Amazon announced new KindleFire 4G. I don’t have wifi at home, so this would be great for me. The link provides all the specs. It’s $500.
My big question: you get 250MB data per month for an ANNUAL cost of $50. IOW, you pay $50 once a year (right now, anyway) and can download 250MB of data PER MONTH for that year. But how much data IS that, really, once you start watching movies and stuff? I don’t have any idea what size download comprises the average 1.5-2 hour movie. Anyone?
Assuming Netflix is comparable to Amazon’s streaming content provider, and they use the same data compression protocols as they implemented in Canada, non-HD content streams at about 300 MB an hour, MINIMUM.
Such a dirt cheap data plan is good for sending text only emails in desperation, and downloading ebooks. I can go through 15MB of data a day just from cruising this site and Facebook on my cellphone.
15mb a day just on the dope and Facebook on your cell? I doubt it dude unless you are watching videos on Facebook too. Unless maybe you are online for 12hrs straight every time or something.
I live in the country and there is no broadband access here. See my other sad thread on this very topic. I access the internet on my phone and on an aircard I plug into my laptop.
I probably wouldn’t watch movies on the kindlefire, as I prefer to see them on a bigger screen; I was just wondering about the size of data downloads.
I currently have no data download limit on my computer’s aircard, so I’ve not had top keep track of or learn about such things.
I do have an older kindle, but I love the idea of one in color for magazines, cookbooks, and other things where color is important.
The movies I have in SD (Standard Definition) in iTunes range from 1.13gb for Army of Darkness (1:20) to 2.39gb for the extended (2:54) edition of Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets.
In other words, you’re not downloading any movies on that plan. Ever.
Wifi is cheap. I bought a $29 wifi router at Best Buy and I’ve been more than happy with it. But of course, if you buy and download movies, you seriously want them on your computer, so download them on the computer and then run them over to the tablet.
This is the part that I’m fuzzy on. I don’t connect the kindle TO my computer. When I go on amazon and buy a kindle book, I click a button on the amazon site that says something like “send to ThelmaLou’s kindle.” Then I turn the kindle on and go to the menu item on the kindle that says “turn on wireless,” which on my kindle means, “turn on 3G connection.” At no time do the kindle and the computer consummate a physical relationship.
So I don’t know how I would download movies on the computer and “run them over to the tablet.” Maybe the kindle DOES connect with its cable to my computer and I’ve just forgotten. Maybe they get together in the night when I’m asleep and do electronic things together… the love that dare not speak its name. :eek:
Anyway, I prolly wouldn’t want movies on the tablet.
I am curious about data usage amounts on just web surfing and hanging out here, for instance.
I forgot about twitter, there’s always twitter, lol. Plus email, of course. I was just making the point that I don’t download games or watch videos on my 4G.
the dope and FB for me are aggregate content providers. I have to click on a link, and have it open in android chrome, in order to see your lolcats or insipid cracked.com lists. I count following all of those links and reading articles under those two categories, which explains why it’s 15 MB a day fairily routinely.
I’ll be interested to know if streaming stuff from Amazon is going to count against your monthly limit. I also read someone (on endgadge, possibly) that AT&T will be offering monthly plans greater than the 250mb/mo.
According to that info from amazon, as I understand it, STREAMING over wifi will NOT count toward your monthly limit. If you are not using wifi (as I would not be doing, as there is no broadband internet access at my rural home), then I would be DOWNLOADING (not “streaming”) and I would quickly go over the limit.
There is a lively discussion of kindle related issues here.
one option to consider, there are routers with USB ports for wireless adapters. You could plug your aircard into it and create a network for all your devices.
I did get a wireless router and plugged in my aircard. I tried it with my Blackberry playbook, and the results were less than satisfactory. I don’t remember exactly what the problem was. I might try that again and see how well it works.
I didn’t get the one you linked to. I think I got a cheaper one. Maybe that had something to do with the performance.
Drachillix, I owe you a steak dinner or something (or a veggie stir-fry if you’re not a meat-eater). I got out the router, wiped off the dust and cobwebs, found the manual online, set it up, and it’s working like a champ! I was correct that I didn’t get the one you linked to; I got the higher-end one. :rolleyes: Sometimes I’m such a dufus.
Don’t know why I gave up on it a while back when I first bought it. I was probably in an emotionally fragile state or something and felt like all electronic gadgets were against me. I’ve been reading the cradlepoint website all morning and the routers are really pretty friendly creatures.
Anyhoo, now that I have a wifi network set up in my humble abode, I went to amazon and ordered the $199 HD wifi kindlefire. It will be here next Friday! I have so many rewards points saved up on my amazon VISA that the tablet was free to me (with many points left over). Hehe. A good day.
I even connected my TV to the internet with my aircard, although the little guy got very hot. Not sure it’s meant to handle all of those bits and bytes. No matter. I’m very excited to be able to see my 200-ish kindle books in color when my new toy arrives. Not to mention the few magazine subscriptions I currently have.
You are The Bomb, my friend. Tell me where to email that steak (want fries or baked with it?).
Take THAT <Thelma shakes fist at the sky> HughesNet!