I have high speed Internet, but it's not wireless, my late Christmas present is the Kindle, but will I need to go for the more expensive 3G option or will I be able to pick up Wi-Fi signals to download books?

Doesn't it have a cable to connect to your pc? I'm curious to see the answers to this as I'd like a kindle too.

It has a cable to charge the battery from your computer or the wall socket, but I don't think it downloads via the computer.

Have never used Wi-Fi, know that various places offer it like my local Wetherspoons.

You can connect it directly to your computer via usb to download books. I got one for Xmas and didn't get 3G but I do have wireless so can connect directly to the amazon Kindle shop, but I can also transfer books from my laptop via the usb - I suppose with the wireless it is less hassle. I gave my daughter the 3G one as she is more likely to be travelling than me and she said it was really fast transfer despite us being in the sticks. I think possibly I would spend the extra for the 3G if I didn't have wireless as it is less hassle and has an experimental browser on it so you could in theory use it for checking webmail etc on the move I think.

I don't have wireless internet, so it seems I will need the 3G version, yes?

You don't need to get the 3G one, as i said you can download to your PC then transfer via the USB cable to the Kindle.

But TBH I would get a 3G one if I didn't have wireless.  Which ever you decide they are fab!!

Being really thick as I do not have wireless internet, is it still possible to download to my computer and transfer to the Kindle? 

Or can it only be done if I have a wireless router.  I am very unlikely to be trying to download anywhere but at home or a friends house, but if I have to pay someone to make my computer wireless I may as well pay the extra for 3G..

> Being really thick as I do not have wireless internet, is it still possible to download to my computer and transfer to the Kindle? 

As far as I can see, yes. You would need to go to the Amazon website, download 'Kindle for PC', here.

However if you are not very familiar with transferring files between devices on your PC using windows explorer then I would get the 3G - much less hassle I think.

If you're only downloading at home then you don't need the 3g :)  As Marion says you can download to your pc, attach your kindle via it's usb cable and transfer the files.

OK great

I have done that got, the Kindle connected it to the computer but can't see anyway of transferring the books listed in my Kindle for PC to the device, help!!!!

I have white Fang, Northanger Abbey and the Secret Garden from  Project gutenberg and am going to throw the damn pad against the wall. 

Have scared hubby off (who got it as my Xmas pressie) who is technophobe anyway.

Have you set up your kindle to your amazon account?    It took me three phone calls & four glasses of wine - but I succeeded in the end!

I've downloaded Northanger Abbey as well as Persuasion, some Charles Dickens & the latest Ken Follett!

> It took me three phone calls & four glasses of wine

LOL Margot - I just love your style :) :) :) xxxx

Barbara I have the same Kindle as you, got it a couple of days ago. If you have plugged it into the computer, then go to Computer (or "My Computer", depending on what Windows version you have) and you will see it listed there as if it was an extra hard disc, a CD or anything similar. It should say Kindle, followed by a letter. Eg. "Kindle (E)". All you need to do then is locate the downloaded book file on your computer and drag it to the Kindle icon and drop it. Or right click on the book and chose "Copy to" and then select the Kindle.

The probelm I have is that the books are in 'kindle for PC' and I can't drag or copy them or anything.

> Have you set up your kindle to your amazon account? 

It appears to be as I bought it through them and logged in and it shows along wth the Kindle for PC app.

You have to 'buy' them, even if they are the free ones.
Good luck....
Karen

come again?  How do I buy the free ones?

You go to your amazon account and put the 'e book' in the basket and take it to check out.  :)

You go to your amazon account and put the 'e book' in the basket and take it to check out.  :)

LOL I don't want to pay for them, I want to download the free ones.

From the Kindle support site

To download items Archived on Amazon.co.uk to your computer:
Visit the Manage Your Kindle page.
Scroll to the "Your orders" section and locate the item you wish to download.
Click on the "Deliver to" pull-down menu and select "Transfer via Computer."
Select the Kindle your wish to transfer the file to and click the "Download to computer" button.
Choose "Save file" when prompted by your Web browser.
Follow the instructions in the Transferring Files Via USB section below to place the file on your Kindle.
Click "Close" on the Manage Your Kindle page when the file is finished downloading.

from here

HTH

Worked it out, it is the Kindle for PC that conmfused the issue, as that if for reading teh books off the computer.

To download them from here: http://freekindlebooks.org/plug in kindle to USB, click on the title, then click on save, and save in the location the kindle is in (in my case Drive G) as the computer thinks it's a portable hard drtive,click on documents in this drive to save in the right place.

Thanks that will help with new titles I buy.

That all sounds really tricky!!

I would have downloaded them onto Kindle for PC then gone for a drink in Wetherspoons, connected Kindle to their WiFi and it will automatically update so that it matches whatever you have in your Kindle for PC.

I got the 3G version as I don't have internet at home at all.

>To download them from here: http://freekindlebooks.org/plug

Brainless, don't forget that all these 'free from copyright' books are available for nothing from Amazon too.  They also have plenty of Kindle books at £1 (did you see the 12 Days of Kindle offer?).  The advantage with getting them from Amazon is that they are all in one place and very easy to manage

I bought the kindle a couple of months ago. So easy to use fits in your handbag. You can also have a copy on your laptop/computer for free. Its very easy to use and I am catching up on years of reading. Very easy to alter text size makes reading easier  enjoy

I love my Kindle but must admit anything apart from actually reading a book I pass it on to hubby to deal with, new books or anything like that! :-p

I don't know how to set up Wi fi.

I think you need to ask the Wetherspoon's for a code.  Of course that will only work for books I buy from the Kindle store.

I wouldn't have got in the mess if I hadn't downloaded the Kindle for PC application as I am not going to sit reading a book at my computer. ;0

> Very easy to alter text size makes reading easier  enjoy

My gripe is that you can't (or maybe I haven't found how) alter the text size in teh menus etc.

So I am finding it very hard to see how to do things unless I am in very good light and have my nose right on the pad.  Fine once I have a book up.  Same with the keypad can't see what's on the buttons so will have to memorise.

I haven't figured out how to look for actual books on there yet other than in the nromal way when buying a new title.

On the bottom line next to space bar there is a key marked Aa click on that and you can change your text size and font. Also text to speech and portrait to landscape

>I haven't figured out how to look for actual books on there yet other than in the nromal way when buying a new title.

If you go to the Kindle store within Amazon, then look in the Kindle ebook section you will see lots of categories in special features.   Look at Kindle e-books for £7 and under and it opens a new option to search by price - lots of books for £1 or less.  Search free ebook collections for copyright free books.  Sadly you've just missed the 12 Days of Kindle where lots of new books were listed at a special reduced price of £1 for Christmas.

> On the bottom line next to space bar there is a key marked Aa click on that and you can change your text size and font.

but it doesn't change the size of the font in the menus/home sections only the actual reading matter, so trying to do things like settings finding books etc is harder.

Brainless

"The text size of menus and other screens is fixed and cannot be modified."  Quote taken from Kindle help on Amazon.  I've just had this conversation with a friend who thought that Kindle might be the answer to her mother's reading problems.  It would seem such an obvious option to allow - they may have missed a trick here...

Definitely, it makes a bit of a nonsense of being able to alter text if you can't alter the text that allows you to alter the text, duh.

This is going to be a bit of a bind for me with just 20% sight, but with the 10% I used to have would make it very hard indeed to do anything with it other than read a book someone else had located on it for one.

Right will go off to give feedback

Another  Kindle fan here.!!. I find it easier to look and buy books free or otherwise via my laptop, pc for kindle, and then just click on send to my kindle. The advantage is that the book covers are in colour and obviously it is easier to use the laptop keyboard than the small Kindle keyboard.
Anyway I love it and found that installing it was so simple took less that a minute on both computer and keyboard.
Only problem is now hubby wants one.!!

Yes I browse, buy and otherwise organise my Kindle direct from Amazon on my PC.  I just send the book to my Kindle, or my husbands, when we are ready.  We chose to have one account as we sometimes want to read the same books, at the same time, but as long as the books are on our one account we don't have to have every one of them on the Kindle device.

The text size of menus and other screens is fixed and cannot be modified."

i believe now now do many books in large print

The text size on the menu etc. is not only fixed it is fixed at a small size even with my glasses not easy to read. But no one is going to take my Kindle away from me I love it. Mind you I am still ordering books as well but you can download a sample to see if you want to buy a hard copy or leave it on the Kindle. I find text books with illustrations or photos are best in hard copy but fiction is great on the Kindle.

> I find text books with illustrations or photos are best in hard copy but fiction is great on the Kindle

That's why I haven't got a Kindle - I rarely read fiction these days. I used to read a lot of fiction, but always got it from the library - no cost. As you say, non-fiction is far better in hard copy and can usually be picked up for little cost in charity shops etc. We have hundreds and hundreds of books of all sorts, but most bought secondhand. The only problem is that OH used to buy secondhand paperbacks to read on business trips, but forgot which books he already had, so we have two copies and even three of lots of books :)

That is my only (though with my 20% sight more than a little irksome) issue with the Kindle, other than that I love it.

It is going to take me ages to get through the 40 odd classics I have downloaded for free.

I have to get through eh Jack London's, Bram Stokers, etc.  Just finished Northanger Abbey and now on the Highwayman.

I have just started the Crimson petal and white, oh I say.............maybe I should just set the TV it!
KAren

I have a kindle which like you I love. Its years since I have done much reading, I am blind in one eye so font size is important. If you click on the AA sign next to home you can change the font size there.
Also you can download a free copy of kindle to pc and change the size of the font. This  does not include the menus etc
Hope that is of some help

I have the fonts in the books up nice and high(actually means I can stand the kindle in it's stand on a table and read, lovely) it is the menus that are the problem. 

It does sometimes mean having to get someone else to do it for you which rather spoils it.

Mind you can go anywhere that has an Wireless connection and upload to.

I uploaded one sitting in my mums this week.

I love mine. Bought the Amazon cover with the light also and it is very good for under the cover reading :-)