Kindle 3G is it a substitute for a laptop?

[anotherDavid]

My laptop has died and I am wonbdering if the 3G capability of a Kindle would provide me with Email and a bit of web browsing whilst away.
Is anyone using mit for this and one like this?

 

[DavidKlyne]

Margaret has a Kindle but not with the 3G although she does connect to site WiFi if she wants to download more books. Considering that she was very sceptical about having a Kindle she has taken to it like a duck to water-women! Personally I would not find the Kindle a substitute for a proper laptop. I think also that Amazon are likely to cotton on to people using a Kindle for roaming abroad and are likely to restrict usage if people start using it as a laptop substitute.

David

 

[JohnGriffiths]

I have used my kindle 3g for browsing in this country without access to WiFi and I believe it works abroad in the same fashion. However, it is slow and the display is pretty poor for browsing since it can only display part screens. If I remember correctly you were restricted to a few major web sites, others came up with an error about unable to load page. It was useful to be able to access gmail but you have to use the simplified view. If you have access to free WiFi it is a bit better regarding speed and sites you can access.
I would only use it in an emergency really, no substitute for a laptop.

 

[jaffasdad]

 

[RayS]

I don't think so for reasons others have given. I had hopes for the i-pad - see my current posting in 'Our website' section. My i-pad was a gift, but in UK you could buy a reasonable laptop for considerably less money, without the portablity of the i-pad but with USB ports, and much bigger storage. You could always look at netbooks or the other makes of tablets, but there may not be mucch saving in price, and I understand some of the operating systems are fairly basic and restrictive.
I have a Toshiba 17" laptop which doubles as our DVD player. The sound quality is not all that good, but if you have a radio in the van which has AUX input you can probably cornnect the laptop to it and thus improve sound quality and volume. The increase in area over the more comon 15" models is very noticable. I understand the newer HP laptops have much improved sound quality.