sending things to Kindle and the many Kindles...

So I've been trying to figure this out what the differences were for Kindles and fees associated with sending things to Kindle and I think I've finally figured it out.

• Kindle 1 is wireless using Amazon whispernet
• Kindle 2 is wireless
• Kindle 3 WiFi only ($139)
• Kindle 3 WiFi and 3G ($189)

So in the first two Kindles, you essentially got some kind of wireless service.  So anytime you sent a message to your @kindle.com address, you were charged.  There are two models for the Kindle 3-- wifi only or wifi + 3G.  The wifi only model means that you can connect using your wifi connection.  So if you're at home and your wifi is switched on, sending something to your Kindle means it's free.  

Here's a clear explanation:

...if you are sending to a wifi-only Kindle, wifi delivery is always free. On the 3g+wifi model, using the 'free.kindle.com' address means 'only send over wifi' whereas '@kindle.com' could use either 3g or wifi, depending on how the Kindle connects. If it connects over 3G there is a delivery charge. On the previous 3G only models (Kindle 1, Kindle 2, and Kindle DX|G) the @free.kindle.com address redirects to the email account associated with your Amazon account, and you needed to copy it over the USB cable. 

Use the same address for delivering PDF. If you want to convert, put the word 'convert' in the Subject line. Otherwise it will deliver the PDF as-is. Whether you will want to convert depends very much on the PDF, and your tolerance for small print. Some convert 'acceptably', others don't. For the ones I want to read on Kindle, conversion almost never works 'acceptably', and small text is ok for me, so I don't convert them. I find it very useful to take a minute to crop headers and footers, however, as these otherwise take up limited screen real estate. Also, I find it helps with readability of text to bump up the contrast level a notch (a setting that is saved per-document).

So what is the fee?  From Amazon's site:

• Kindle (U.S. Wireless) user: We'll send personal documents to your Kindle via Whispernet while inside the U.S. wireless coverage area for a fee of $.15 per megabyte. (this would apply to Kindle 1, 2)
• Kindle (Free 3G) user living in the United States: If you transfer personal documents to your Kindle via Whispernet while inside the United States, the fee is $ .15 per megabyte. When traveling outside the United States, a fee of $.99 per megabyte will apply. (this is for the Kindle 3 WiFi + 3G model if you connect via 3G)
• Kindle (Free 3G) user living outside the United States: We'll send personal files to your Kindle via Whispernet for a fee of $ .99 (USD) per megabyte anywhere in the world you access Whispernetservice.

Here's discussion on WiFi only or WiFi plus 3G: http://www.mobileread.com/forums/showthread.php?t=109629

And if you have the Kindle 3 WiFi only model-- things are always free.

So basically, if you have a Kindle 1 (as we currently do), to get something to your Kindle for free, you have to plug it into the computer....