Well, I did it. After months of hesitation and notwithstanding that I still have reservations, I took the plunge and bought a Kindle opting for the 3G version even though I have a wifi network at home.
Registering (or De-Registering) your new Amazon Kindle
If, like me, you buy your Kindle online then it will be delivered already registered to your Amazon account. However, you will need to log on and make sure that the country information is correct in your Amazon account. You will also need to enable 1-click purchasing if it is not already enabled on your account. My advice is to do this before you do anything else as it will help you to get started using your new Kindle. I wasted time because I didn’t realise the reason I was unable to purchase or download books was because 1-click wasn’t enabled on my Amazon account.
What you need to know about setting up the Amazon Kindle 3G version
I consider myself to be reasonably tech savvy so it was a bit of a surprise that setting up the Kindle took a little more thought and effort than I expected. It comes without a plug so you need to connect it to your computer via a USB cable to charge. That’s where I encountered my first problem. The Kindle instructions say that you should connect it to your computer then ‘eject’ it while leaving it plugged in so that you can use the Kindle while it continues to charge. My problem was that I tried to ‘eject’ it using the icon on my toolbar. It appeared to eject successfully but I couldn’t get the Kindle to work unless I plugged it out. If you are a Windows user and you hit the same problem with your Amazon Kindle, here’s what you need to do. Connect the Kindle, then click on Start, select Computer, and then eject from that point (you might need to right click depending on what version of Windows you’re using).
Why I bought the 3g version of the Kindle
The main reason that I puchased the 3G version of the Kindle was so that I will be able to use email and Internet while travelling or on holiday without incurring roaming charges. This is a big plus – not that I really want to be checking my mail on holiday but it’s good to know that you have the option if an emergency should arise. The other reason is that I am likely to want to purchase magazines, newspapers or books when I am waiting around in airports or train stations and so on. 3G is a luxury because it costs a little more, but I reckoned that it was worth it. It will pay for itself anyway through avoiding those roaming charges.
What you need to know about Wifi and 3G on your Amazon Kindle
If your Kindle detects a wireless network it will ask you to enable Wireless rather than use 3G – at least that seems to be how mine works. Connecting to my home Wifi was easy enough – my network is protected so I just entered the Wifi password and everything worked just fine. Turning off the wireless, though, didn’t mean that 3G was instantly available. In fact, 3G is only available when I am out of range of the WIFI network. So, I had 3G on my commute to work, but not when I got home.
How to connect to the Internet on your 3G Amazon Kindle
It wasn’t exactly intuitived. but basically you press Home, then Menu, then select ‘Experimental’. After that, it’s plain sailing. I checked my email and updated my Facebook status easily enough.
Purchasing a cover with your Amazon Kindle
I treated myself to a leather cover for the Kindle but didn’t choose one with a light. If I were to purchase again, I might consider the light as it’s hard to see the screen if the lighting level in your room is low.
Pros and cons of the Amazon Kindle
Pros, as far as I am concerned, are definitely the 3G discussed above, the weight (Kindle is light in your handbag), long battery life, ease of use.
Amongst the cons, I would point out that you are limited to purchasing from Amazon. If, like me, you buy a lot of books based on reviews in the newspapers and magazines, then you may find it difficult to get Kindle editions. Yes, you can ‘tell the publisher’ but I was genuinely surprised at how few of the books I went looking to purchase were available in Kindle editions. Let’s hope that improves.
That’s pretty much it as far as my basic tips Kindle advice stretches. If you’ve just bought one, I hope this post is useful and saves you some time while you’re setting it up. Now that mine is up and running, I must say I like it. As much as my iPad? Yes, possibly more even, but in a different way.
