So, I've been thinking about getting a Kindle. Amazon claims that with their best equipped one that's being released in November, you will be able to download books right out of the box, anywhere, with no setup required. But I've been wondering if I wouldn't be better off getting a tablet, or if there are any smartphone type devices that would allow me to do the same thing, plus more. If I got an up-to-date tablet, could I easily download books from Amazon, without going through a lot of setup, or access to a wireless router? If so, I would be able to read fan fiction and downloaded books on the same device, right? But I guess I would still need a separate cellphone, right?

I just got a flyer from the AT&T store, listing four devices that all sound very cool, each in its own way. They have the Samsung Galaxy S-4 Active, a 4G LTE capable Android 4.2 powered smartphone, which sounds very durable, like I could take it kayaking or hiking. That would be cool, but can I download books on it, or fan fiction? If so, would the screen be big enough to read it on? Then, there is the phone that takes super-high resolution digital photos, they have been advertising this on tv a lot. This sounds awesome, as well. But would the same phone allow me to download books or fan fiction? I think this might be the Nokia Lumia 1020. Then there is the HTC One. This one, they say, is an Android powered smartphone with a live home screen, for streaming "your favorite content" and better sound. They are also advertising the Samsung Galaxy Tab 210.1. This is a 4G LTE capable Android-powered tablet. It has a large display, which would probably be good for reading. It says it has a "fast 1.5GHz dual core processor.

So, If I browse the web a little, read fanfiction a lot, and would like to be able to download books, what kind of device should I be looking at? Is it unreasonable to think I can integrate a usable cell phone with these other capabilities? Should I keep my cruddy old cellphone and just get a kindle? Please, help me with some sensible advice!

Also, the Kindle is "3G" and the other devices seem to be "4G". What is the difference? If I got the tablet, could I just get rid of the internet connection I'm paying for, at home, and have free internet service anywhere?

Well, first off, you don't have to own a Kindle in order to read Kindle books. The Kindle App is available for both smartphones and tablets, so you can easily download books to your phone. None of them take much setup at all, especially if you already have an Amazon account.

Smartphones come with internet browsers that are as good as any on a computer. The only downside is the screen size. With the Kindle app, you can change the text size, but it only offers two sizes (at least it does on the iPhone). Browsing the web is not too bad because you can zoom in on webpages, but you would also have to scroll a lot.

Tablets and Kindles, in my opinion, can do nearly the same thing, but tablets will already come preinstalled with Windows, and whatever other little programs that may come along with that. Also, they may allow you to use micro SD cards or jump drives. I have an older Kindle Fire, myself, which is only wi-fi capable, and I love it. I bought it specifically for reading books, but I use it fairly often for browsing the web (especially for checking for updates on Dokuga) and watching Netflix and Hulu. Depending on what kind of Kindle you get, it will likely be cheaper than a tablet.

In the end, it all depends on what you want to use the device for. If you are mainly going to access the internet a lot when you are not in a hotspot, you will probably want to go with something that offers 4G coverage. As I am a practical-minded person who would hate to pay for a cell phone plan and an additional plan for my tablet, I would go with a smartphone -- some of them do have very large screens now.

Oh, and about the 3G and 4G -- that is really a reference to the generation of mobile technology. It basically boils down to the idea that the higher the number, the faster your internet connections, but that is not always true. It's really more of a marketing scheme.

If you get something that is 3G or 4G capable, you will be able to get internet service anywhere that you can get cell phone service, but you have to have a data plan through a cell phone provider for that device in order to get the service.

So a smartphone, equipped with 4G technology, would give me a cellphone, plus allow me to browse the internet, and download books from Amazon, all for one bill. I could get rid of the bill I pay for internet access at home, and I wouldn't have to pay for a Kindle. I'd be able to access the internet anywhere I can get tower. Do you think the phone bill would be higher for a smartphone than what I pay for a regular cellphone?

It sounds like I'd want to get as big a screen as I could on the smartphone, to make it easy to read. The Samsung Galaxy S-4 Active has a 5" screen. Do you think that would be large enough to be easy to read? Is a 5" screen as big as it gets?

Ouch, those smart phones are expensive! I was looking at the HTC One, and it looks like if you get it from AT&T it has twice as many GB as if you buy it at Sprint or a discount store. What difference does that make in performance?

Just make sure that your cell provider offers 3G or 4G service in your area. We are in the Detroit Metropolitan area, but Sprint does not offer 4G out here (Northern Oakland County). The difference between 3G and 4G is primarily in the speed at which you can download and view video.

FYI, I had Cingular for my first cell phone... and was assured that they covered my area when I purchased the phone and my contract. I was only rarely able to make or receive calls at my home and was stuck in a 3 year contract. As soon as number portability came about, you can bet I switched providers immediately! Cingular got about 4 years of my money and I couldn't use the darn phone at home. Cingular, btw, merged with AT&T, which is why I'll never go with them (not to mention that they charged us more than our surrounding communities when they were the only long distance provider in our area).

Also be sure, if you go with the cell phone only option, that you have an unlimited data plan. You might pay more for it, but I can guarantee that it'll be a lot less than if you go over your data minutes on any given month. You might think that 1,000 data minutes or some such might be a lot, but I can tell you from my son's data usage that it's just a drop in the bucket. Fortunately, I knew this going into the whole smart phone thing, so we got an unlimited data plan.

Just be very careful to check coverage and plans before ditching all your other internet options... these days, it's a major case of "let the buyer beware!"

~~Wiccan~~
PS - If I had the money to upgrade our phones right now, I'd go with the Samsung Galaxy with the Android OS. I have the HTC Hero and it's WAY too small to use the touchscreen effectively. My hubby & son have the Samsung Moment and they love theirs.

knifethrower wrote:
Ouch, those smart phones are expensive! I was looking at the HTC One, and it looks like if you get it from AT&T it has twice as many GB as if you buy it at Sprint or a discount store. What difference does that make in performance?

Just like with a computer, the number of GB is the size of its memory. The higher the GB, the more you can store on your phone. It may run a little faster, too, but I'm not sure that it is that big of a difference. I have an 8GB iphone, and it runs perfectly fine for me.

Also, are you close to the end of your contract with your phone? If so, look into what kind of phone you can get for free when you upgrade.

It's funny, I've been looking at the same things. We stopped carrying our internet at home and solely use our smartphones. many have the ability to teather (teether...spelling looks wrong) so basically you can use your smartphone as your internet device. it is possible to do it through through some cellphone companies legally (you pay for it) and, well...you can google other ways too for free... but I won't give that advice.
I may go to a tablet just because it would be easier for me to type and upload stories from them. but really, aside from Dokuga not letting me leave reviews (can post on the forums but not review or chat). my evo has worked fine for my reading ' needs'. I even have a cloud drive app called Dropbox that I keep some downloaded stories in and then I can access them from my.phone without having to take up too much memory.
Keep on mind when looking at cell plans, if they offer you one of their hotspot or tablet plans, it is likely to not be unlimited. I'm finding data plans are extremely limited (it's why I mentioned the teethering (still looks like I'm spelling it wrong))

OMG, Wiccan, thanks for the heads up on coverage- If you don't have it near Detroit, the chances of me having it in the far northern lower peninsula might not be so good! And yeah, the service providers. Don't even get me started on giant evil corporations...

My hubby thinks we are up for renewal, I'm sure glad to be getting this helpful advice from fellow Dokugans BEFORE I venture into the territory of the evil... I mean, the service provider's store.

KEdakumi wrote:
It's funny, I've been looking at the same things. We stopped carrying our internet at home and solely use our smartphones. many have the ability to teather (teether...spelling looks wrong) so basically you can use your smartphone as your internet device. it is possible to do it through through some cellphone companies legally (you pay for it) and, well...you can google other ways too for free... but I won't give that advice.
I may go to a tablet just because it would be easier for me to type and upload stories from them. but really, aside from Dokuga not letting me leave reviews (can post on the forums but not review or chat). my evo has worked fine for my reading ' needs'. I even have a cloud drive app called Dropbox that I keep some downloaded stories in and then I can access them from my.phone without having to take up too much memory.
Keep on mind when looking at cell plans, if they offer you one of their hotspot or tablet plans, it is likely to not be unlimited. I'm finding data plans are extremely limited (it's why I mentioned the teethering (still looks like I'm spelling it wrong))

Try "tether." Yes, that's the way it's supposed to be spelled.

~~Wiccan~~

Another note on service providers that you may or may not have considered. A suggestion would be to look at the service that Walmart is currently providing. Whereas, regular service on an AT&T or whoever may be around $90/month, they offer a service around $45/month that includes unlimited data (I think)! They were just talking about it on the news last night. It's a pay as you go service and I think you would have to pay full price for the phone/tablet.

knifethrower wrote:
OMG, Wiccan, thanks for the heads up on coverage- If you don't have it near Detroit, the chances of me having it in the far northern lower peninsula might not be so good! And yeah, the service providers. Don't even get me started on giant evil corporations...

Yeah, I know that service at all is spotty up north of us... we always have a terrible time getting a signal in the U.P. Most providers have maps on their websites, though, that let you do the checking so you don't have to rely on them telling you the truth, LOL!

If you're looking for a provider that isn't a "giant evil corporation," you might want to consider Credo Mobile. They are very socially conscious and offer some decent plans, but they don't have the kind of coverage I need here. Still, you never know - they might be more prevalent in your neck of the woods, y'know?

Our Sprint plan is for all four phones, with shared minutes, free texts, free mobile to mobile, and unlimited data. The last time I checked, they still offer the unlimited data plan, so you might check it out. Yes, it's not the cheapest plan in the market, but we all get pretty good coverage (just not 4G yet), and haven't had many problems with the internet usage either. Overall, I'm happy with Sprint.

Just my two cents' worth!

~~Wiccan~~

Thanks!

I own a Samsung Galaxy tablet and a smartphone bought through Straight Talk (used to be TracPhone) which is the $45 a month unlimited smartphone service sold through Walmart.

I live in the middle of Michigan and I get service everywhere even up in the boondocks areas around Alpena. Now mind you I don't go anywhere in the U.P. so I can't verify that. I did buy a fairly decent phone from Straight Talk and the type of phone you buy always makes a difference no matter what service you use.

I use my tablet at home all the time and when I am going places I know has reliable wi-fi but when I am going places that doesn't my cell is amazing. It has a 4 inch screen so it's cramped but hey it's better than nothing. I read manga, use this site, listen to music (I replaced the standard memory card with a larger one) and read books.

However, the one thing I would recommend doing is to never stream. While any plan may say it is unlimited, there is no such thing. Once you reach a certain data amount (for Straight Talk I believe it's 4 GB) they throttle all the data and basically you would have to wait for the month to roll over again because it would be like using dial-up.

So if you are wanting to watch Netflix every night or do similar things it is way more cost efficient to pay for internet in your home.

I don't know about Straight Talk, but I can tell you that we've never experienced any slow down in throughput with Sprint, no matter how many data minutes - or how many gigs - we've gone through in a month. My son regularly streams to his phone... he's never had a problem. I think that's all in the fine print in the contract with your provider. Yet another reason I like my Sprint service, even if I pay a little more for it.

Then again, if you ditch cable internet and go with a straight mobile solution, it's possible that the cost could be less than basic cell and cable together. Lots of research is my suggestion. There are pros and cons to everything, but with the right research, it's possible to find solutions that work for you.

~~Wiccan~~
PS - I think there are only a couple providers in the U.P. that have real coverage up there, and most of it is still spotty in remote places like Grand Marais on Lake Superior. Let's face it, the U.P. is still the wilderness when it comes to newfangled stuff like cell service, LOL!!

My ex husband lives in Cheboygan, I am not sure where in northern Lower Peninsula you are but he struggles with service in a lot of places. I won't mention who he uses for his service because I think Wiccan might strangle me.

*hides under a rock*

But definitely do research and find someone who LOVES their service, lives by you and has similar habits; then do what they do. Worked out pretty well for me.

Oh I had a final thought as I was proofing my post. There are times when I have six to seven people at once in my house streaming internet. So in retrospect I might be a little biased towards internet at home via other methods. It's like a constant lan party here 24/7 with my own little gaming family but I suppose if it were to be just one person that would be a different situation. Still the thought of overage charges from cell phone providers is scary.

RogueKittieKat wrote:
My ex husband lives in Cheboygan, I am not sure where in northern Lower Peninsula you are but he struggles with service in a lot of places. I won't mention who he uses for his service because I think Wiccan might strangle me.

*hides under a rock*

Oh, c'mon!!!

I'm not THAT bad, am I???

Srsly, there are a lot of people who love their service and it might be a provider that *I* don't care for... I've just had bad and good with a few, that's all. We're all allowed to express ourselves here, though, 'k?

I think your suggestion about finding someone who loves their service that lives near knifethrower was excellent.

And, FYI, we have both cell service and cable at our place too. We need the security of guaranteed, secure connection so that we can do work from home when necessary, so we stayed with our cable. Call me old-fashioned, but I still can't force myself to believe that the cell connection is as secure for things like banking and purchases, y'know?

~~Wiccan~~

LOL I was teasing!

Yeah there is no way I would do bank purchases and stuff over phone. I clean my cache and browser history and all sorts of stuff way too frequently for that on my home computer let alone half that stuff isn't even able unless you have a top end phone and I am poor.

I think my family has used ever single cell provider out there starting out with my Dad getting Cingular and the good old bag phones in our car back in late 90's and my brother has to have the newest model of the best of whatever and me I rock the best I can get for cheap because I am poor.

But yeah, like I said, ask your friends/neighbors/co-workers and take what the store employees say with grain of salt and read up on the reviews. Also, invest in a good phone, they are like computers, the better the hardware, the better the performance.

Um, now I lost track of where I was going.

Time for a spice cupcake with peanut butter frosting!

MmmMmm... cupcakes... *sigh*

Can I have a virtual one? They sound totally yummy!

~~me~~

SO YUMMY LOOKING!!!!!!

I am enjoying virtually while trying to stop drooling, LOL!

Thanks you!

~~me~~