frenchmartini Posted June 10, 2008 #1 Share Posted June 10, 2008 Hi, I had a question about using the "Kindle" on the ship. I'm headed on a Princess Alaska cruise this month and am wondering if the wireless functionality (which I think is EVDO like on some cell phones) will work on the ship? (I presume it will work in port?) If it does work, would there be extra charges like on the cell phones? I don't see how since there is no data subscription, but I was just curious. Responses from any fellow gadget/techie folks would be appreciated. Cheers! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare Cruise Junky Posted June 10, 2008 #2 Share Posted June 10, 2008 I doubt it would work in Canadian waters but if you google for Kindle in Alaska you'll probably get some hits. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hubofhockey Posted June 10, 2008 #3 Share Posted June 10, 2008 After the book is downloaded, why would you need connectivity? Doesn't kindle also translate files into pdf format as an option? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare Cruise Junky Posted June 10, 2008 #4 Share Posted June 10, 2008 After the book is downloaded, why would you need connectivity? Doesn't kindle also translate files into pdf format as an option? It'll work fine if you don't need to dowload books. You can only use the wireless feature from the US, it doesn't work in Canada..Which is why I have the Sony Reader instead :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
frenchmartini Posted June 10, 2008 Author #5 Share Posted June 10, 2008 Thank you for answering my questions and for the tips. I haven't bought the Kindle yet, which is one of the reasons I was looking for some more information. Not sure if it is the right investment in advance of this trip, but it looks really cool and would save me from packing so many books! Have a great day! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare Cruise Junky Posted June 10, 2008 #6 Share Posted June 10, 2008 Thank you for answering my questions and for the tips. I haven't bought the Kindle yet, which is one of the reasons I was looking for some more information. Not sure if it is the right investment in advance of this trip, but it looks really cool and would save me from packing so many books! Have a great day! There's a good conversation going on the Celebrity board. It's called something like I've seen the future of books. It also does a pretty good comparison of the Kindle and Sony Reader. I loveeeee my reader. Read 2 1/2 books the first week :) Here's the link to the Celebrity conversation... http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=781952 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
frenchmartini Posted June 10, 2008 Author #7 Share Posted June 10, 2008 Thanks Cruise Junky.... that thread was really helpful. Now I'm torn between the Sony & Kindle but at least I'm informed! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Buddy604 Posted June 10, 2008 #8 Share Posted June 10, 2008 The Diamond Princess does have cell wireless, but I think it's just EDGE, not EVDO, and it would come across as foreign roaming anyway, so if your kindle doesn't work in Canada, it probably won't work on the ship. I prefer my Sony Reader - I've had the 500 and now the 505 and both are great. The 500 model is currently being sold by a number of inventory clearance places for as little as $172, by the way. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
frenchmartini Posted June 10, 2008 Author #9 Share Posted June 10, 2008 Wow, thanks Mike. At the clearance price maybe I can justify it in my budget! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marie24 Posted June 10, 2008 #10 Share Posted June 10, 2008 I LOVE my Reader (505 model)! I used some of my "economic stimulus" check to get mine. It definitely takes up less space than all those books would take in a carry-on. Marie Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare Cruise Junky Posted June 10, 2008 #11 Share Posted June 10, 2008 I LOVE my Reader (505 model)! I used some of my "economic stimulus" check to get mine. It definitely takes up less space than all those books would take in a carry-on.Marie I agree, I have the 505 and just love it!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Buddy604 Posted June 10, 2008 #12 Share Posted June 10, 2008 I started with the Rocket eBook back in 1999 and have been grabbing the newest models of eBook readers ever since. If they could make a Kindle that wasn't so darn ugly, I might even go for one of them, but I do love my Sony. I used to carry half a suitcase full of books and now I can carry 2500 books in my back pocket - just so long as I don't sit down on it! ;) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare Cruise Junky Posted June 10, 2008 #13 Share Posted June 10, 2008 I started with the Rocket eBook back in 1999 and have been grabbing the newest models of eBook readers ever since. If they could make a Kindle that wasn't so darn ugly, I might even go for one of them, but I do love my Sony. I used to carry half a suitcase full of books and now I can carry 2500 books in my back pocket - just so long as I don't sit down on it! ;) Do you really have 2,500 ebooks? WOW!! I agree though the Kindle certainly isn't sexy looking. I've only had my Sony a week and have about 43 books on it, I see I have some catching up to do :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Buddy604 Posted June 10, 2008 #14 Share Posted June 10, 2008 Do you really have 2,500 ebooks? WOW!! I agree though the Kindle certainly isn't sexy looking. I've only had my Sony a week and have about 43 books on it, I see I have some catching up to do :)I only keep about 100 in the internal memory, sorted into a few synced categories: favorites, fiction to read, non-fiction to read, food&wine and reference. The rest I can carry on an SD card. One 2gb card holds about 2500 average sized books - fewer if they are in PDF format. I do have probably about that many, but rarely need to travel with more than the internal 100. Isn't it great that it's available in Canada now too? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare Cruise Junky Posted June 10, 2008 #15 Share Posted June 10, 2008 Isn't it great that it's available in Canada now too? Yes, definitely. That's one of the things, besides it non-sexyness, that irks me about the Kindle. I can see I'm going to have to play with it and set up the categories. Tx Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
boatlover Posted June 10, 2008 #16 Share Posted June 10, 2008 I started with the Rocket eBook back in 1999 and have been grabbing the newest models of eBook readers ever since. If they could make a Kindle that wasn't so darn ugly, I might even go for one of them, but I do love my Sony. I used to carry half a suitcase full of books and now I can carry 2500 books in my back pocket - just so long as I don't sit down on it! ;) Do you use it for music too, or do you find it easier to keep your music on a separate device? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Buddy604 Posted June 10, 2008 #17 Share Posted June 10, 2008 Do you use it for music too, or do you find it easier to keep your music on a separate device?I keep my music on my iPhone. One of the problems with using the reader for music is that I've heard that people have inadvertantly left a track running and ended up draining their battery overnight. For me, one of the big upgrades when switching from an LCD eBook reader (GEB1150 & eBookwise 1150) to the Sony was that a charge could last for weeks. Thank you ePaper. :D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Buddy604 Posted June 10, 2008 #18 Share Posted June 10, 2008 Yes, definitely. That's one of the things, besides it non-sexyness, that irks me about the Kindle. I can see I'm going to have to play with it and set up the categories. Tx I find the categories to be really usefull in the 505. The 500 had them but a) you couldn't do categories on the memory card and b) they didn't have syncing. With the 505 I just drop the book I want into the category it belongs and when I attach my reader it syncs them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare 5:00_Somewhere Posted June 11, 2008 #19 Share Posted June 11, 2008 I've had my Sony Reader for a couple of years now and absolutely love it, for all the reasons already mentioned, and highly recommend it. I find the categories to be really usefull in the 505. The 500 had them but a) you couldn't do categories on the memory card and b) they didn't have syncing. With the 505 I just drop the book I want into the category it belongs and when I attach my reader it syncs them. You just answered a long-standing question of mine. The one thing I wish I could do with my 500 was divide my books up into sub-categories. I'd read about it, but couldn't get it to work on my actual Reader. I didn't realize until now that this functionality only worked with the 505. Ah well, a very minor quibble with a great toy. ;) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Buddy604 Posted June 11, 2008 #20 Share Posted June 11, 2008 You just answered a long-standing question of mine. The one thing I wish I could do with my 500 was divide my books up into sub-categories. I'd read about it, but couldn't get it to work on my actual Reader. I didn't realize until now that this functionality only worked with the 505. Ah well, a very minor quibble with a great toy. ;)The categories do work on the 500, but only for books in the internal memory. The 500 doesn't support categories for books stored on a memory card and also doesn't automatically sync the categories when you attach the reader. You need to drag and drop them. A great resource for anyone using or interested in eBook readers is the site www.mobileread.com. I highly recommend it! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare Cruise Junky Posted June 11, 2008 #21 Share Posted June 11, 2008 Mike thanks for the tips on categories, I was able to set mine up last night and got them syncing. I can't put the damn thing down ;) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Buddy604 Posted June 11, 2008 #22 Share Posted June 11, 2008 Mike thanks for the tips on categories, I was able to set mine up last night and got them syncing. I can't put the damn thing down ;)I know it's addictive. Mobileread by the way has tons of public domain classics and titles formatted for the reader and downloadable for free. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare Cruise Junky Posted June 11, 2008 #23 Share Posted June 11, 2008 I know it's addictive. Mobileread by the way has tons of public domain classics and titles formatted for the reader and downloadable for free. Yes, I got the Sherlock Holmes set from Mobileread, great website. Sony right now has a great deal on the classics. Register your reader before the end of September and get 100 free. I've still got 70 left :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marie24 Posted June 11, 2008 #24 Share Posted June 11, 2008 Well, I feel a little ignorant right now. I haven't had my Reader very long, and I didn't know there were other sources for e-books. I thought Sony had the monopoly on e-books for their Reader. So, educate this poor uninformed woman! What other sources are there that are downloadable. Thanks! Marie Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare Cruise Junky Posted June 11, 2008 #25 Share Posted June 11, 2008 Well, I feel a little ignorant right now. I haven't had my Reader very long, and I didn't know there were other sources for e-books. I thought Sony had the monopoly on e-books for their Reader. So, educate this poor uninformed woman! What other sources are there that are downloadable. Thanks! Marie I'm right behind you, I've only had mine 9 days :). Chefpeg from the celebrity board recommended Mobileread to me. If you go there and then click on the link to ebooks it brings up a lot of books, under the Format select the Sony. Most of them are the classics that you can get free from the sony site. Mike might have other sources as I'm new at this too, but learning fast thanks to Cruise Critic :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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