THIS OLDER POST HAS BEEN UPDATED, although the new Reference Page (8/16/11) does not include the confusing history, while this one does.See the current reference information at http://bit.ly/kwpweb.
I wanted to write some thoughts on the Nookcolor yesterday but was detoured by an interesting Amazon UK Kindle message thread and an Amazon UK website listing of
These happen to match, closely, the countries list I made, in June (and have updated), of:
1. countries for which the free 3G web browsing had seemed, from their country product-pages and Kindle-owner experience, to suddenly be officially enabled at the time of Kindle software update v2.5.x and also
2. the 9 countries one would expect the 3G web to be enabled but for which this feature was listed as "not available." Those nine countries with no official 3G web browsing capability (outside of Wikipedia and the book store) were, and apparently still are
Austria, Denmark, France, Germany, Greece, Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, and Sweden.The Table's information also matches reports from U.S. residents traveling abroad who find they can use their free 3G browsing in those listed countries and even in ones for which the feature has not been enabled officially.
UPDATE - The same type of unexpected access is described in the UK forum thread which lists countries that traveling UK Kindle owners actually were able to do 3G web browsing in and those reports also included countries NOT on the official list, such as France, Germany, Netherlands, etc. [End of Update]
Interestingly, a post on the 3rd page of an Amazon Kindle Forum message thread, from T'Mara in Austria, reports that although the 3G web browsing isn't enabled for residents of Austria, Austrians traveling to other countries CAN use the 3G experimental web browsing feature in countries where that is enabled (via Agreements with cellular network carriers).
CAUTION
That is good news but also reminds us that if the feature is used "too much" Amazon might not be able to continue offering it in some regions, so I use my WiFi capability whenever I can, instead, to minimize the cost to Amazon, in hopes of their retaining/continuing the free feature.
Here is that TABLE of
International Web Browsing
The experimental web browser is free to use over Kindle's 3G or Wi-Fi connections. If you are travelling outside the United Kingdom, you can access Wikipedia in over 100 countries anywhere you have a 3G connection (check the wireless coverage map here). You can browse other websites globally via a Wi-Fi connection. Access to other websites while travelling abroad is available via a 3G connection in the6159 countries listed below.
[Actually, U.S. and UK residents travelling in countries where 3G web access isn't allowed for its own residents due to carrier-agreements, find that they can use the 3G web-browsing access in those countries as well.-- ab]
Albania Argentina Aruba Australia Bahamas Barbados Bermuda Bolivia Brazil Bulgaria Canada Cayman Islands Chile Colombia Croatia Czech Republic Dominican Republic Ecuador El Salvador Grenada Guam Guatemala Guyana Haiti Honduras Hong Kong Hungary Iceland India Ireland Jamaica Japan Kenya Liechtenstein Macedonia Mexico Montserrat Nicaragua Norway Panama Paraguay Peru Philippines Poland Puerto Rico Romania Saint Kitts and Nevis Saint Lucia Saint Vincent and the Grenadines South Africa Slovakia Slovenia Switzerland Taiwan Thailand United States of America Uruguay US Virgin Islands Venezuela Access to the web browser within these countries may vary and is subject to change.
Kindle's new web browser is based on WebKit to provide a better web browsing experience. Now it's easier than ever to find the information you're looking for right from your Kindle. Click here to learn more about using Kindle's experimental web browser.
Two changes over the last year were 'Russia' and "Ukraine' no longer being on this table.
Because of several forum message threads at MobileRead and at Amazon forums, in which perplexed prospective international Kindle purchasers were at a loss to decide on whether to get 3G or not because they could not get information, from Amazon U.S. pages, on whether or not 3G web browsing was available in their countries, especially Germany and the Netherlands, I asked Amazon about it.
I received eventually, after much research and coordination on the part of Executive Customer Relations, a reply that I was given permission to quote which I finally placed on one of the forum threads with customers who had lost 3G web access as well as those who wondered if they should purchase the 3G in their countries. I asked Amazon a follow-up question about this quote, as "3G" was not mentioned in the reply though my email was entirely about 3G web browsing availability but I never heard back.
' ======= From Executive Customer Relations =======
"To your web access questions; yes, Wikipedia is available in Germany as it is in all countries. Web Browser access to the internet works in Germany and in the Netherlands and access to the internet is the same for all device versions and generations."
======= '
The reply did differentiate between Wikipedia that IS available everywhere that Amazon wireless exists and the web browser availability.
Within the context of my questions about 3G browsing-availability info that prospective purchasers felt they needed, the Amazon reply seems to say that 3G web browsing was available in those two countries -- however, the wording '3G' was not part of the quote itself so I hesitated to write it up without further clarification, which I didn't receive.
STILL, the part about 'all device versions and generations' could be a big clue since no Kindle device before Kindle 3 ever had WiFi. So, -IF- that's right, what is the answer to how one goes about having it re-enabled for Kindle owners residing in those two countries who lost it.
I asked for further clarification from Public Relations/Media and received two very positive replies saying that they should be able to get the answer within a day or so, but I never did receive any more replies although they'd been forthcoming in the past when they could not comment and just said they couldn't and even though I did write again to ask that they say something more, for prospective customers needing to make an informed decision, even if the answer was no. Apparently, they just do not want to go on record with more than I received.Interestingly, Amazon UK is just more forthcoming, for some reason, actually listing, on their support pages,
WHY THE SILENCE FROM AMAZON US?
As I said on the Kindle forums, 3G web browsing is probably a financial minefield for them, so it's important how something is phrased. You can imagine several departments trying to agree on wording.
Also, they likely have complex contracts being negotiated currently, and in some cases really may not be able to say anything without possibly affecting talks.
FINAL QUESTION
My final question for Amazon has been:
Who do customers go to when they cannot find out whether or not the 3G web browsing is *supposed* to be enabled/disabled for them and what to do if it shouldn't be disabled but is?
Those remain the unanswered questions. I've asked the customers to, themselves, ask further up the chain when getting Customer Support replies that say only that 'some' countries don't have 3G web browser availability instead of responding to customer queries about their specific countries.
I'm just reporting the situation based on several forum discussions I saw, but customers need to follow up, themselves, when they are the ones affected.
What a prospective European customer can do about deciding on the 3G/WiFi model is to just accept, at this point, that the only certainty -- in the 9 restricted European countries -- is the free 3G access to the bookstore and its books and to Wikipedia, and hope for the best on anything else, and decide from that.
THE UPSIDE
Amazon, unlike Barnes and Noble, sells its books outside the U.S. It also is the only e-reader maker with 3G web-browsing to external websites, as the other e-book vendors keep the 3G access (if their models have it at all) to their stores only and certainly don't offer free-3G Wikipedia, which Amazon offers for free 3G-access EVERYwhere in the world that they have any cellular wireless arrangements.
This is a real boon for students of any age and IS an expense for Amazon.
With over a hundred countries in which Amazon offers free 3G wireless to download books to their Kindle and browse Wikipedia from their books, Amazon, for all my nagging of them, is way ahead of the field in this important area.
That they offer free 3G web browsing in
And, for the first time, in July-August 2010, their marketing ads stressed the "Free 3G" in the titles or headers, so they wouldn't be changing that very soon.
On the general International product-marketing pages, they include in their listed features:
New WebKit-Based Browser - Free 3G web browsing (experimental)
Abandoning that too soon when it's featured in the marketing would not have been good business and even a year later would not be, because that advertising continues.
Time will tell, as they say. It's a great experiment though. As I've said in other threads, I often use mine for step-by-step directions when lost, as a passenger in a car. The fact that you can access information for free almost wherever you are (bus, car, beach, park) is just a Huge benefit, in my opinion.
| US: Kindle Fire 7" tablet - $199 Kindle NoTouch ("Kindle") - $79/$109 Kindle Touch, WiFi - $99/$139 Kindle Touch, 3G/WiFi - $149/$189 Kindle Keybd 3G - $189, Free, slow web Kindle DX - $379, Free, slow 3G web | UK: Kindle Basic, NoTouch - £89 Kindle Touch WiFi, UK - £109 Kindle Touch 3G/WiFi, UK - £169 Kindle Keyboard 3G, UK - £149 Keybd: w/ Free, slow 3G WEB | OTHER International Kindle NoTouch Basic - $109 Kindle Touch WiFi - $139 Kindle Touch 3G/WiFi - $189 Kindle Keybd 3G - $189 Keybd: w/ Free, slow 3G WEB |
Check often: Temporarily-free recently published Kindle books
Guide to finding Free Kindle books and Sources. Top 100 free bestsellers. Liked-books under $1
UK-Only: recently published free books, bestsellers, or £5 Max ones
Also, UK customers should see the UK store's Top 100 free bestsellers.
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Thanks for the great article, I live in Germany and wo can't browse the web for free, just Wikipedia (and only the english version strangely) and the Kindle Store. This was a real bummer for me, because I bought the Kindle with the possibility to access every website wherever I am in mind, and I am disappointed (although I understand why Amazon is doing this).
ReplyDeleteInternational customers just have too many disadvantages, for no *real* reason. No blogs, no free games, no free internet access, not every book is available, english classics are free, but german classics are not... the list goes on.
I still love mine :)
Innos,
ReplyDeleteThe 'real' reason would be the high cost of cellular carrier access there, I guess. I have heard this and they almost made an agreement last year and it fell apart, I read.
From what I've read, the free games WILL go international eventually. I'm sorry about the lack of books that one would want though. Glad you still love your Kindle despite all that :-) I hope the situation improves soon!
Thanks for writing.
Thanks for your ongoing efforts to collect news about the 3G availability Andrys. I got my Kindle 3 with 3G/ wifi because i was hoping to be at least able to browse wikipedia. So far even Wikipedia (english version) wasn't available to me via 3G over here in Germany.
ReplyDeleteI didn't check if Amazon changed sth. that would allow me now to at least access wikipedia in Germany, but will check this again soon. So far regarding 3G capabilities the Kindle 3 has been a dissapointment for me and i wouldn't recommend on anyone over here to buy anything else than the wifi version. Though most of my friends are now going to buy the new Sony PRS-650 anyway because of the touchscreen, the included dictionaries and epub/library support.
Verres,
ReplyDeleteHave you tried going to Menu/Settings page and typing 311 using the alt-key with the top row where the numbers are hidden?
That will let you connect to a nearby tower that might be stronger. At any rate it's something that should have been reported to Kindle customer service immediately, as Wikipedia is definitely included and should work.
As I mentioned, someone in Austria wrote that while the 3G web-browsing is not enabled for Austria (but she can download books and do Wikipedia), she can use the free web browser capability when she visits other countries that have it.
I don't know what "sth" is though...
Hi Andrys,
ReplyDeleteI really appreciate your blog and all your topics.Just one question how much 3G use would you consider too much. When I used to surf on my phone I think I would only get charged for surfing.A few times i forgot to close out the broswer on my phone but did no get any usage charges since I was not actively using a connection-it was just "sitting" on a web page. Wonder if there is any 3G usage on a Kindle if my 3G was not turned off but I was not using or surfing the web? Your thoughts?Thanks
Michelle
@Verres: Wikipedia does work in Germany over 3G, but I don't know what you can do to fix it if it doesn't.
ReplyDeleteAnonymous,
ReplyDeleteWhat's counted by the carriers is how much data is coming to you, so if you are just sitting on a page, that's not going to be counting.
I think their only problem would come if people were using it for hours (as some have reported) reading RSS feeds but in even those cases, the emphasis is on text-data so would not seem to be that large a problem vs going to various websites with all their images that must go to the device to be shown and since the web browser is ill-suited for that on the e-ink device, few will be doing it :-)
I got my K3 early just after it had been released from Amazon. During the first week i tested the 3G web browsing and wikipedia (engl. version) access in different public places but it didn't work back then. After reading your new article i tried again yesterday and at least wikipedia (engl. version) works for me now too here in Germany. So i am happy to have at least that now, though it probably won't be enough to convince anyone living around me to prefer the K3 over the new Sony.
ReplyDeleteAlthough for me the option to send books and documents wireless to my @kindle adress is one of the functions i really enjoy about it.
@Andrys: sth. = something
Verres, good to hear. Software update v3.0.1 was said to improve WiFi but I've not heard of anything to improve 3G, so am glad you were able to straight that out somehow. The latest 'early preview' (which means 'beta') is v3.0.3 ... If you want to download it, you can search 3.0.3 or v3.0.3 in the upper-right searchbox.
ReplyDeleteI agree with you re sending our own documents to the kindle whether for 15cents per normal sized file or free if you use [you]@free.kindle.com and accept it via WiFi.
Thanks for the update!
I'm less concerned about web browsing on my Kindle than with seeing full Instapaper synching come to the Kindle. I have full Instapaper synching on my iPod touch and iPhone, so I've been waiting to upgrade my Kindle to be sure the model I get will work with an Instapaper app that's hopefully in the works.
ReplyDeleteFor a Kindle, a full-featured Instapaper app would much better than browsing. In advance, you browse the web on a computer and, when you find something you want to read, click on a Read Later button in your browser. Instapaper process that webpage, cleaning out the clutter and leaving just the content. The synching via WiFi or cellular transfers that content to your mobile device, where you can read it on the go. Once read, you can archive the document, email it or save it to a folder of your choice. It's a very nice way to keep up with reading less-than-book-length documents.
That is, you can do all that on other mobile devices. On the Kindle, things are much more complicated and less effective. That's too bad, because reading on a Kindle is much better than reading on an iPhone. And because Instapaper data is little more than text, moving it via cellular is much less data-demanding that web pages filled with pictures and clutter.
Bring a full-featured Instapaper app to the Kindle 3 and I'd buy a cellular Kindle 3 in an instant.
Mike,
ReplyDeleteI have a couple of old entries on Instapaper and a lot of people find it convenient, actually, but I use http://bit.ly/readability-tool more these days and it's easy enough to get what I want onto the Kindle.
Your blog is very interesting! Just an info about internet 3g on kindle2 (I'm form Italy): is there any kind of day/monthly limit?
ReplyDeleteludo,
ReplyDeleteThanks. Re Italy (which I visited for 3 wks in 2006 and loved), with the 3g there's no day or month limits or fees for your book downloads from Amazon or for any web browsing you can do. It's primarily text oriented and rather slow and I guess that's one reason it can be done within Amazon's budget.
Enjoy!
i'm using it in New Zealand, and the 3g web browser is working fine, and i got a message saying there is cost for certian things like sending my own files at 99c/MB but that kindle store, other things, AND EXPERIMENTAL web browser were free.. Amazon FTW
ReplyDeleteAnonymous in New Zealand
ReplyDeleteGood news, and the message is correct. It's 15c per megabyte in the U.S. and 99c per megabyte of a file outside the U.S. to send a personal doc or non-Amazon book to your Kindle via the Amazon servers by emailing the attachment to [you]@kindle.com
You can avoid that personal-doc-delivered-by-Amazon charge by
1. Emailing the attachment to [you]@free.kindle.com instead. That means Amazon will convert the file if needed or requested and then will email your normal email to give you a link to download the converted file for free.
Then you can move it via the USB cable to your Kindle.
2. Emailing the attachment to [you]@free.kindle.com instead. In this case not only will Amazon convert it as needed and send you a link to the free converted file, but if you have WiFi access, it'll put the converted file on your Kindle via WiFi next time you connect to one, at no charge.
Beaucoup kudos 2U for this outstanding unpaid labour of luv!! I'm across the pond in Miami and am eagerly awaiting delivery of my Kindle 3g wifi.
ReplyDeleteI'm a Yank retiring to Ecuador and don't want to be without my connection to the fantastically thrilling intellectual and emotional swirling currents of our native mother tongue from the sceptered isle set in a silver sea. Anglais!
Your blog has been so helpful. you point out for example, that only on the U.K. Amazon site can one learn that 3g web browzing is enabled in Ecuador. Jeepers. Come on America.
Of particular interest is the possibility of being able to do secure banking transfers over 3g instead of the often eavesdropped wifi. I have been anxious about this and was just about to purchase an expensive monthly service called VPN (Virtual Private Network) which is a safe "tunnel" that is extremely difficult to hack. The fact that you mention that a numeric key function is enabled by pressing the Alt key is greatly appreciated and serves to further my ambitions.
Supposing that all this works, would the 3g banking be secure?
Anonymous in Miami
ReplyDeleteI'm in the U.S. Many thanks for such nice words about the blog. It helps.
Re 3g banking. It would be more secure than WiFi banking in a free public network area, but unless you can get on in an "https://" with the emphasis on 's' for security, I don't know how very secure it might be.
If you did the WiFi on a home network and used WPA security and the https:// URLs you'd probably be fine, by the way.
They'd have to be focused in a big way on your WiFi network to thwart it and I don't think they are into that much, but I could be wrong.
I keep records and the banks have laws that require them to make you ok if something happens that is illegal.
Greetings anew from Miami Andrys,
ReplyDeleteI just received my 3g Kindle and wow! I plan to make a thorough exploration of books to read for free but my first attempt at doing it seems thwarted by a charge of something like $1.40 per month for the "free" things. Of course I'll pay it if in the end there is no way around it (not to part with such a paltry sum is demeaning) I'll pay. But is this the price of admission to "free" or am I missing something?
Later I'll of course look into Gutenberg, et. al.
Much obliged,
anonymous Geoffrey Nolan
Geoffrey,
ReplyDeleteThere should be no such charge - not monthly or otherwise.
On the temporarily free books, you do have to look at the price to make sure it wasn't just taken off the 'free' category.
Where are you seeing the charge and why does it seem like a monthly one ?
Those in many areas outside the U.S. tend to pay $2 more per book and so the free books are $2 in those cases but I've never heard of $1.40 and it'll be important to find out where you see it.
Let us know.
Hello Andrys,
ReplyDeletethanks for your great blog first of all.
We just bought the Kindle 3G from the DE Amazon store and are facing the browser restriction, which is a pain since we were hoping to be able to read our e-mail on it while traveling.
The restriction is still up even today. Have you heard anything from Amazon in regards to this since your last post?
We love to read on the device and are waiting patiently for the 3G restriction to be resolved.
regards,
Johan
Johan, I just realized after writing a reply (which I've removed) that you were writing AT the page where there is a table showing that Germany is not among the countries that have free 3G enabled for web browsing.
ReplyDeleteThere are still many European companies where Amazon doesn't have (inexpensive) 3G agreements with telecommunications companies that would allow the use of free 3G. Sometimes they use AT&T's partners instead then, but there are fees for them associated with that.
As others say, you'd still get to use free WiFi if you can find it when traveling. I know that's small comfort. But Amazon has never succeeded in making arrangements in Germany. They almost did at one point, I read, 2 yrs ago, and talks fell apart.
When you're traveling, some have found that the 3G is enabled in some other countries.
Wish I had better news, Johan.
Thank you for the prompt and complete reply Andrys. Sorry for repeating the same questions already asked. :-)
ReplyDeleteI was hoping after 6 months something would have changed.
The friendly customer service people from Amazon confirmed that the free unrestricted 3G browsing will not be available in Germany any time soon.
Funny thing happened though: we tried changing the main address of our Amazon account to an address of family in the States and this actually let us surf freely for a couple of hours. Then the restriction was put back in place. Probably because we have a German credit card?
Anyway it's a good reading device, the WIFI works fine and I still have my phone to surf the web when on the road.
If only roaming prices were not so steep.
I bought Kindle 3 3g in Bratislava (Slovakia - Alza) a few days ago. (imported probably from USA, has the B006 in the serial number, so the sim card will be AT&T). 3g browsing is working fine (also other sites as wikipedia). I live often in Austria also. After I added a country location Slovakia in my Amazon account, the 3g browsing works fine also in Austria! Maybe workaround for the people living in Austria ;)
ReplyDeleteAnonymous,
ReplyDeleteYou did find a workaround. It's the way it's been working for people who have a Kindle which gets free 3G web lookups at home -- and when they travel, they get it also in places where the country's residents don't get it due to the higher carrier costs when there are no sufficiently low-cost Agreements between local carrier and Amazon, it seems... (Congratulations!)
As the Amazon is not checking your home address, I think it will work for some time...
ReplyDeleteAnd the future...you are not allowed to download big bunch of data because the simple web browser will not allow it (video would make the traffic much higher)...that could hold the whispernet traffic at the acceptable level.
At the time beeing it is the only solution for world wide internet I know. In European Union there is always problem with roaming fees as every country has its own mobile operator. There is a proposal from EU parliament to cancel those fees until the end of 2015. After that it will be much easier to browse net with one 3g provider...I think this bad situation is the only choice how can Kindle compete to iPad and other tablets...
Karol
Karol, even with very slow e-Ink web lookups, it is still expensive for Amazon in the European countries, so it's good to be careful with prolonged use.
ReplyDeleteGood luck on the roaming fees, what a relief that would be.
The Kindle eInk reader was never meant to, in my mind, compete with the iPad, which is a totally different animal.
The Kindle tablet, on the other hand would eat up web data very fast, if it had 3G (which the first one won't), so free 3G would no longer be justifiable in costs if using an LCD-screen tablet...
I have just read the previous posts, where Johan from Germany tried to enter an address of his family in the USA into his Amazon account and he got blocked after a few hours. I am curious if I will be blocked too. I have really bought my Kindle in Slovakia, majority of the week I spend in Austria. The first 3G use was in Austria, after that first use I have seen Austria as the default country in my Amazon account (with notice that I have not manually entered my country yet). I changed it to Slovakia. In fact I should have it unblocked as I am the Slovak citizen. But if they are monitoring web traffic and will see I live in Austria, maybe I get blocked too...:(
ReplyDeleteKarol,
ReplyDeleteAmazon uses a geo-tool that lets them know where you're accessing from. But you could be on vacation or on a temporary work assignment.
If you live most of the time elsewhere, where there are more benefits, that should be okay.
I've had a 3G International (B00A) Kindle for almost a year. The majority the year I reside in UK, but spend a bit of time in Austria & Germany most months. I'm able to surf the net in these countries and have also spent time holidaying in Italy & Portugal, where I continued to have 3G access. My better-half recently purchased a 3G (B00A) in the UK, though she resides in Austria and has an Amazon account for Germany, encounters the "Due to local restrictions, web browsing is not available for all countries". Having worked for a few of the mobile operators in the last decade, it's my guess that the restriction is not controlled by the network operators and that it may be (as others have suggested) that it's the registered location of the Amazon account, or perhaps even software on the Kindle itself that prevents access. Big as Amazon is, I think even they would think twice about the cost (of development) and hassle of attempting to deal with mobile operators in different countries. Attempting to implement change even inside a single mobile operator is difficult enough, more difficult still when you're a 3rd party, hence my suspicion that the network operators aren't the ones controlling who gets access to what via 3G.
ReplyDeleteAnonymous,
ReplyDeleteThanks for your personal feedback on this.
As I tried to make clear, it's where you are registered by Amazon as a *resident* of a country and also they have geo-location tools and only if you are temporarily vacationing or briefly situated in another country for work, will it work as it should based on the country you register as "Home" where you must have a home address and a credit card for the home country given to Amazon.
They will ask if registered home country and where you actually access are not a match for a longer interval of time or if you switch more than a couple of times in a short time frame.
That is a combination of Amazon's registration process and its software, and there is also a switch, from what I've heard from others commenting, that can be done from Amazon servers.
Your own experience exactly matches what everyone has been reporting (and the table I incorporated confirms) -- as an enabled-3g-Kindle-3 or Kindle-Keyboard web-browsing Kindle owner you can still browse in countries where residents of those countries can't, due to no low-cost arrangements between carriers and Amazon.
THAT is not controlled by the carriers - who would love to charge as much as they can. It's controlled where possible by Amazon, who must pay higher bills to carriers in Europe.
Your better half is registered in a country for which free 3g web browsing is definitely not enabled.
Amazon sets the access not to work in those countries so that they don't have to pay exhorbitant 3G roaming fees for residents of countries with 3G web browsing not allowed for Kindle Keyboard devices. Kindle-Touches will not have free 3G web browsing enabled anywhere except for the basic Kindle Store and Wikipedia (the latter is not allowed via 3G by any other e-reader company though).
Hey Andrys
ReplyDeleteThanks a lot for all this information.
I am desperately trying to find out whether there are different country versions (i.e. different 3G provider versions) of the Kindle Keyboard 3G. I know (or I thought I knew) that the US version is different - but are all the other countries the same? Like, can I buy the German version and 3G access also fully works in New Zealand, Australia, the UK, and anywhere else? And the other way around?
Or in other words, are there two versions: one for the USA and another one for everywhere else? Or is it multiple different versions, depending on the country?
Now, if I understand your last comment correctly, there might not be any difference between the country versions at all, right? The 3G connectivity only depends on the country your Amazon account is registered with?
That would mean that I could buy a Kindle Keyboard 3G anywhere in the world and there would be no difference once I register it in New Zealand? Is that correct? Or is the US versoin acutally different (due to contracts with AT&T and Vodafone correspondinly)?
I am currently weighing up options, with friends travelling internationally, whether it makes sense to have them buy one for me, as the Kindles are quite a bit more expensive here than in the US for example.
Thanks a lot in advanve for any replies
Joa
Joa,
ReplyDeleteMore depends on what your own main country is when you're buying. Digital rights have more to do with whether Amazon can sell a digital item where you reside. And what's important is where your main account with Amazon is registered and whether or not you have a U.S. Bank card with them.
U.S. Kindle owners can use their Kindle Keyboard 3G's for slow web-lookups in about 60-61 countries.
So can UK Kindle owners. In Europe, the internal modem has something to do with Vodaphone but it doesn't really matter.
Again, it's where your actual country residence is, that you register with Amazon. And where your credit card that you use with them is. Your friends can buy you a U.S. one, more inexpensively, but once you register it to yourself, the use of 3G for web will depend on where you are actually living.
If you look at the past articles on this in the ref column, some have used their int'l credit cards to buy gift cards that they can use for buying ebooks, as int'l credit cards can be used for that, but you still need to give Amazon a usable US credit card to back up the gift certificate buying (in case there isn't enough money in the gift card accoount).
Hope you can figure out something that works well for you.
Hi there
ReplyDeleteThank you for all of your information. I am planning on travelling through Europe next year, and was looking at getting a kindle for my reading -- I am very interested in the 3g as it would be a godsend if my phone or laptop crapped out on me. I am from New Zealand, and the 3g browser is limited to amazon and wiki. It is my understanding that the 3g will not work in other countries, is that correct?
Thanks
Winter