I agree with you. If I was coming new to the Kindle, I might be tempted to go with the cheap one because of the price and its size, but if the Kindle is your only device, get the keyboard version. Although having said that, if you've got a phone with a Kindle app on it, or even a half-decent internet browser, you can buy the books on your phone and just have them sent to the Kindle - I'm often to be found lurking in Waterstones for the latest books, then buying them up for my Kindle right there and then!

Thanks everyone for your advice. I have been to Currys and bought the mid range one for £109, with keyboard but not 3G. I don't travel and will only download books at home so the extra expense wasn't worth it for me. They hadn't got any of the £89 ones anyway but I had pretty much already decided to get this one. I did take out the extra warranty for £27 which covers it for an extra 2 years, also covers it for accidental damage for the 3 years, which the Kindle warranty doesn't. Knowing my luck the thing is so thin and light I am bound to sit on it at some point!! I didn't buy a cover at Currys as they were at least £20 so went next door to Tesco and bought a jazzy neoprene one half price for £8. And of course I got my £10 voucher at Currys as well so that was a bonus. Have just plugged it in to charge and reading my way through the user guide. Looking forward to getting stuck in.

Forgot to say it came with a USB charger but also a three pin plug to charge it from the mains (the USB plugs into the 3 pin one). Didn't expect that so well pleased.
Last edited by madasaflake : 24-10-2011 at 13:21

Couple of links for you

http://www.amazon.co.uk/s/?ie=UTF8&k...l_7zl9z71suz_b

http://www.techsupportalert.com/cont...oks-online.htm

Enjoy!

I don't think the new £89 one is available in the shops, I think you have to get it from Amazon. I couldn't find in in Currys either. The keyboard ones do come with an adapter, but even if you hadn't got one, Maplins sell a very useful mains adapter for USB devices that does the job for both Kindles and Apple devices.

Don't drop the Kindle on a hard floor, it b**gers up the screen (as I found with my very first one! ).

Thanks for the links - very helpful!

Thanks - the chap in Currys told someone else that they would be getting them. and I heard the same thing in Tesco when I went to buy my case. As for dropping it on the floor I will try not to but that's why I took the insurance out!

I also recommend Calibre for book management. It can also be used to convert books from non-Kindle formats to the .mobi (kindle) format.

Also storage is smaller, people don't seem to mind this and I can understand why since not many people have filled their kindle as of yet (and cloud storage) but I like the option of that more space personally.

There are no speakers in the unit, so no MP3 player (but also no Text Speech function I would imagine as you can't hear it) also no headphone jack. Again not a problem for most but I like my audiobooks and it is nice to have my books and audiobooks all in one place.

Just thought I would mention chargers, my Partners HTC wildfire fits my sony ericcson xperia, and my wi fi (the £109) kindle too, which I was surprised at. I use my keyboard, to look up titles, but if I hadn't I wouldn't miss it to be honest, so 89 quid sounds fine, sorry to go off the track as it were.
Byee

The EU strongly suggested that mobile manufacturers settle on a standard port for charging else they'd force them to. The manufacturers eventually committed to micro-USB which many devices (including Kindle) also use.

So any new mobile or generic USB charger should be compatible with the Kindle.


The Amazon Discount Finder has a section for free Kindle books too.

Hi. Glad that you did get a keyboard version in the end.

It's a shame that you went for the warranty, as I would imagine the greater risk of damaging / cracking the screen actually would come from not having a sturdy enough cover. I've seen people on the Tube using their Kindle minus any sort of cover, then slinging it in their pocket / case etc. The Amazon official covers (with or without the built-in light), gives great protection and pretty much ensures your Kindle will stay pristine for years to come.

I've no qualms about chucking my Kindle in my backpack on my various travels etc. Plus, it really makes reading the Kindle a much more book-like and less tablet-like, reading experience. Sticking it in one of those neoprene things is like putting it in a big sock!

Anyhoo, enjoy your Kindle.

When the guy delivered my baby Kindle, he shoved it through the letterbox and it fell 6 foot to the floor! Didn't seem to do it any harm, though. When I broke my old one, it wasn't in a proper case and it fell on the corner onto a hard surface, which I guess is what killed it - the screen display looked like broken glass! I have an Amazon cover for my keyboard Kindle, but the little one just slips into a side pocket in my handbag, which I reckon is as good as anything else to protect it.

My sister has had her kindle for a few years, bought it from the states as she didn't want to wait. About 6 months ago her teenage daughter broke the screen. She called Amazon to see about a repair and they offered her a brand new one providing she sent the old one back, even though it was out of warranty. Pretty good service from Amazon on that account

Probably a very dim question - forgive me.

I may soon be moving overseas. Are there any issues downloading books if I do so?

No there aren't providing you have access to the internet and/or 3G - depending on which Kindle you have.

There is a different 3G version (different firmware) for US and the rest of the world though. If that's a problem, I do not know.

I would doubt it. Also in the US unless you are in the wilds of Alaska, you won't be that far from WiFi somewhere.

I'm moving overseas (China) soon & my Kindle arrived today. I bought a refurbed non 3g keyboard version but I checked the wifi coverage before I bought it and I'm not expecting any problems downloading books in Beijing. There may not be wifi in all areas I go to - for instance planning holiday in Bali next year but will check coverage area before travelling & download before I go.

One thing I didn't get with my refurbed one is a plug in charger, just a USB cable to charge it on my netbook, which I'm quite happy to do if I don't buy an additional plug in one, which I probably won't bother doing as I'll need an adaptor for electricals in China so it will be simpler to charge on my netbook.

Thanks

I didn't expect there would be any problems but it's nice to know.

Don't want to start a new thread, but hoping that someone can answer this. My 14 year old son likes the idea of having a kindle, he is an avid reader and he is doing GCSE's so being able to annotate would be useful. However could you actually write a book on it? He loves to write stories and curretly writes on his ipod, but would prefer to write on something like a kindle.

I don't think so - and it would be a difficult process on the tiny keyboard anyway.

I would expect that in a tourist destination like Bali, WiFi would be available everywhere. I've just got back from two weeks travelling around Thailand and virtually every hotel/guesthouse, restaurant and bar had free WiFi.

Hello. I am a complete newbie, both to this site and to ereaders.

I have read lots of info but am still confused - doesn't take much does it?
I am about to buy myself an ereader.
I have wifi at home, but if I want to use a reader/kindle etc on holiday - in this country - which is the best buy?
I was on holiday in Scarborough in a holiday park and wifi for my laptop was only available in a couple of areas.
Does this mean that I need wifi and 3G?
If so, does this rule out cheaper versions from Asda and WH Smith?
Is 3G (kindle) available without a keypad?.

I would be so grateful for any advice.

You only need wifi or 3G to download purchased books. So if you prepare your reading at home before going on holiday, you won't need to turn wireless on at all. In that case wi-fi only is enough. If you are like me and decide on impulse what to read next, 3G might be useful if you cannot find wi-fi hotspots. 3G is atm only available with the keyboard model, but there's already touchscreen version available in US and it will come to UK eventually. The cheap wi-fi version has an on-screen keyboard, so you best make your purchases from PC and download them to the device wirelessly.

If you can 'load up' your ereader before you go away, using your home wifi, then your choice is fairly wide & will come down to price & availability of books in a suitable format.

If you have wifi available where you are on holiday then your options are the same.

It is where wifi is not available that the 3G option from Kindle is so useful, however you are restricted to kindle compatible books - yes 'converters' are available, but while on holiday this is probably not an option.

Currently the 'kindle keyboard' is the only one with a 3G option, with the 'Kindle Touch' expected to have this option also, when launched in the UK.

Hope this link is allowed, it is an useful comparison of the kindle options

http://www.kuforum.co.uk/kindleusers....html#pid32828