is not wanting 3g a case of not knowing what you're missing?

[Andrew H.]

The biggest advantage of 3G for me is that it will still sync my last page read with my other devices even if I don't happen to be reading in an area with wifi. This, and not the ability to buy books anywhere, was what caused me to return my K3 wifi for a 3G.

[mgmueller]

I like to have a dictionary.
If it's not available offline, 3G certainly is helpful.
But most readers use offline dictionaries, so I don't really see the need for 3G on readers.
On tablets, in the past it was differently. I love having GPS and on the first tablets this only was available in combination with 3G.
But the WiFi-only tablets, such as Acer Iconia or Asus Eee Pad Transformer, in the meantime offer GPS without 3G. So, again: No need for 3G.

[theducks]

We are not Borg...
We will not be assimilated...

Our reader only has USB...
Our mobile phone (Tracfone) just makes calls
Our DSL gets a workout

[Prestidigitweeze]

I would vote for 3G as a feature even if I never used it for the simple reason that it's an option. You can always turn it off (and I do).

However, I like being able to send samples to my Kindle, if only to compare the formatting with books downloaded from sites like mobileread. And it's difficult to "go out and enjoy the sun" when it's midnight, you're an insomniac and the person next to you is a light sleeper.

The only thing I do like about no 3G: Fewer security issues. It hurt when my PRS-350 was stolen, but I didn't have to rush home and change my passwords or wipe my Reader remotely.

[Angst]

With over 100 books on my reader already, I don't need to download more books NOW! Whenever I recharge my reader, (every week or two), I transfer any new books I may have bought in the mean time. No need for instant gratification.

[lifer109]

My wife bought my kindle. 3G et al.... What a waste! I'd have rather spent the money on a few books, but if I don't have 200 or more different books on my machine at any time, it is broken. Don't DRM if I can help it, but have plenty more to read than time.
For that matter, surfing on the Kindle is a total waste of time. I can't stand using it to d/l anything. Order thru pc and get thru my wifi. Won't buy another 3G if it costs extra.
but YMMV!

[vxf]

Originally Posted by Ditchleyportrait

i swear i look up many authors on wiki, the internet, i look up authors in the kindle store, and i never have to really interrupt my reading. breaking out a laptop is tedious, and mind, i did about 2 hours worth of browsing through information on saul bellow, william kennedy, etc, at a house with no wifi or anything, yesterday.

i do take issue with wikipedia. the articles aren't necessarily spectacular, but when you're looking for WHO to read, it's very useful.

so these guys who claim to not need 3g, do they just not know what they're missing? i think so. the convenience!

I get newspapers (Financial Times and WSJ) delivered on my 950 every morning via 3g, wherever I am at - well, within the USA, at least.
That makes 3g priceless to me.

Browsing... too clunky on eink. Frankly, I must have bought books over 3g maybe once or twice per year, no more than that - it's just easier to do it on a laptop and I am rarely in a rush, as my list of books-to-read (and related folder on my devices) is always very long. But the auto-delivery, regardless of wifi availability, that's just great.

I am actually surprised that most users don't see this as an important benefit of 3g. In general, I am getting the impression that relatively few people use their eink devices for magazines and newspapers. For magazines, I prefer my iPad, but I read newspapers on my SONYs - and even some, more text-prone, magazines (such as the Economist and Foreign Policy).

To be entirely honest, I thought I would never use an eink device for books - I just wanted to avoid having to search for a newsstand every morning. I got hooked on ebooks, but that was unexpected.

Seems I am, however, in the minority here.

[HomeInMyShoes]

^3G fits your needs perfectly. I don't read newspapers or magazines, but just books so the need for 3G is miniscule and not worth the cost up-front or for a cellular subscription.

[Sweetpea]

Originally Posted by Ditchleyportrait

so these guys who claim to not need 3g, do they just not know what they're missing? i think so. the convenience!

I don't need 3G, I don't even need Wifi. And, yes, I do have devices that do have Wifi, so I know what "I'm missing" (which is nothing).

Yes, it can be nice to be able to check something on wikipedia. But most often I'm only annoyed at the tiny screen size. When I want to look something up on the internet, I want a large screen, that can hold a lot of information. And don't even mention the slowness. Can't stand that either.

Would I ignore a reader that has either wifi or 3G? Probably not. But neither would I ignore a reader that hasn't either or both wifi or 3G.

And reading magazines or newspapers? I don't want those. I read the newspaper in the morning (a nice papery one, call me old-fashioned, but I like the larger format paper still offers) and check some news sites during the day (when at work). I wouldn't even consider using any of my readers for reading news... Besides, even if I would, I'd do it at home and we have wifi there...

[anamardoll]

I really like the Wikipedia lookup option on my Sony 950, but I'll also admit that I very rarely use it. I never use eInk for general browsing, though -- I have a phone and a tablet for that! As for downloading books, everything is sideloaded on my readers through Calibre because I like the covers to be nice and the metadata is important to me.

[David71]

My Kindle has 3G, although I had no say in that when I bought it. In my part of the country we couldn't even get service, only EDGE, which was agonizingly slow. I always sideloaded books onto it once I discovered that.

Well, lo and behold, two weeks ago I happened to check my phone and saw that it showed 3G service. That's a funny coincidence since I rarely even have my phone on. I turned on the wireless connection for my reader and there was the 3G indicator for the first time ever. Of course I downloaded several of those Delphi Classics collections and was amazed at how quickly they showed up. Then I turned wireless off and haven't used it since.

I doubt that my next reader will have 3G. It was pretty cool but I don't like to browse on anything smaller than my computer monitor and I have wifi at home. I can certainly understand why some people would consider it important but it's not something I need. I'll probably use it when I download new books since it'll save me from having to boot up my computer. That's something I could do just as well with wifi. I guess I wasn't really missing that much by not having it.

[Prestidigitweeze]

Browsing . . . too clunky on eink. Frankly, I must have bought books over 3g maybe once or twice per year, no more than that - it's just easier to do it on a laptop and I am rarely in a rush, as my list of books-to-read (and related folder on my devices) is always very long. But the auto-delivery, regardless of wifi availability, that's just great.

My feeling exactly. As a person who helps to edit (but doesn't publish) a literary magazine, I like to auto-receive each new issue the moment it's out. And I prefer to research books and samples at home and sync my Kindle to them later, when I'm stuck in a bus or waiting room and have time to sample new books.

Browsing on a Kindle is even more painful than on a PSP.

Originally Posted by vxf

I get newspapers (Financial Times and WSJ) delivered on my 950 every morning via 3g, wherever I am at - well, within the USA, at least. That makes 3g priceless to me. I am actually surprised that most users don't see this as an important benefit of 3g.

If Amazon had the ability to tailor feeds to your exact specs (as Calibre does), and the feeds were free, more people might be interested in using their Kindles as instant newsreaders. Android phones use apps like Pulse; perhaps later more powerful eReaders will use something similar. For the moment, I'm content to transfer the Guardian, Science News and NY Observer feeds manually. If I read it regularly, I might have subscribed to the New York Review of Books (as you have to the WSJ).

[Bookworm_Girl]

Originally Posted by vxf

I get newspapers (Financial Times and WSJ) delivered on my 950 every morning via 3g, wherever I am at - well, within the USA, at least.
That makes 3g priceless to me.

Browsing... too clunky on eink. Frankly, I must have bought books over 3g maybe once or twice per year, no more than that - it's just easier to do it on a laptop and I am rarely in a rush, as my list of books-to-read (and related folder on my devices) is always very long. But the auto-delivery, regardless of wifi availability, that's just great.

I guess I'm in the minority with you, vxf! I have two newspapers that I get delivered to my Sony 950. I also have two blogs that I get delivered to my Kindle 3. And, I have my instapaper articles wirelessly delivered to my K3. Lastly, I have magazine subscriptions on my Nook Color. However, I keep the 3G turned off 99.9% of the time on my Sony, and I only have the Wi-fi version of the K3. Since I mostly use my readers at home that works fine for me. I have my iPhone if I need 3G while I'm out and about.

Actually, I accidentally broke the screen on my first K3 when I was traveling. It was back when the K3 was new and hard to find. I drove to several different Staples and Targets searching specifically for the Wi-fi only version. I knew I didn't want to pay an extra $50 for 3G that I didn't really need. I bought the replacement K3 in Target and then drove across the street to Starbucks for the free Wi-fi where I was able to download my books and collections from my Amazon account. A few minutes and a vanilla latte later and my replacement K3 was as good as the original.

Interestingly, I also very rarely buy books from either Sony or Amazon or B&N by shopping directly on the device. I tend to buy them on my computer and then either sync via USB or have them wirelessly delivered.

[calail]

my first e-reader (Kiki, a Kindle) was wi-fi only. the 3G model wasn't worth it to me for the difference in price points. when the 3G model came down to $139 (with SO), i snagged one up!

i've been loving Kimy (my new Kindle), and while the browser is awkward, 3G comes in handy.

i certainly think the choice is a personal one, and wi-fi is a great option for many. but, i love my 3G and the convenience it provides.