Amazon is Doing their TRADE-IN Special

[Andy_D]

Originally Posted by knc1

The limitations vary by device model, firmware version and country of use/country of sale.

That's very interesting. I didn't know that, and a while ago I extensively researched 3G and Kindles.

What are a couple of examples of later than K3 models that can access sites other than Amazon and Wikipedia? I'd be particularly interested in FW versions and device models bought and used in the United States that can access more than just Wiki and Amazon. TIA.

[knc1]

Originally Posted by Andy_D

That's very interesting. I didn't know that, and a while ago I extensively researched 3G and Kindles.
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I never kept track, so I can't respond to your: "So prove it!" challenge.

[montalex]

[QUOTE=kaibob;3543386]

"Note: While connected to 3G, you can only access Amazon.com or Wikipedia in the Experimental Web Browser. Unrestricted web access is available by connecting your Kindle to a Wi-Fi connection."

https://www.amazon.com/gp/help/custo...deId=201733590

Thank you Kaibob! I rest my case. KIndle 3 still can access sites other than those listed in the default Kindle browser bookmarks. In fact, Gmail is in the default list of browser bookmarks on my Kindle Keyboards. Not so on my later models.

[Andy_D]

Originally Posted by knc1

I never kept track, so I can't respond to your: "So prove it!" challenge.

My post was a sincere request for information, not a personal challenge. I have previously expressed my keen interest in this subject by starting at least three threads about it on MR. I have also Googled it like crazy with a total lack of success in finding anything along the lines of what you wrote.

What *do* you remember about 3G in post K3 models? Were any of them U.S. models?

Andy_D's threads on 3G and Kindles:

"Are there still any old Kindles with unrestricted 3G?"
https://www.mobileread.com/forums/sh...d.php?t=285290

"Question about 3G on new Paperwhites."
https://www.mobileread.com/forums/sh...d.php?t=283463

"Accessing Wikipedia over 3G"
https://www.mobileread.com/forums/sh...d.php?t=284389

[Deskisamess]

What *do* you remember about 3G in post K3 models? Were any of them U.S. models?

I bought my first Kindle in the fall of 2009. It was the K2 that used AT&T for its 3G.

Shortly after buying it, a family member had a prolonged hospital stay. No one in the family had smart phones yet, and I was able to use the browser to post to Facebook to keep out of town family up to date with her status. I also looked up medications and medical terms.

This was the second version of the K2...the first used Sprint and was US only, the AT&T model was considered global.

I also had a DXG which also used AT&T and was not limited to use in the US.

There has been anecdotal evidence on the Kindle forums that Amazon has imposed limits on the 3G connections on their K3 Kindle Keyboard devices. The ones that run the 3.xx firmware. Those devices also offered wifi connections, which the K2 models do not have.

Most of that chatter on the old Kindle forum about using 3G on the browser on Amazon has all but disappeared over the past 12 months as those older devices age out of use.

The last time I tried to use the browser on my second gen Paperwhite, it wouldn't connect to any site using wifi except for the Calibre Content Server.

(There is no 3G on my Paperwhite.) Most web sites overwhelm that old sluggish browser, and while it was a nice tool in 2009, it is useless by today's standards IMO.

[Andy_D]

Thanks for the reply. My question was about models that came to market after the K3 and which, afaik, never have had 3G internet access except for Amazon and Wikipedia.

Originally Posted by Deskisamess

There has been anecdotal evidence on the Kindle forums that Amazon has imposed limits on the 3G connections on their K3 Kindle Keyboard devices.

IIRC, when I looked this up a couple of months ago, there was a 250MB BW cap not including Amazon. *Maybe* it was only 125MB, I forget.

Originally Posted by Deskisamess

Most of that chatter on the old Kindle forum about using 3G on the browser on Amazon has all but disappeared over the past 12 months as those older devices age out of use.

There are still lots of K2's and K3's offerred on Craigslist and probably on eBay as well although I've not looked there. I was looking at getting one for emergency backup internet access that would never cost anything more than the price of the Kindle.

Originally Posted by Deskisamess

The last time I tried to use the browser on my second gen Paperwhite, it wouldn't connect to any site using wifi except for the Calibre Content Server.

This is not my experience. Some sites will not load properly, but they will all connect over WiFi. If you care, you should try again connecting to a different router.

Originally Posted by Deskisamess

(There is no 3G on my Paperwhite.) Most web sites overwhelm that old sluggish browser, and while it was a nice tool in 2009, it is useless by today's standards IMO.

Actually, I use the experimental browser with fairly good results today with my Voyage and Basic 2015. The trick is to disable javascript and images, then when you have opened a site, switch to "article view." When it works, it looks better than a webpage in a standard browser, because it's all text, no ads or extraneous content and it's displayed in e-ink. Over WiFi, it loads pages in about the same time as a regular browser on a desktop or phone. I can read most newspapers and magazine and blogs. It's far from perfect but with useful sites already bookmarked, it does work.

[knc1]

Originally Posted by Andy_D

Thanks for the reply. My question was about models that came to market after the K3 and which, afaik, never have had 3G internet access except for Amazon and Wikipedia.
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Not even that much connectivity on some.

I just tested the K5(SO) device sitting next to me.
It has a (two bar) 3G connection up at this time.
That is a Kindle model B00F. ( https://wiki.mobileread.com/wiki/Kindle_Serial_Numbers )
It is running firmware version 5.3.7.3

Selecting the experimental browser gets you a pop-up panel saying that the browser requires a WiFi connection.

I do not have Skipstone or any other browser installed on that particular device.
So I can't do the same check with a general purpose browser.
The only K5 devices that I have Skipstone installed on are both B011 models (no 3G).

But some of the posts on this sub-subject don't mention what application they are doing the Internet access with - either Amazon included or an add-in application.
So we can't be sure we are doing an Apples-to-Apples comparison.

None of the K4 models ever included 3G, all models are "WiFi Only" devices.
This B00F is probable the oldest, post-K3 model that had 3G available (although it is not currently running firmware from early in the production run).

I do have K3 models with 3G, but that is the 'standard' we are comparing to right now.
(and K2, K2I, DX, DXG - all the 2.x series devices are "3G only" - no Wifi available on any of them).