@kindle.com vs @free.kindle.com

[matt314159]

Hey I was asking this over in another thread but rather than hijack the poor guy, thought I'd start it here.

I understood that the @kindle.com one charged you, and the @free.kindle.com one didn't.

With the K3, the @free.kindle.com will still deliver the documents via wifi for free, excellent value, right? I just found this out in the other thread.

I went on to lament that yesterday, I sent two documents via @kindle.com even though I downloaded via wifi.

I went into my kindle account to set my spending limit to $0.00, to force everything to go to the @free.kindle.com account, but on my document charges, I saw my last charge was from my k2i on August 5. The ones from yesterday either didn't show up at all, or haven't shown up...YET.

So my question is, does the kindle automatically know to make it free if you download via wifi, *regardless* of which email address you use? Or have my charges from yesterday (it's been almost a full 24 hrs) simply not posted yet?

[kindle79]

As close as I understand @free.kindle.com, the converted document is sent to your email so you can sync via USB.
This is the way it worked when I utilized the service for my k2, I've not seen any notes on changes so I assume its still this way.

The charges you would receive would be for wireless delivery, the conversion is free.

[matt314159]

yes, that's how it worked with the kindle 2.

However, some things have changed with the K3, it seems without announcement.

They're saying that if you have your kindle's wifi on, and you send it to the @free address, it will automatically push it onto your kindle via the wifi, so there's no need to sideload it via USB.

But then, like I said, yesterday I sent two documents over to my kindle at the @kindle.com address, and my kindle downloaded them over wifi. And I'm still waiting for my 30 cents in charges to show up. I think they might have structured it so that only time you're charged now is if you use the 3g to download it.

[tlrowley]

I think you're right. I'm guessing that if you send it to free.kindle.com it will only deliver over wireless (not 3g). If you use kindle.com, it will also deliver over 3G, too. That's a moot point for people like me who only have wifi. It would be something to be aware of if you have a 3G/wifi model. I've also been using kindle.com to send about 20 books, with no charge, and my limit is 0.00. Hope the charges don't show up

[emalvick]

Originally Posted by matt314159

yes, that's how it worked with the kindle 2.

However, some things have changed with the K3, it seems without announcement.

They're saying that if you have your kindle's wifi on, and you send it to the @free address, it will automatically push it onto your kindle via the wifi, so there's no need to sideload it via USB.

But then, like I said, yesterday I sent two documents over to my kindle at the @kindle.com address, and my kindle downloaded them over wifi. And I'm still waiting for my 30 cents in charges to show up. I think they might have structured it so that only time you're charged now is if you use the 3g to download it.

I believe your observations are correct. I was browsing the information on Amazon's web pages and they suggest that if Wi-Fi is active (not 3G), that it will go that route for free. If you set the limit to $0.00 as I think you suggested in your earlier post, the document is supposed to automatically go the @free.kindle.com route (with just the @kindle.com address). If you do that and you have Wi-Fi the documents will come through. I believe that they will also end up at your home email address.

The only way the charges will probably show up is if you use the @kindle.com address with 3G active on your Kindle and a charge that is cheaper than the limit you set in your account preferences.

Your experience suggests that it works as advertised (I'm often a skeptic first).

[TomF]

Matt, you may have seen some of the posts I've made about this feature both here and at Kindle Boards.

With the K3, if wireless delivery is made via Wi-Fi, there's no charge. If delivery is made via 3G, the $0.15/MB charge applies. This hasn't changed.

However, if you set your personal spending limit to $0.00 then Amazon will never send a document to you at your @kindle.com address, because it would be over your limit, instead routing it to your @free.kindle.com, where delivery is free. This also hasn't changed.

With the introduction of Wi-Fi on the K3, in addition to sending your documents via e-mail so that they can be loaded onto your Kindle via USB, they are also sent via Wi-Fi. Since there is no charge to Amazon if you utilize Wi-Fi instead of 3G, the delivery via Wi-Fi is free.

If you had your Wi-Fi on and the document was delivered, it never had the chance to send it via 3G because when Wi-Fi is on, 3G is turned off. If you "forget" your wireless connection, this will force it to 3G and you may get charged if they end up being delivered via 3G.

This wasn't "without announcement", this is the way that it is documented in the User's Guide.

(emalvick beat me!)

[matt314159]

I'll have to do a couple more tests later today when I get some time. like, turn the wifi off and send a document, see how long it takes for the charge to post, then turn wifi back on, send another document...

I actually went back in and changed my spending limit back to what it was. that way, if it works how I think it will, as long as i'm at home and on wifi, it will download for free, but if I'm on the road and someone sends me a document (i've got a few people on the approved list) for proofreading, it will still come through, just for the $.15/mb charge as per usual.

*edit*...thanks tom, that saves me the trouble. I was typing this around the same time you were making your post. See, I'm one of those guys who doesn't like to read the manual.

I did read online, however; was just looking over the document delivery descriptions online and I didn't see their changes there, but I may have overlooked it.

This is a great way they have it set up, basically if I just leave my wifi "on" it will not only save battery life (by that, I mean because I'm around a hotspot so often, it will rarely use the cellular chipset), but also 90% of the time when I'm around hotspots, the document delivery services will now be free.

I had been under the impression that it was only free if you used the @free address, to push it via wifi, and that if you used the @kindle.com one, it would charge you even if it did it via wifi.

[TomF]

Originally Posted by emalvick

Your experience suggests that it works as advertised (I'm often a skeptic first).

It definitely does work as advertised! I've used it everyday to wirelessly deliver newsfeeds from calibre.

On the K2 I had to keep my Kindle tethered to my laptop overnight while calibre downloaded and generated the newsfeed and then transferred it to my K2 via USB. Now it just sends it wirelessly overnight, and it's on my Kindle when I wake up, no USB cable required, and no charges incurred!

[tovare]

When I send documents to my @kindle.com I get delivery via wifi directly to the kindle. Very user friendly :-)

Fom the help-text on amazon.com:

"Any personal document exceeding this charge will be sent to your @free.kindle.com address and a notification will be sent to your Kindle. We will also attempt to send the document to your Kindle for free via Wi-Fi. "

[matt314159]

I totally missed that last little tidbit about trying to deliver it free via wifi.

So I think I want my settings to be that I do have a spending limit above $0.00, because I want the 3g feature when I'm away from a hotspot. But like I said, the other 90% of the time it will deliver it for free.

Cool stuff!

[clintbradford]

I just spent eight minutes with Amazon on the phone (only an 18-second wait time) on this topic. I am more confused than before I called.

Send anything to the "free" amazon email address under 5MB, and it gets Whispered to your WiFi Kindle free of charge. "Even non-PDFs?" I asked? Yes.

Hmmm.

"What if it's over 5MB?" Still free - but might take longer than five minutes to Whisper.

Why would anyone send anything to the non-free email address? We're not sure. 'Cause if it's over 5MB, Amazon just takes longer than five mins to Whisper it to you.

And I am at the Amazon customer support page on this - and am fairly literate - and cannot quickly figure it out.

Anyone want to get together on Skype or GoToMeeting and create our own FAQ/Scenario for participants here??? A step=by-step FAQ, answering these types of scenarios ...

1. I have a 4MB .pdf that I would like to wirelessly transfer to my K3.

2. I have a 10MB .pdf that I'd like to wirelessly transfer to my K3.

3. I have a 4MB Word doc that I want Amazon Doc Svcs to send wirelessly to my K3.

4. I have a 15MB Word doc ...

You get the picture.

Clint
Skypename - clintbradford

[TomF]

Originally Posted by clintbradford

Why would anyone send anything to the non-free email address? We're not sure.

Because you're not in Wi-Fi range but you are in 3G range and you need the document? And someone else is sending it to you?

[matt314159]

that's my thing, I'm going to use the @kindle.com for people to send me proofreading items, so that if they send it when I'm not at home it still pushes through.

for my kindlefeeder feeds, I have it set to go to the @free address, so as long as I'm home, they'll come through, but if I'm not, I won't be charged fro stuff I don't need.

[tovare]

Anyone know how long amazon holds the documents, can I keep sending stuff and sync up a week later?

[superstitious]

So I am confused. If you have the K3 wifi version, it seems it doesn't matter where I send my documents because Amazon won't charge if you are using wifi and not 3g, correct? Also, what's the difference between kindle.com and free.kindle.com?