Some questions on latest Amazon Kindle 6" - US or International version?

MiketheMechanic

I've read conflicting information online, so I'm hoping someone on boards that understands how all of this works can help.

I would like to get the latest Amazon Kindle, the 6" version, for reading books here in Ireland and also while travelling, and on holiday etc.
I have the option of buying the Kindle on Amazon.com and having it shipped to some relatives in the US who are due to visit me in Ireland next month (potentially avoiding duties and taxes).

My questions are:
If I do this, will I receive the US or the International version? Can I control this? Does it matter? i.e. What are the advantages or disadvantages (if any) of this?
If its a US Kindle, will I be able to download books in Ireland via 3G, or will it be limited to GPRS/EDGE? Will I be charged more to download books in Ireland/Europe than if I had the International version?
I've read about roaming charges per book, so will my recurring charges be higher with an US kindle in Ireland?

Thanks,
MtM

mobius42

They don't sell the US only version anymore, so you'll get the international version.

I'm not sure if there's such a thing as a US Kindle; it's connected to your amazon account and whatever country your credit card is registered in determines which store you get. In Ireland, you get the Europe Kindle store. The book selection is a bit more limited than the US store, but I haven't noticed many glaring omissions. You can even subscribe to the Irish Times.

However, there is no need to get one shipped to your US relatives, Amazon ship them to Ireland now. Comes with free wireless access to Wikipedia and no roaming charges. If you have an amazon.co.uk account, you can use that on amazon.com. By shipping it to the US, you will get around the duty provided your relatives aren't checked by Customs. If you do go down this route, send it to them as a gift so that Amazon won't preinstall any account details.

Accountsplus

MiketheMechanic wrote: »

My questions are:
If I do this, will I receive the US or the International version? Can I control this? Does it matter? i.e. What are the advantages or disadvantages (if any) of this?

The US only Kindle has been discontinued since last October.
If you are buying new you can only buy the international Kindle.
By the way, the US kindle used the Sprint Wireless network while the Internaltional Kindle using AT&Ts network.
So, if you are thinking of buying used/refurbed, watch that.
We need the international network.

MiketheMechanic wrote: »

If its a US Kindle, will I be able to download books in Ireland via 3G, or will it be limited to GPRS/EDGE? Will I be charged more to download books in Ireland/Europe than if I had the International version?

The new international kindle uses 3G or GSM depending on the local network. To be honest, a book downloads so fast, I don't think speed is a big issue.

MiketheMechanic wrote: »

Will I be charged more to download books in Ireland/Europe than if I had the International version? I've read about roaming charges per book, so will my recurring charges be higher with an US kindle in Ireland?

If you are paying with an Irish Credit Card and they know that you are non-US you pay €2.35 more per book than US buyers. This covers VAT and a charge to cover the wireless downloading.

If you register as a US owner, and some do, you will pay to download while roaming. I think the charge is €1.99. I also think you can avoid that by downloading via a pc.
From Amazon.com "Kindle (Global Wireless) customers from the United States can travel internationally and still get books in less than 60 seconds. Customers have the option to wirelessly receive periodicals and personal documents via Whispernet for a fee or transfer files from their computer for free."

You should have a look at the amazon kindle discussion forum http://www.amazon.com/tag/kindle/forum/ref=sv_kinc_6
and also, the mobileread.com kindle discussion forum http://www.mobileread.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=140.
You will probably learn something useful on those that you might not think to ask about.

There's also a good article on the Kindle and the different models on wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amazon_kindle

Most owners, myself included, recommend a case - I bought the Tuf-luv from amazon.co.uk.
It surprised me how much of a difference it made. The leather made holding the kindle feel better, and it covered the white plastic so makes it feel less like a machine and more like a paper book. I have a black case and I think that helps with the contrast.

tbh

going through security in Atlanta, my sony e-reader was flagged by a TSA guy who then proceeded to bitch about how his Kindle removed books after 90 days. Is that true?

With the kindle, the only charges are for books/mags, right? you don't pay any data charges?

Accountsplus

tbh wrote: »

going through security in Atlanta, my sony e-reader was flagged by a TSA guy who then proceeded to bitch about how his Kindle removed books after 90 days. Is that true?

I suspect the security guy noticed that you like fiction.

Accountsplus

tbh wrote: »

With the kindle, the only charges are for books/mags, right? you don't pay any data charges?

Broadly speaking, that's true but there is one optional Kindle service where you could incur data charges.

With the kindle you get a kindle email address. If you use that to send personal data to your kindle, there's a charge of €0.99 per MB. You would use the email address with the kindle document conversion service. This is a service whereby docs can be converted to kindle format. You don't need to use this software - there are many free pieces of software out there that will convert on your PC.
Additionally, I got hit once with a charge when I used the Calibre ebook management software to send a book (sourced from outside amazon) to the kindle via the kindle email. I transfer by USB cable now.

tbh

Accountsplus wrote: »

I suspect the security guy noticed that you like fiction.

huh?

Accountsplus

Mathematical Explanation

(Kindle removed books after 90 days) = False
=> (Kindle removed books after 90 days) = Fiction
=> (the security guy noticed that you like fiction) = humour

QED

aidan_walsh

Accountsplus wrote: »

Mathematical Explanation

(Kindle removed books after 90 days) = False
=> (Kindle removed books after 90 days) = Fiction
=> (the security guy noticed that you like fiction) = humour

QED

If you have to explain it, its not funny. EIEIO.

tbh

Accountsplus wrote: »

(Kindle removed books after 90 days) = False

was all I was looking for

MiketheMechanic

I forgot about this thread!

Thanks to all that replied - especially Accountsplus and mobius42.

MtM

sunny2004

I bought the Kindle 2 and DX while in the states some time ago,
both were the US version, as there was in fact no international version at the time..

I then realised that while in Ireland the book list would not update so I had to search for my current book,, a real pain..

After many calls I got them to agree to take both back and give me 80% of what I paid and they then supplied international versions. Because of the drop in prices I was quids in, just about and am now a happy camper..

DO NOT BUY AN OLD US VERSION OF THE KINDLE TO USE IN IRELAND !

lewis

I`m thinking of buying the Kindle 3, can you buy books from other places than Amazon? How big are the ebooks?
Does anyone have the Kindle 3, how do they find using it in Ireland? How is the downloading of the books?
Seems to be fairly confusing if you have one in Ireland....

galwayguy85

I have a similar enough question to the person who started this thread.

If you check http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2056044467 you'll see my workaround for buying ebooks (free + those with actual prices attached, by using either gift vouchers to self OR an irish credit card) from the UK Kindle store and successfully reading them on my computer screen, using the reader software (registered to the amazon account with a madeup UK invoice address).

However, I do have some niggling doubts about getting the Kindle WiFi+3G device itself over to Ireland. From my amazon account with the made-up UK invoice address I *could* concievably ship it my aunt who lives in Northern Ireland, and then have her forward it onto myself, here in the Republic. This way I would save about €25 over ordering it from the US (which is totally daft in itself), plus I would get the correct AC adapter for charging it.

My question is this... with the 3G-enabled UK-ordered Kindle registered to an amazon account with a UK invoice address but actually in use in the irish republic would I be incurring 3G roaming costs when browsing the web etc, as the Kindle is outside of its expected domain i.e the UK, and whatever arrangements amazon have made with UK mobile phone network operators to provide the much touted 'free' roaming access to the book store and the web.

I hope I made my explantation of the query clear. Thanks.