Calling all book readers - cheaper E-Book Kindle on sale soon.

Packet · 31-08-2010 10:09PM

It shipped on the 27th, that's when I got the email. Keeping this brief as I'm writing it on the Kindle.

Later edit - Here's a few more pictures showing RSS feed content sucked down from independent.ie and irish-times.ie by Calibre and loaded onto the Kindle by USB. Also an example pdf book.

The images are big so I didn't embed them.

http://img687.imageshack.us/img687/6817/calibremobiindependenti.jpg
http://img31.imageshack.us/img31/356/calibreirishtimesarticl.jpg
http://img148.imageshack.us/img148/1258/calibreitarticlerss.jpg
http://img842.imageshack.us/img842/2945/darwinevolutionpdf.jpg
http://img718.imageshack.us/img718/785/darwinpdflandscapedicti.jpg

JohnK · 01-09-2010 10:09AM

Looks impressive

I'm getting bloody impatient waiting for mine now though

phantom_lord · 01-09-2010 06:34PM

can you use the 3g for general use or is it just for downloading amazon products?

Packet · 01-09-2010 07:06PM

It is general use. It appears to be full web access.

The device is definitely optimised for reading not web browsing although for cases where you know exactly what you want to look at and where to find it, it would be useful. For something that is "Free" (subsidised by ebook sales/amazon trying to capture the market) the browser is fine.

The reader itself can't play movies, the e-ink display can't refresh quickly enough for movies. It seems to be able to animate small parts of the display, e.g. rotating circle when a website is downloading.

It is Vodafone Ireland's Internet so I imagine any additional restrictions they have also apply to this. The IP address the Kindle gets is a private address so it is NAT'd access to the Internet.

Packet · 01-09-2010 08:03PM

Here's photographic proof that general web browsing works over 3G

morgana · 02-09-2010 12:28AM

I now have ordered the wifi/3G version :P. Looks very good indeed. It probably will be end of September before it arrives though

. No shipping date set due to huge demand.
If it is as good as it seems from the responses here and other reviews I'm gonna love it ...
Most annoying that you have to order from the States and not the UK version which works out more expensive due to shipping costs.

JohnK · 03-09-2010 09:10PM

Just logged into Amazon and I see my kindle is now marked as "Shipping Soon. This portion of your order is being prepared for shipment and cannot be canceled or changed."

Its the wi-fi/3g version and I ordered on August 8th if thats of any use to anyone still waiting.

Biggins · 03-09-2010 11:22PM

Gotta say, I love mine.
So ruddy useful for reading news and books, lite and with internet - great thing to carry around.

phantom_lord · 04-09-2010 05:42AM

ordered mine anyway, no idea when i'll get it!

JohnK · 05-09-2010 05:03PM

Can anyone remember how long it took from their order being in Cologne, Germany to actually being delivered? Mines in Germany now but they're saying estimated delivery for Wednesday

cooker3 · 05-09-2010 08:59PM

What's the story with the costs of books on average. Would popular books be cheaper than your average paperback?

JohnK · 05-09-2010 08:59PM

Interesting, hopefully mine will get to cork so overnight/first thing tomorrow. I'd hate to actually have to wait till Wednesday for it.

The Sparrow · 05-09-2010 09:02PM

cooker3 wrote: »

What's the story with the costs of books on average. Would popular books be cheaper than your average paperback?

I think mostly yes with a few exceptions. A lot of the time the price is actually controlled by publishers and sometimes they try and rip off their readers and Amazon can't do much about it apparently.

But the majority of books would be cheaper but probably not to the level that you would assume considering the lack of overheads.

Have a look at the UK Kindle bookstore for an idea of prices.

JohnK · 05-09-2010 09:03PM

New-ish releases seem to be in the $8-$10 region so probably not that far off a paperback price. We cant buy from the UK Amazon store, only the US one it seems. The UK prices are cheaper too I think.

Biggins · 05-09-2010 09:07PM

Mine did a mini tour of the states and Europe!

August 30, 2010 11:44:00 AM DUBLIN IE Delivered
August 30, 2010 06:39:00 AM DUBLIN IE Out for delivery
August 30, 2010 06:39:00 AM DUBLIN IE Arrived at destination country
August 30, 2010 06:39:00 AM DUBLIN IE Arrival Scan
August 30, 2010 04:18:00 AM KOELN (COLOGNE) DE Departure Scan
August 30, 2010 04:00:00 AM DUBLIN IE Departure Scan
August 29, 2010 10:52:00 PM KOELN (COLOGNE) DE Arrival Scan
August 28, 2010 11:44:00 PM Philadelphia PA US Departure Scan
August 28, 2010 10:26:00 AM Philadelphia PA US Departure Scan
August 28, 2010 12:55:00 AM Philadelphia PA US Departure Scan
August 28, 2010 12:41:00 AM Philadelphia PA US Departure Scan
August 27, 2010 10:54:00 PM Philadelphia PA US Arrival Scan
August 27, 2010 10:05:00 PM Newark DE US Departure Scan
August 27, 2010 09:14:00 PM Newark DE US Shipment received by carrier
August 27, 2010 05:32:30 PM US Shipment has left seller facility and is in transit

I love the ability to buy daily newspapers (and mags) on it too including Irish ones. Class stuff.

JohnK · 05-09-2010 09:23PM

Looking at your tracking data Biggins I've a bit more hope I'll get it tomorrow. Hopefully the Wednesday thing is just their system taking labour day into account and not that it'll actually take that long.

CompFix · 05-09-2010 10:40PM

How are people's delivery from amazon.co.uk working out?

If you're based in the republic, you seem to have to buy the books from the .com store too.

JohnK · 06-09-2010 01:21PM

ok well I got the kindle this morning but it wasnt registered when I took it out of the box and it keeps saying it cant connect and that I have to use wifi when i try and register it manually but even then its still saying it cant connect. Anyone else have this problem? I hope i dont have a dud

JohnK · 06-09-2010 02:32PM

After 40 minutes on the phone to the US still no joy

T-Square · 06-09-2010 03:12PM

If the Kindle can do pdf and doc file formats (unprotected) can the iPad do the same? Apple stuff is always locked down.

ajmull · 06-09-2010 04:18PM

Ordered a leather cover to be delivered at the same time as the Kindle. Cover sent before Kindle. DHL refusing to give it to me unless I pay them VAT which has already been paid to Amazon. Hope there isn't the same problem with the Kindle which has now been despatched. Anyone else have any problems like this?

juke · 06-09-2010 05:20PM

ajmull wrote: »

Ordered a leather cover to be delivered at the same time as the Kindle. Cover sent before Kindle. DHL refusing to give it to me unless I pay them VAT which has already been paid to Amazon. Hope there isn't the same problem with the Kindle which has now been despatched. Anyone else have any problems like this?

My cover also arrived early - but I had no problems about vat. UPS delivered the Kindle, and the invoice attached clearly showed vat was paid.

06-09-2010 05:27PM

Can I ask a few wee questions please? Does it handle pdf files well? I think I saw somewhere Amazon will convert them for you? Also since I have to order from Amazon US will it come with a US plug for charging or any other US equipment useless here?

juke · 06-09-2010 05:44PM

Deleted User wrote: »

Can I ask a few wee questions please? Does it handle pdf files well? I think I saw somewhere Amazon will convert them for you?

I'm reading a PDF document at the moment. You can't vary the font, and reading it page by page, the print on this one is small. You can zoom - but then you have to scroll the page back and forth, which is no use for me. You can change the orientation of the document on the kindle, so reading on landscape (holding the Kindle sideways) it's better.

Edit - I had just transferred the document with the usb lead - you can get amazon to convert it using your "free" e-mail account they give you.

Deleted User wrote: »

Also since I have to order from Amazon US will it come with a US plug for charging or any other US equipment useless here?

Came with a usb lead - so you can charge through your pc, and with a US plug. We happened to have a usable usb plug here, so I was sorted!;)

Biggins · 06-09-2010 07:45PM

Convert the PDF to Mobi format using the Calibre tool free on the net and you will have no problem reading the converted earlier PDF's.

See: http://calibre-ebook.com/

Biggins · 06-09-2010 07:48PM

JohnK wrote: »

After 40 minutes on the phone to the US still no joy

Has it been sent yet from its warehouse at all?

Packet · 06-09-2010 10:44PM

JohnK wrote: »

ok well I got the kindle this morning but it wasnt registered when I took it out of the box and it keeps saying it cant connect and that I have to use wifi when i try and register it manually but even then its still saying it cant connect. Anyone else have this problem? I hope i dont have a dud

It doesn't look good.

This is based on my own experience and what I've read on the Amazon discussion boards. They're only unregistered to the account used to buy them if it is specified that it is a gift. When Amazon prepare them for shipping they register it.

You can see this on your "Manage My Kindle" page http://www.amazon.com/myk.

At that time you see the user part of your user@Kindle.com email address auto-generated if you didn't previously pick one.
e.g JohnK23@Kindle.com.

I'd get on the phone again immediately and if they can't help you get it working ask for a warranty replacement. They ship those quickly. In theory you could have the replacement by Friday. It shouldn't cost you anything.

Two other things I'd try to help narrow down the source of the problem:

1) Check the 3G by going into Menu-->Settings and hold down the Alt key while typing YQQ. This will show a hidden series of screens with details of the 3G. Alt-UQQ will show a similar screen for the WiFi.
2) Temporarily switch off any pass phrases on your WiFi to eliminate that as a cause.

JohnK · 07-09-2010 12:44AM

Biggins wrote: »

Has it been sent yet from its warehouse at all?

Well I have the actual kindle, its just that it doesnt entirely work

Packet wrote: »

It doesn't look good.

This is based on my own experience and what I've read on the Amazon discussion boards. They're only unregistered to the account used to buy them if it is specified that it is a gift. When Amazon prepare them for shipping they register it.

You can see this on your "Manage My Kindle" page http://www.amazon.com/myk.

At that time you see the user part of your user@Kindle.com email address auto-generated if you didn't previously pick one.
e.g JohnK23@Kindle.com.

I'd get on the phone again immediately and if they can't help you get it working ask for a warranty replacement. They ship those quickly. In theory you could have the replacement by Friday. It shouldn't cost you anything.

Two other things I'd try to help narrow down the source of the problem:

1) Check the 3G by going into Menu-->Settings and hold down the Alt key while typing YQQ. This will show a hidden series of screens with details of the 3G. Alt-UQQ will show a similar screen for the WiFi.
2) Temporarily switch off any pass phrases on your WiFi to eliminate that as a cause.

I never specified it as a gift so it should be registered - i can even see it on the account management page online so from their backend it does seem to be registered its just the kindle itself doesnt seem to know that. The guy I was speaking to had me go through that hidden wifi screen but he said nothing about the 3G screen. I just took a look at it there and for some reason is saying the network is 02 IRL yet on the box it says is a 'voda' device so that seems a bit strange. Looking at the data from that screen it doesnt look promising as Bars is just '--' and Reg Status is 'fail'. He said he'd have to elevate it to some other people so I've to wait for them to get back to me which he said is usually about 24 to 48 hours which sucks.

Thank feck for skype though or I'd be broke after the length of that call.

Packet · 07-09-2010 06:50AM

That sucks big time after waiting for the thing for weeks.

JohnK wrote: »

The guy I was speaking to had me go through that hidden wifi screen but he said nothing about the 3G screen. I just took a look at it there and for some reason is saying the network is 02 IRL yet on the box it says is a 'voda' device so that seems a bit strange.

That's interesting I hadn't noticed the network voda printed on the box before. I assume the Vodafone network does have a signal where you live.

Here's another hidden command I found "Alt EQQ". That will put an option to switch network providers. Interesting that its trying to roam onto O2. Does the IMSI equal 23415 (Vodafone UK)?

JohnK · 07-09-2010 10:02AM

Yes the IMSI starts with 23415 so that appears to be correct at least. Now though its trying to roam with Meteor

. And yes theres good signal for Vodafone in my house, both my sister and her husband have iPhones with them and they've never had any issues.

I tried that switch for the network providers and its listing all off them (Vodafone, 02, Meteor, 3) and most with both 2G & 3G. I tried selecting Vodafone 3G but that made no difference.

Calling all book readers - cheaper E-Book Kindle on sale soon.

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