I've been using a Kindle 3 (3G+WiFi) on the road for close to two months now and had no problems. I have a rubber "skin" to help absorb shocks when it is dropped and when packed. That stays on all the time. I put the kindle in a neoprene pouch most of the time when not in use (zippered) which helps a bit against random moisture and more vibration/impact resistance. If I'm going to be reading near water, I have a waterproof pouch I slide it in. But it is very annoying to use all the time. I also put on a screen protector to guard against scratches, dirt, etc. Sounds like overkill when I describe it like this, but it takes up relatively little space and I've found the Kindle an valuable addition. I would not buy one specifically for a trip, but having purchased it previously, I found it is worth packing.

You can switch the Kindle off completely - just hold the power switch across for 4-5 secs and the screen will go blank. It's hardly worth doing it though because, as other have said, it doesn't use power to maintain the screen, only to change it.

I've just used mine for three weeks in the US and it's been a godsend. There's no way I could have taken the number of paper books I had loaded onto it. Battery life is very good - as long as you have WiFi etc switched off.
Without some sort of protection though it is a little fragile and it needs some sort of case unless you're just using it at home. I went looking for cases before the trip and was staggered by the price of them - well over £50 for anything that might actually do the job. Even in the US I couldn't find anything significantly cheaper.

I use a neoprene case designed for a netbook / tablet. £5 in Staples, and has lept mine safe and operating for the last couple of months including a beach holiday and transport in my bike panniers.

Brand new kindle bought, which then broke a week later only moments into arriving into Asia. Managed to get a new one sent over thats to the brilliant customer services who are used to this kind of thing. They must be as the second one broke a couple of weeks later. I got sent a third one which I didn't really want except to stamp it into little pieces. I reccomend getting hold of a nice paper book and exchanging it with someone when you have finished it.

They are transferable with a kindle account. I read my books on my iphone whilst on the road, and at home on my laptop (stolen last week in Norwich :-( ) and then at work on my PC. Where-ever I have left off in the book, it knows when I log on another computer what page I was up to. Very clever.

I am looking at getting a notebook/little laptop with a solid state hard drive to use on the road, so I can read, back up photos, stay in contact, etc. Just got to figure out how to charge it from cig lighter.

I had all my docs scanned in PDF format on my iphone, via google docs as well, this means my next of kin has access to all copies of important documents.

the only thing I was concerned about though, was Kindle/amazon I guess do take a larger cut of ££ from the author, and I prefer to buy books direct from the authors at talks etc, I'm sure they get a bigger slice this way.

Also, I read most of my dad's Ted Simon, Lois Pryce, etc... thats how I got interested, so this e-book thing means that the effect of leaving these 'dangerous :nono: ' books lying around the house, or passing them on is less likely to happen.

Well, I'm quite a Kindle fan. I've the 3g model, and its never failed me with books or newpaper updates when travelling. You can transfer books in other formats (handy for manuals) and its got basic email and browser for emergencies. I work for a "technology" company and so see most "gadgets" in the office, as many of the techies seem to collect them. All have their place, but for a reader, the Kindle is hard to beat.

With the new colour one on the way, which looks to be Android based, there may be another interesting device on the way soon with more apps etc available.

Iain Nic

got a kindle and loved it on my last trip to alaska. saved a lot of room. main thing is dont leave it plugged in charging at a motel. Others liked it also and had a hard time getting it back from staff but luckly one honest employee told me where to find it . In the laundry room.

Kindle
 

I have been using a tablet Galaxi on the road and they are great the internet is really great help on it and even the GPS integrated is working fairly well , the books you can load are identical that on the kindle and on the top of it you can use SKype phone . What else a man can ask.
one week battery life if you disconnect the GPS and the wifi after using it.

I'm waiting for the day when they become compatible with the Public Library system

Forgive me for being thick, but I'm confused (not for the first time!).

A number of people mention using their Kindle for internet emergencies; I was told that the Kindle could ONLY connect to the amazon site, and not browse the internet generally (for instance, I couldn't view this site). I was told this at PC world in the UK, so I'm not that convinced at its validity! To what extent could I surf the net generally? I realise it will be limited by the spec of the equipment, but could I view any sites in a limited format?

Sorry to be (potentially) thick . . . .

My wife's will work for any site, sadly I've not got it with me, but I think it's in experimental features...

Never believe a word anyone at PC World tells you!

Assuming you have the 3G version of the Kindle (and enough coverage wherever you're using it), the built-in browser is unrestricted in terms of the sites you can browse. As per a previous post, the functionality isn't up to the standard of the browser you're probably used to using, but it's certainly good enough for most on-the-road requirements.

Case in point... just earlier today, Jupiter's Traveller Robert Wells posted on Twitter....

"Kindle to the rescue..iPhone battery is dead but the kindle 3g is allowing me to surf! My back up plan works pretty well."

Kindle Power - and more!
 

Hi Maria and everyone .....

I have a kindle and love it, using it for techy books, newspapers and novels. I don't treat it as a TOTAL replacement for books, just another way to read them.

First point to make is that I had the same problem as Maria, the battery appearing to drain when switched off. I spoke to Amazon and they recognised the problem straight away. It was caused by the cover, which can cause the battery to drain. They send out a better replacement and this fixed the problem. The replacement came with a light that is powered by the kindle, which again is great, but the cover is much heavier.

Secondly I have just discovered some great free, open source software, Calibre, which is a bit like the iTunes of the ebook world. Not only can you catalogue and browse all your titles in a more sex way, but you can also automatically download and newspapers that are pinged to your kindle. This is FREE and the service is as good as the paid for versions - and is LEGAL. It is purely using their own RSS feeds.


Enjoy!!

Kindle - WiFi and 3G
 

Bought my wife a Kindle WiFi-only version for her birthday last month but I have been using it almost 100% :innocent:. Great for general reading although I think it would be a pain to use for any kind of reference book where you would normally do a lot of jumping back and forth. The WiFi browser does seem to be totally unrestricted but because the version I have is not a Touch model, the browser is a bit awkward as basically you are using the arrow keys to get around.

For my next trip, however, I will seriously consider getting myself a WiFi-3G version. If the browser truly is unrestricted in 3G, with no additional charges, it could be a great piece of backup for being along the road, or in a hotel or in camp where no wireless is available. 3G isn't available everywhere obviously, but this map off the Amazon site suggests that it is not bad coverage in NA, Europe and western Russia: http://client0.cellmaps.com/viewer.html?cov=1 Alternatively, I had looked into getting a 3G dongle for my EEE PC that I carry with me and some plans were ridiculous... $1/MB !!!!! Using the 3G browser on the Kindle (which I would probably like to take along anyway) just seems like the way to go.

Battery life has been great so far as I keep the WiFi off. I use it every day and only charged it once after a month's use. Highly recommended.