Heather in Neverland Posted March 5, 2009 Share Posted March 5, 2009 Anyone have it (especially the Kindle 2)? Pros? Cons? (especially if you have it and live overseas). I am thinking this might be a really good thing to get if I move to Malaysia since shipping my books would cost a ton. What do you think? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Katrina Posted March 5, 2009 Share Posted March 5, 2009 We just got the Kindle 2, and I'm liking it much more than I thought I would. So far the biggest con is that it's hard sharing. We each downloaded a book we like, but we can't read together at night, so we might end up getting two of them. (Like we can afford that.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Heather in Neverland Posted March 5, 2009 Author Share Posted March 5, 2009 bump Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TeacherZee Posted March 5, 2009 Share Posted March 5, 2009 Someone mentioned it in your other thread but I thought I would put it here as well. You can't actually download to your Kindle outside the US. You would have to load it full when you were in the states. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Janet in Toronto Posted March 5, 2009 Share Posted March 5, 2009 Someone mentioned it in your other thread but I thought I would put it here as well. You can't actually download to your Kindle outside the US. You would have to load it full when you were in the states. Yes, that was me. You can't actually access service for the Kindle outside the US. That is, you can't purchase and download books for it unless you are in the country. I believe it has to do with the availability of the wireless service used to support the product, and also Digital Rights Management issues (the reason why, for example, those of us in Canada can't watch some US TV shows online, or download certain things from the US iTunes store.) There are lots of Canadians (and others) salivating over this product but unable to purchase it. Sigh. Sorry about that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mekanamom Posted March 5, 2009 Share Posted March 5, 2009 ...Or, would she maybe be able to purchase Kindle books at Amazon on her computer, and download them onto her Kindle with the usb cable? (It comes with a usb cable.) I know the Whispernet doesn't work outside of the US. But I think some people in the US, but out of Whipsernet coverage, are able to use the usb cable to download the books they've purchased from the Kindle store. I think she'd have to buy the Kindle while still in the US, too. Anyway... I'm just wondering if that would work. I don't really know... OP, you'd have to find someone who has tried it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Janet in Toronto Posted March 5, 2009 Share Posted March 5, 2009 Yes, that was me. You can't actually access service for the Kindle outside the US. That is, you can't purchase and download books for it unless you are in the country. I believe it has to do with the availability of the wireless service used to support the product, and also Digital Rights Management issues (the reason why, for example, those of us in Canada can't watch some US TV shows online, or download certain things from the US iTunes store.) There are lots of Canadians (and others) salivating over this product but unable to purchase it. Sigh. Sorry about that. I just read a user forum on amazon.com regarding users outside the US. You need a US credit card and address to buy the Kindle. It has to be shipped to a US address. If you are outside the country, you can buy content with a US credit card with US address, and can download the content to your computer via the internet, and THEN transfer it to your Kindle. This might be worth a call to amazon to explain your situation. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Janet in Toronto Posted March 5, 2009 Share Posted March 5, 2009 ...Or, would she maybe be able to purchase Kindle books at Amazon on her computer, and download them onto her Kindle with the usb cable? (It comes with a usb cable.) I know the Whispernet doesn't work outside of the US. But I think some people in the US, but out of Whipsernet coverage, are able to use the usb cable to download the books they've purchased from the Kindle store. I think she'd have to buy the Kindle while still in the US, too. Anyway... I'm just wondering if that would work. I don't really know... OP, you'd have to find someone who has tried it! Yep...I was posting (above) as you were! I think you're right. But she needs to use a US credit card with US address to purchase content. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
katilac Posted March 6, 2009 Share Posted March 6, 2009 I just got my Kindle about a week ago, but I love it! I read on the 'puter a LOT, and of course actual BOOKS, so those are my points of comparison. Kindle is definitely easier on the eyes than reading from a computer screen; there's no brightness or flicker. You can easily read in bright daylight, which you cannot do w/a computer or pda. It holds about 1,500 books, so front loading it is a good option. If you will have a easy access to a computer there, another alternative is to have friends in the US buy the books for you, save them to a memory card, and mail you just the memory card. The Kindle 2 does not have an SD card slot, hence the need to go thru a computer. There is one cable with an attachment, so that it is both the USB cable and the power cable. It can charge either way, and you can use while it charges. If you don't have the wireless (whispernet) on, which you won't in Malaysia, a full charge lasts several days. Amazon will convert pdf and word documents into their format for you, so you can load free classics from the public domain, or other items from the internet *cough-trashy fanfic-cough*. Text documents can be read with no conversion. Kindle is super-light and I carry it around in my purse - - that 20 minutes in line at the grocery or in construction isn't as bad! I no longer have to schlepp a backpack or my 'puter with me when I bring the kids to lessons, etc because I always have something to read. Downsides? Well, it's pricey, of course. Gaining an extra hour or two to read every week makes that worth it to me. The screen is reflective, not backlit - that's why you can read in sunlight/bright light, but it does mean you need ambient light to read. If you're a fast reader, you'll be clicking that next page button frequently - - that's the most annoying thing to me. Overall, though, I love it and would definitely buy it again. I think it's a definite step up from the Sony e-reader, and definitely worth having in addition to a full fledged laptop or netbook. ((small - - did I mention it's very small and light?)) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Heather in Neverland Posted March 6, 2009 Author Share Posted March 6, 2009 Thanks for all the great replies! I will have internet access in my home in Malaysia and I will have a US credit card and US mailing address (my mom's house). So I suppose I will be able to download books on the Kindle via USB cable? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Katrina Posted March 6, 2009 Share Posted March 6, 2009 Oh, and I forgot that both my dh and I feel like we're on Star Trek when we're using the Kindle. :lol: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Heather in Neverland Posted March 6, 2009 Author Share Posted March 6, 2009 Oh, and I forgot that both my dh and I feel like we're on Star Trek when we're using the Kindle. :lol: :lol::lol::lol: My dh said "You realize we're going to have to buy two of them right?" We will definitely be fighting over it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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