Robert,
I asked a few days ago before they uped the date on the product page, here is what they replied per e-mail:
Orders placed before 8 p.m. Pacific Time on August 1st will still ship by the August 27th release date.
Orders placed before 10 p.m. Pacific Time on August 5th will ship on or before September 4th.
Orders placed before 12 p.m. Pacific Time on August 12th will ship on or before September 8th.
Orders placed after 12 p.m. Pacific Time on August 12th will ship on or before September 12th.

Wow- Thanks- I hope that's accurate. Then mine will ship on the 27th!

It is hilarious how many times the questions about Wi-Fi vs 3G has been asked on this thread, along with a few other repeated questions. The people who already own Kindles have the patience of saints for answering them so often, and politely too. You guys are great and Thank you so much for being so forthcoming with the info. You need to be rewarded.

Is there any way to set up a FAQ and pin it to the top for new people to read? Might cut down the page count, although I don't really mind since I'll be a new Kindle user too and understand why people ask the questions.

Has anyone here tried to use a Kindle to read their MobileMe email? I have a Mac and and an @mac.com email address so I am wondering how the experience is with that through the Kindle browser.

Edit: I just did a search for info on this and it doesn't sound like it works very well with the K2 and older, but we'll hold out hope for the K3 and webkit browser. Something about a memory issue with the older models. Not a deal breaker, nobody emails me anyway. :) http://answers.oreilly.com/topic/1924-how-to-read-your-email-on-the-kindle/

That's awfully nice of you, Eric. You might want to deregister your "lending Kindle" from your account while it is out of your hands, because it is very easy to order while browsing the store...

Beverly, your Amazon-bought books will appear in "Archived Items" on your new Kindle. You just click on them there, and they are downloaded and opened. you can also send them from Manage Your Kindle page.

Content from other sources, including your personal documents, needs to be copied directly, using USB.

Yes, you can send PDFs to your Kindle via wireless or you can just hook up your Kindle to your computer and drag them to the Kindle's documents folder. If you send them wirelessly, the K3 will first try to use WiFi. If successful, the transfer is free. If WiFi is not currently available, 3G will be used instead. In that case the transfer will cost you 15˘ per megabyte, rounded up, per document.

We are getting this stuff from the manual; no one here has an actual K3 yet. Here's where you can see for yourself how this works.

http://kindle.s3.amazonaws.com/Kindle_User%27s_Guide_English.pdf

Dana, Whispernet is service; it works either over 3G or Wi-Fi. Up to now all Kindles had 3G. K3 is the first one that introduces Wi-Fi, too.

Shirley~ thanks...maybe that will take the edge off of waiting for the big arrival. Although, so many of us like getting it in the posts because it is easier to get information in small bits.

It doesn't appear that the Kindle 1 has 3G. It has Sprint wireless, but I think the faster 3G was introduced with Kindle 2. A search for 3G in the K1 user manual comes up blank.

I just think of Whispernet as wireless. In fact, I've even stopped referring to Whispernet anymore. It's just confusing. In the menus, you turn on wireless; you don't turn on Whispernet.

Yes, I tend to forget to mention the search box in the right column works within one discussion too. We should start pointing new users to that option as well.

3g and whispernet is the same exact thing. For those who have had prior versions of kindles (including DXs) has been using 3g all this time.

Unless you have little or no 3g coverage in your area or have a steady wifi network at home where you NEVER lose internet service I would say always splurge that extra $50 for the 3g/wifi.

IMO there are going to be A LOT if wifi only returns when they realize its not exactly what they signed on for. If you lose your internet at home your wifi kindle is useless, if you don't have wifi at home and don't want to go to wifi hotspots all the time you are going to be disappointed. Because you will have to hook up your kindle to your computer to download your books.

Maybe its just me but one of the biggest selling points of the Kindle is buying books anywhere anytime. My net access has gone down at my house many a time and I still can buy/download books to my kindle.

But thats all just my opinion. Take it for what it is but think about what do you want out of your Kindle?

Nope K1 had whispernet which is 3g. I have had my K1 since the first year they came out.

Whispernet IS 3g...

I agree with SciFi that these people are great in that they continue to answer questions from newbies to the forum. I also think we should ALL be rewarded by Amazon as we are free advertising for them and obviously their biggest fans. Wouldn't it be great if they rewarded all of us with a free K3 and send it early so that we could test the new product???? Just a thought.....in case someone from Amazon is monitoring this board. ;)

I do thank everyone on here who has answered all my many, some silly, questions.

I am also anxious for the skins for the new K3 to come out as I like to personalize my treasured devices. While studying the Kindle page today I learned something new. I'm sure everyone else already knew this but while reading I would notice that passages would be pre-highlighted (lightly) and wondered if it was a burn thru from an earlier highlighting that I had done. Come to find out, it is when several readers highlighted the same passage. Pretty slick!

Dana, and you can turn off those other readers' highlights in settings. I did, as I found them to be distracting.

"It doesn't appear that the Kindle 1 has 3G."

Well, GSM/GPRS/EDGE/UMTS crowd likes to use the term 3G (third generation) for UMTS, 2.5G for EDGE ("Enhanced Data Rates for GSM Evolution") and 2G for GSM/GPRS. Sprint's network also uses a mix of technologies, different from these, some of which are second, and some third generation cellular technologies (their 3G is EVDO - "Evolution-Data Optimized").

That's more marketing than technology. Simply put, Sprint and AT&T use comparable, but incompatible technology, and that used by AT&T happens to be popular worldwide.

"I just think of Whispernet as wireless."

The confusion is Amazon's fault, because they used Whispernet interchangeably with cellular connectivity (either Sprint or AT&T) before they envisioned using Wi-Fi. Now they use it as a name if service.

"3g and whispernet is the same exact thing. "

Lynda, Amazon now talks about "Whispernet over Wi-Fi". Whispernet is service, 3G and Wi-Fi are possible transport mechanisms for it.

With wi-fi at home, I made the choice to avoid the 3g, so that I am NOT tempted to check email of the web while on the go.

I'll have my kindle books with me on the go, and that's enough. Too much time can be wasted on these little gadgets, and I know my weaknesses to always 'check' the web for news, messages, etc..

If the internet goes out at home, well, I guess I'll have to do without
it for a time. Probably good for us all, now and then, really.

Just my take on the 3g vs not conundrum.

Many thanks to all of the experts here who have so graciously answered questions (perhaps many redundant ones) for us Kindle newbies. I purchased the wi-fi only K3 because I have a network in my home. My experiences traveling find me most often in hotels and motels most of which offer free wi-fi. However, having read the many posts in this forum, I can certainly understand why many would go with the 3G version. I do have a question: is it true that Kindle will be soon be starting an apps store? If so, when and what kinds of apps will be made available?

You made a choice after research and looking at your lifestyle. I wasn't really meaning people like you will be returning the wifi only version. I was talking about those who just saw the wifi as $50 cheaper and not seeing all the ramifications.

I know for ME, I couldn't settle on just wifi. I am maybe at wifi hotspots 2-3 a month if that. I also know at home my wifi can be spotty. Wifi won't even work at my job because of the way the building is built.

Again for ME, access to Amazon whenever and where ever I am is one of the selling points. I don't even use it for email, or web. Of course I have a K1 so surfing the net on it is slower than dial up!

Yeppers, Lynda. Just giving my reasoning, as counter-point.

May I never be so into my web-browsing that I cannot do without it for a few hours.

Wi-fi only is a great choice for many of us! I think plenty of folk will be happy with it.

Dragi and Krazy, thank you.

On 27 July, I ordered the $139 Kindle 3. Last night, I canceled that order and went for the $189 version. I really wish I'd done that back in July but I was going from a Kindle 1 to a 3 so didn't understand about the extra features.

So... I'm back at the end of the line... and will just have to wait while reading posts from those of you who will receive their Kindles at the end of this month.

I keep telling myself it's only an extra week or two - what's that in the life of a Kindle? Now, if I can only believe it! :)

Kindle DX Wireless Reading Device (9.7" Display, U.S. Wireless)
OK here is what we did. I recently purchased the above ($249) and subsequently ordered a K3 WiFi only. Once my wife receives is we can sink both devices with her WIFI and my 3G. Hope this makes sense? If not please feel free to ask.

Let us know how the sync works out for you please.

Hi Paul,

I think it makes sense if you have WiFi and 3G in the same place. Then you can both buy and sync. Alternatively, if you are in a WiFi area (for example), only your wife can purchase a book, then you move to a 3G area, where you can sync. Is that what you are thinking?

k4k