out on getting a Kindle that will have free 3G browsing.

Any info or advice for me?

Thanks!

[markdek]

Originally Posted by Heart_Mom

I'm considering buying the Kindle Keyboard for e-reading, but also for having free access to the web when I'm out. If the Kindle Touch will give me that access, it obviously makes sense to wait for it.

Does anyone know for sure if the Kindle Keyboard will continue to be available after the Kindle Touch is available,

"know for sure"....you're kidding, right?