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Which Kindle Should I buy

Revised:

Amazon had announced the all-new Kindle Family that includes Kindle 4, Kindle Touch, Kindle Touch 3G and Kindle Fire as on 28^th September, 2011. All these new models are kindle without keyboards.

Having identified kindle as your preferred e-reader you would like to know which kindle to buy. Before asking yourself which kindle should I buy, it is important to know your requirements first and then the various versions of kindles to suit your requirements.

Do you like small or large screen? Do you need to download books on the go? Do you travel often (with your kindle)? Do you have high-speed internet access at home with wireless router set up? What is your budget? Do you live in the city or countryside? Do you need the convenience of 3G? The list of questions can go long but these are primarily what you should be asking yourself to know what is the best kindle to buy.

Which Kindle to buy – the three Versions of Kindle

There are three versions of kindle – kindle (Wi-Fi), Kindle 3G (Free 3G + Wi-Fi) and Kindle DX. Mostly, all the three kindles are similar in their design and features. However, due to their differences in sizes and connectivity it brings some variations in their functionalities. Based upon your requirements, you need to consider the different variations to decide which kindle to buy. The following is a comparison table of the available versions of kindle to help you decide better:

	Kindle Wi-Fi	Kindle 3G + Wi-Fi	Kindle DX 3G
Display Size	6” diagonal	6” diagonal	9.7” diagonal
Size	7.5” x 4.8” x 0.335”	7.5” x 4.8” x 0.335”	10.4” x 7.2” x 0.38”
Weight	8.5 ounces	8.7 ounces	18.9 ounces
Storage	3,500 books	3,500 books	3,500 books
Battery Life (Wireless Off)	2 month	2 month	2 – 3 Weeks
Battery Life (Wireless On)	3 weeks	10 days	7 days
Books in 60 Seconds
Free 3G Wireless
Global Wireless Coverage		100 countries and territories	100 countries and territories
Wi-Fi
Native PDF Support
Whisper sync
Worry Free Archive
Text-to-Speech
Portrait and Landscape View
Price Special offers	$139.00 $114.00 $99	$189.00 $139.00	$379.00

Kindle DX

Kindle DX is basically larger in size than the other two kindles. It measures a display size of 9.7” diagonal as against 6” diagonal of kindle Wi-Fi only and Kindle Wi-Fi + 3G.

Pros:

What is the best kindle? Kindle DX is right for you if you want larger screen that looks more book-like and get more text per page. In addition, the PDF reader appears better on Kindle DX because of the larger screen and you can almost read it like you do on a laptop screen. Auto-rotation with Kindle DX is great to read in portrait or landscape mode especially for images and charts. Battery life is reasonable good as compared to other devices. It last up to 2 – 3 weeks with the wireless off. You get global coverage in more than 100 countries and territories.

Cons:

Well, if you are not particularly looking for a larger screen Kindle DX has more cons than pros comparatively. Kindle DX is only available in 3G connectivity; there is no option for Wi-Fi like the other two kindles. It is double the price of the other two kindles. There is no option for kindle with special offers that offer kindle at discounted price for sponsored advertisement.

The page-turning buttons are located only on the right hand side unlike the other kindles which features page-turning buttons on both sides. Kindle DX is noticeably heavier and weighs more than double the weight of Kindle Wi-Fi and Kindle 3G. The battery runtime is not as good as the other two kindles.

Kindle Wi-Fi

More often, the question of “which kindle should I buy” is narrowed down to the comparison of Kindle 3G Vs WiFi. Again, both the devices are very similar in every aspects and the only key difference is their connectivity. Other differences are negligible when you consider which kindle to buy.

Pros:

Kindle Wi-Fi is the cheapest version of all kindles. It is now available for less than $100 with the special offers.  It is the lightest kindle and weighs a mere 8.5 ounces. Kindle Wi-Fi only is ideal for those who have high-speed internet access at home with wireless router set up. Wi-Fi hotspots are available almost everywhere in the city and most of them are free. You can download books on the go wherever you have Wi-Fi access. Kindle automatically detects Wi-Fi hotspots wherever you go.

Cons:

Kindle Wi-Fi is not so friendly for non-techie people. You need to configure a Wi-Fi network with your kindle while establishing connection with any Wi-Fi network for the first.  Sometimes you may not be able to establish connection due to router set up issue or wrong password if the network is password protected. But you don’t need to connect to a network to read books which are already downloaded on your kindle.

Kindle 3G

Kindle 3G + Wi-Fi is a popular choice for overseas customers and people living in the countryside. This is also true for people who need the convenience of 3G connectivity.

Pros:

If you travel often, especially overseas destinations then Kindle 3G is the right choice.  Kindle 3G works like your mobile phone. It uses the same wireless signal and there is no set up required. The wireless coverage is in over 100 countries and territories. You are always connected and you can download books on the go. The 3G network is not limited to some few meters like the Wi-Fi hotspots and 3G access with kindle is free. The network connection with 3G is automatic and there is no need for configuration like the Wi-Fi network.

Cons:

Kindle 3G + Wi-Fi is more expensive than kindle Wi-Fi version by $50. It is expensive for people who don’t need the convenience of 3G. However, if you buy the one with special offers than the price difference is only $25 $40.

If you are looking for a cheaper kindle you can get the ad-supported version called kindle with special offers which offer Wi-Fi at $114 $99 and 3G at $139. The ads are non-invasive and don’t interrupt your reading. There is more value and little disadvantage to buying the cheaper version.

WHERE TO BUY KINDLE AT BEST PRICE