Help! New kindles??

[HALEYSMOMMOM]

Ok, just a little background first. I own a company paid cell phone. No texting, no internet, nada, just a cell phone. We do not own a laptop, or anything portable like that. So I need help here,lol

I would love to have something that I can take with me, not too big, that can access the internet so I can check email, check the weather, and simple things like that while traveling. I do not want to pay a monthly subscription fee. Just the price for the device ideally. Are one of these new kindles what I'm looking for? I see the kindle fire does not have 3g, do I need that? While the kindle touch 3g, obviously does....are they going to be so slow online that Its not even worth it? totally confused, would really appreciate help!!

 

[tink576]

I don't have a kindle, but my understanding is that there is an experimental browser that can be used when you have wi-fi access and the Kindle-keyboard version has experimental brower internet acces with the 3G. Someone correct me if I'm wrong, that was just my understanding from researching Kindles

 

[ksloane]

If you buy the older model, not the touch..the one with the keyboard, it can do very limited Internet browsing.


I've been researching the touch for my daughter and from what I can gather, the touch will require wifi for Internet browsing. All the 3G is good for is downloading books or wikipedia.

 

[HALEYSMOMMOM]

If you buy the older model, not the touch..the one with the keyboard, it can do very limited Internet browsing.


I've been researching the touch for my daughter and from what I can gather, the touch will require wifi for Internet browsing. All the 3G is good for is downloading books or wikipedia.

OK Thanks-so 3G is not for internet browsing
so maybe I'm better off with the Kindle Fire? That's the one thats supposed to be released in November. Does that need wifi? Now Im thinking probaby so

 

[crazelion]

OK Thanks-so 3G is not for internet browsing
so maybe I'm better off with the Kindle Fire? That's the one thats supposed to be released in November. Does that need wifi? Now Im thinking probaby so

Yes that need wi-fi but can get free wi-fi at the Starbucks to surf the net. I have feature phone that get unlimited from att for 15 bucks. No it not a smartphone. It feature phone aka dumbphone.

If was me I would with the Kindle fire or Ipod touch and use wi-fi myself.

 

[nowellsl]

I have the kindle (keyboard) with 3g, and you can do limited surfing on the web but it is so time consuming that it's really not worth it! I have been able to get on facebook and even post, but it took forever!! I have a kindle fire on pre-order, it can be used to check email and web surf, but you need wi-fi access.

 

[ksloane]

3G means Internet on the older model, the keyboard model.

3G does not mean Internet on the Touch model.

The fire requires wifi as well.



So if you really want Internet "on the go" without finding somewhere with free wifi, you'd want to buy the Keyboard 3G model.

There are tons of free wifi locations though and you might find that to be ok, and then you could go with any of the Kindles or tablets out there that are wifi capable (pretty much all of them)

 

[HALEYSMOMMOM]

Thanks everyone for putting up with my ignorance ,lol. This is very confusing to me.

I really don't want it to be sloooow-so I'm thinking maybe not the keyboard one. Say I'm driving down a major inter-state...what are the chances of having wifi? Or do I need to pull into a parking lot of somewhere that offers it ie starbucks?

 

[ksloane]

You would have to pull in.


My 3G on the Kindle Keyboard is not slow. It's just awkward to move around, but I've adjusted and do use it when I travel for email and facebook. I even checked in from Panama this summer. Again as long as you know it's limited, it works perfectly (or has for me)

 

[cheap traveler]

Thank you OP for asking this. I think I have finally decided on the keyboard model with free 3G. I have no wi-fi near my house without driving over 20 minutes, and every once in a while I need to check the weather or just get a movie time. I did a little google searching on the internet capabilities, and was happy with what I found.

The price for this model is $139, and the $45 in Staples rewards I have coming any day now finally made my decision for me.

 

[HALEYSMOMMOM]

Anyone think Id be better off with IPOD touch?
Just read something about starting Oct 12-free text messaging between devices on the ipods. Would be nice if my daughter and i both had one-she's going to be 12, has no phone,.

Maybe I need to read up on features of everything-you guys have educated me about wifi& 3G, very greatful thank you!

 

[HALEYSMOMMOM]

Thank you OP for asking this. I think I have finally decided on the keyboard model with free 3G. I have no wi-fi near my house without driving over 20 minutes, and every once in a while I need to check the weather or just get a movie time. I did a little google searching on the internet capabilities, and was happy with what I found.

The price for this model is $139, and the $45 in Staples rewards I have coming any day now finally made my decision for me.

Still considering this too, since its not really slow for everyone apparently. Glad my confusion helped you

 

[ksloane]

If I was going with a wifi only device for Internet purposes I would probably do the ipod touch or fire. The ipod touch's Internet is much better than the kindle as far as user friendly.

Will they (the ipods) text without an active Internet connection? Just not sure how that would work....I'm guessing you'd have to be where there was wifi for that to work (but I haven't researched that at all)

I know very little about the fire, but I think it is based on an android system maybe? I think I read that, and if so the Internet usage on it will also be a lot better as far as user friendly than the regular Kindles, but then again, it is wifi only.

 

[crazelion]

If I was going with a wifi only device for Internet purposes I would probably do the ipod touch or fire. The ipod touch's Internet is much better than the kindle as far as user friendly.

Will they (the ipods) text without an active Internet connection? Just not sure how that would work....I'm guessing you'd have to be where there was wifi for that to work (but I haven't researched that at all)

I know very little about the fire, but I think it is based on an android system maybe? I think I read that, and if so the Internet usage on it will also be a lot better as far as user friendly than the regular Kindles, but then again, it is wifi only.

Yes the Kindle fire runs on andriod. As soon someone hack it it will andriod market by Google too.

 

[nowellsl]

I should have been more specific, the internet connections with the 3g isn't slow, manuevering around with the keyboard is what is so cumbersome for me. It has gotten easier with practice, but I usually use my phone as it is much easier. I love my kindle, but am looking forward to the kindle fire!

My neice has an ipod touch with the texting app and she was showing it to me at lunch yesterday. It does need a wi-fi connection. She loves it, she doesn't have a cell phone so the texting is a big deal for her

 

[HALEYSMOMMOM]

OK, so really the only thing with 3g that's worth anything is the kindle keyboard, correct? Everything else would be wifi only

 

[vicki_c]

I'm confused by the various answers people have given, and the questions asked by the OP. Seems like a bit of conflicting advice or confusion about what is really wanted.

Have you read the descriptions, OP, on the Amazon page? Just go to the Amazon main page and you can look @ a page that compares the various Kindles side by side. That might be a good start.

Or check cnet.com - always lots of good information about all kinds of electronic devices.

We rarely have free WiFi when we are out and about (although we do have it at home), so we bought our new Kindle Touch w/3G and WiFi. But we have a wide variety of ways to do internet things because we have iPhones, an iPad with WiFi & 3G on an as-needed basis, an older Kindle (WiFi only), a new Kindle (WiFi only), and eventually a Kindle Touch (WiFi & 3G all the time).

There are a lot of choices - what works best for you really depends on what you need and how much you want to spend.

 

[descovy]

I'm with you... I agree the answers have been conflicting and that is very confusing.

I think the jist of it is that there are NEW Kindles coming... and no, not just the Fire. So you have folks talking about the old Kindles (which they know) and different folks talking about the new kindles, which you can pre-order now, but won't be available until Nov.

I highly suggest the OP look them up on the Amazon site. They have a handy-dandy chart there. (Compare them side-by-side!)

I myself have preordered the NEW Kindle Touch with 3G. It will be $159. It has the experimental browser, but rather than trying to navigate by keyboard, you can navigate by touch screen. A virtual keyboard pops up for when you need to type.

We are getting the 3G, because wifi isn't available everywhere. It is a gift for my 11yr old dd (shh!) Homework is on the Edmodo website, textbooks are found on her teacher's website. When we have to do homework "on the fly" (at the church Wed night, dance on Tuesdays, drill team Thursdays) there is not wifi available. She should be able to access it over 3G... and use the touch screen to navigate.

I'm confused by the various answers people have given, and the questions asked by the OP. Seems like a bit of conflicting advice or confusion about what is really wanted.

Have you read the descriptions, OP, on the Amazon page? Just go to the Amazon main page and you can look @ a page that compares the various Kindles side by said. That might be a good start.

Or check cnet.com - always lots of good information about all kinds of electronic devices.

We rarely have free WiFi when we are out and about (although we do have it at home), so we bought our new Kindle Touch w/3G and WiFi. But we have a wide variety of ways to do internet things because we have iPhones, an iPad with WiFi & 3G on an as-needed basis, an older Kindle (WiFi only), a new Kindle (WiFi only), and eventually a Kindle Touch (WiFi & 3G all the time).

There are a lot of choices - what works best for you really depends on what you need and how much you want to spend.

 

[HALEYSMOMMOM]

Of course I started there, on the amazon page. But like I said, I am not used to this wireless stuff, and therefore didnt understand what I needed. so I came here, and now understand. The other posters helped me wonderfully

I think maybe what the previous 2 posters aren't getting, is on the NEW touch, with 3g, the 3g is not good for internet connection, only for the downloading of books, and wikipedia. I have confirmed that myself with a google search. The older kindle 3g with keyboard, however, has 3g that is good for ALL internet browsing not just books and wikipedia.

So-I hope you got what you wanted when you ordered the new touch 3g!

 

[vicki_c]

I think maybe what the previous 2 posters aren't getting, is on the NEW touch, with 3g, the 3g is not good for internet connection, only for the downloading of books, and wikipedia. I have confirmed that myself with a google search. The older kindle 3g with keyboard, however, has 3g that is good for ALL internet browsing not just books and wikipedia.

So-I hope you got what you wanted when you ordered the new touch 3g!

We don't use our Kindles for Internet browsing so that's not relevant to me, which is why I explained that we have numerous other ways to do that. But we needed 3G on some of our devices just because we can't get WiFi many places that we go - we just want it for downloading books thru the Whispernet, not for browsing the Internet. We have a 3G Kindle w/keyboard and honestly I had no idea you could use it as a regular web browser. But again, I don't need that, so never looked into it (but that's why I suggested looking it up on the website).