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Help I don't have Wi-Fi.

H

HopeFails

Lurker
I'd like a Nexus 7. The Amazon competition is too locked down, and I'd like an e-reader that can read e-books downloaded from everywhere, not Amazon. I'd also like a few extra apps on it, for PDF viewing, comic-reading and other things, but my main use for it will be as an e-reader. However, I don't have Wi-Fi in my house. No, I don't have a phone or laptop or anything else I could use to get Wi-Fi in my house. So, my question is, is it still worth it to get a Nexus 7 without always-on internet? How crippled will it be? Is it difficult to load books and apps from my computer without internet? Can I even install apps?

Basically, I'm just wondering if it can be used offline and still work.

Thank you!
 
Without a WiFi I cannot see how you would use the N7. You could get a MiFi hotspot to connect. E.g. this one, but you have to shop around for the best price according to your bandwith requirements.

MiFI 3G Mobile Hotspot

But if you want only eReader capability, a basic Kindle may be a cheaper option. And for downloading the books, you can go to some public WiFi hotspot (McDonald, Starbucks, Library and many restaurants)
 
You can load apps and books by connecting your N7 to your (or a friend's) PC with a USB cable, or from a USB key using Nexus Media Importer. However it's going to be a pain without WiFi. Unless, as whs37 suggested, you have access to a public WiFi hotspot or a friend's WiFi using any tablet is going to take extra trouble.
 
gingersnapgirl said:
I would guess that the OP uses a wired connection to the internet.
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Well it would help to know exactly what he's using, which is why I asked.

If he uses any kind of wired network connection - a router, say - then it's ridiculously simple to add a wifi access point for very little cost and the rest of the question about the Nexus 7 becomes moot.
 
Indeed, but it's probably better (and just as simple) to plug a wifi "access point" into the existing router and get all the benefits of portability.

I use one of these for its low price and sheer flexibility. It can work as a repeater, an access point, or even as a wifi "dongle" for non-wifi computers, but by default it creates a local wifi access point as soon as you connect it to a network.

Brilliant little device (and I mean little!) and a real bargain. I bought mine from Amazon but they're widely available.
 
John Bean said:
Indeed, but it's probably better (and just as simple) to plug a wifi "access point" into the existing router and get all the benefits of portability.

I use one of these for its low price and sheer flexibility. It can work as a repeater, an access point, or even as a wifi "dongle" for non-wifi computers, but by default it creates a local wifi access point as soon as you connect it to a network.

Brilliant little device (and I mean little!) and a real bargain. I bought mine from Amazon but they're widely available.
Click to expand...

Good point. I also have a TRENDnet unit --

Amazon.com: TRENDnet 300Mbps Wireless-N Travel Router Kit TEW-654TR (Black): Electronics
 
First of all, welcome to Android Forums, HopeFails!

You're asking an excellent question. I think many of us take our wifi connectivity for granted and this kind of question is very thought provoking.

I think you could use an N7 without a wifi connection though it would feel a bit crippled. At work I choose not to connect to our network so I'm basically in your boat for 9 hours a day. Short of redesigning your network for you, let's look at what you can and can't do without a wifi connection.

You could certainly download books and read them remotely but there would still be limitations with that. The Amazon, Nook and Google Play apps probably wouldn't work for you because they connect to the internet directly. I don't think you can download the books onto a computer then manually add them to the apps. Google, definitely not, maybe with Amazon, but I wouldn't bet $200 on it. So unless you're getting books from Smashwords or another indie publisher (which I do), you're crippled.

Without a wireless connection, you can't even download apps from Google Play. Theoretically you could connect to a public wifi but some care needs to be taken to make sure nobody is sniffing your data. The same thing with software updates though through unlocking, rooting and flashing you could get around that.

Since you originally asked about books and apps, I'll stop there. In summary, with a internet connected computer you could download some books. Maybe an occasional trip to Starbucks could get you apps and books from the big sellers. It could be done but would be painful.

I hope this helps.
 
Let me remind you that the OP said that there was no phone in the house. So rigging up a WiFi via phone line is out. Maybe he has cable and can go that route, but in an area where there is no phone, there is probably no cable either. That leaves the tethering route with the cell phone or a MiFi.

I wish the OP would come back and give us a bit more input.
 
RichSz said:
An obvious possible solution has been staring us in the face. I mentioned this to a colleague and his first thought was getting the HSPA+ version on either AT&T or T-Mobile.

https://play.google.com/store/devices/details?id=nexus_7_32gb_hspa_att

Depending on where the OP is located and his/her financial situation, this may be a workable solution.
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That is a good option. But I think a MiFi is more flexible and you have more choices. And the sum of the N7 and the MiFi is not more money either. You just have to choose the right plan for your requirements.

Maybe the OP even has a cell phone. Then he only has to add a data plan to it and he can tether to the cell phone.
 
The OP doesn't get into the details of why no WIFI just that there is none until the op comes back we can offer all kinds of solutions but none will work because the OP won't see them until they come back.
 
argedion said:
The OP doesn't get into the details of why no WIFI just that there is none until the op comes back we can offer all kinds of solutions but none will work because the OP won't see them until they come back.
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That is a good point. But that is the problem with many OPs (especially first time posters). They post a problem, we get all busy trying to resolve it but then the OP never shows up again.

I think very often they don't find their way back to their own posting. That has happened to me too on forums where I posted only once and was not familiar with the forum engine.
 
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