Recent Gadget Q&A columns about the Amazon Kindle, the Apple iPod and the Apple iPhone have brought in questions from readers. Great. Please keep ’em coming, gang.
Q: I am vacationing in Florida from France and contemplating buying a Kindle reader here. (I read your today’s article in the Sun Sentinel). Am I right in understanding that an Amazon Kindle at $189 can only receive e-mails but not send them? And if I buy a Kindle here do I just need an adaptor plug for recharging in France? Any tips you can give me would be much appreciated. What is the difference between a Kindle at $139 & $189?
— Diana Nial, France
A: The Amazon Kindle can send and receive e-mails, and you can use it to browse to, say, your Yahoo mail account or similar web-based e-mail service, so you’re covered.
If you buy a Kindle in the U.S., you will need an adaptor plug to charge in Europe, but you will not need a voltage converter. When registering your Kindle at amazon.com, be sure to use a credit card with an American shipping address. That way you’ll have access to the biggest library, by country.
The difference between the $139 and $189 Kindles: They both connect to Wi-Fi networks to download books and browse the Web, but the $189 Kindle lets you connect wirelessly no matter where you are. Amazon says its Kindle can connect in more than 100 countries, including France. The e-books stored on your Kindle can be read even when you aren’t connected to the Internet, but to download more books, you’ll need to be connected.
Q: Could you please write an article on the Galaxy Tab (Samsung) versus the iPad? I am enamored of the size of the Galaxy and the fact that it is not Apple (so tired of proprietary this and that). What do you think?
More Top Picks Best Affordable Watches Under 200
— Christine Hanson, Alaska
A: Good one! Thanks! I’m trying to get a Motorola Atrix (which comes out March 6) and will compare the Galaxy Tab versus iPad versus Atrix, which is a slightly different animal from the Galaxy Tab and the iPad. It’s a phone with the processing power of a computer but it kinda sorta fits in, as it can connect to an optional keyboard to serve as a laptop. So stay tuned for that.
Q: On the BlackBerry and Droid, you can download podcasts to the memory cards and listen to them without a signal. They function like an iPod. Is it true that you cannot do this on the iPhone?
—John Wessel
A: The iPhone indeed can and does download podcasts for listening without a signal.
Do you have a tech question? Send a note to Eric Gwinn at [email protected]. Be sure to include your name, location and a way to reach you if we need more information — and your question, of course.