Ebooks in NZ

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networkn

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#64909 25-Jul-2010 16:41

Hi There!

Tossing up whether to purchase an Ebook reader and was deciding between the Sony 6" Touch screen
or perhaps a Kindle. The thing I like about the kindle is all the content, and I couldn't recall if you can't get content here at all, or if you can only do it if the Kindle is connected to the PC (Not a problem for me).

Does anyone know what the deal is with it and also if the Sony or Kindle is better?

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#356111 25-Jul-2010 16:46

A Kindle works fine in NZ and roams on Vodafone. You just simply can't buy one and have it shipped to NZ.

networkn

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#356114 25-Jul-2010 16:57

Hi, and only standard data charges apply? Can you use it via WiFI? No international restrictions on buying material (You can't buy Amazon MP3's) at ALL from NZ (Though I would love a workaround).

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#356117 25-Jul-2010 17:13

The Kindle doesn't have WiFi so the answer is no.

There are no data charges, these are included in the cost of the book. I suggest you read the Kindle site some more as it tells you exactly how Kindle's work around the world and the restrictions that apply to some content.

networkn

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#356118 25-Jul-2010 17:15

Ok, so then the other thing is, can I connect it to my PC and get content via that from the amazon site or does it HAVE to be via 3g?

zhuyan

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#363184 4-Aug-2010 18:35

The latest kindle 6" has 2 models; wifi only and wifi+3G

And Amazon does ship it to NZ; the wifi+3G model is US$189 plus shipping fee adds up to just over US$200.

Anything you buy from amazon would be wirelessly transferred to your kindle in 60 seconds; you could also transfer personal documents to you kindle via usb connection; if you let amazon to transfer your personal documents to your kindle over 3G, a fee of US$0.99 per every megabite will be charged

Please refer to below info from Amazon re using kindle in NZ:

We are excited to now ship Kindle to New Zealand. Customers in New Zealand will enjoy:
Books in Under 60 Seconds: Think of a book and you could be reading it in under a minute.

Free Wireless: Free 3G wireless lets you download books right from your Kindle. No monthly fees, service plans, or hunting for Wi-Fi hotspots. For non-U.S. customers, there are also no additional charges for wireless delivery in or outside your home country. See Coverage Map. See Wireless Terms and Conditions

Growing Selection: Over 400,000 English-language books to choose from; plus U.S. and international newspapers and magazines are available for your country. Because publishers give us eBook rights on a country by country basis, available titles for your country will vary from our current U.S selection. We are actively working with publishers to get the rights to all titles for every country and adding this selection every day. Check the Kindle Store to see available titles.

Low Book Prices: New York Times? Best Sellers and New Releases are $11.99, unless marked otherwise. You'll also find many books for less - over 145,000 titles are priced under $5.99

Learn more about Kindle features on the Kindle product page

Important Product Information for Your Country
Your international shipment is subject to customs duties, import taxes and other fees levied by the destination country. We will show you these fees upon checkout. Learn more
Kindle ships with a micro-USB cable for charging your Kindle via a computer USB port
You can transfer personal documents to your Kindle via USB for free at anytime. Service fees for transferring personal documents via Whispernet are currently $.99 per megabyte. Learn more
Wireless download times can vary based on 3G or EDGE/GPRS coverage, signal strength and file size.
Kindle books, newspapers, and magazines are currently priced and sold in United States dollars
Access Wikipedia via Whispernet on the experimental web browser. Access other websites like Google via a Wi-Fi connection. Blogs can also be downloaded via a Wi-Fi connection.
Kindle includes a 1-year limited warranty. See details
Use of the Kindle is subject to the Kindle License Agreement and Terms of Use

kiwired23

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#363228 4-Aug-2010 19:55

The wifi-only kindle actually looks like a good deal, US$139 plus shipping of US$15 - comes to about NZ$200 currently.

sbowness

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#364593 7-Aug-2010 10:42

I have the Kobo reader from Whitcoulls which is good, but has suffered from being the only one in the local market. The availability of the new Kindle with more features for about 2/3 of the price of the Kobo might hopefully wake Whitcoulls up and force them to drop the price.

For me, it will always come down to the availability of books. The Kobo uses the epub format which is widely available from a variety of independent stores. Amazon uses its own format which can only be used on the Kindle. Whitcoulls has books like "The Lord of the Rings" that Amazon does not have the rights to and vice versa. Don't rely on being able to use other big name epub stores, though, thanks to regional licensing. You cannot use the Sony Reader store, Waterstones or W H Smith, for example. They will not sell to NZ.

Because of all that, I've ordered the Kindle as well. I figure that for another NZD230 it will give me greater choice. Amazon's customer expierence is much better than Whitcoulls. Their website has many years of development under it's belt and it shows. Whitcoulls (and their supplier Kobo) are still very green. The website sucks (try browsing by category). Their desktop tool is better at browsing but sucks at integrating with the reader.

I like the Kobo. It's nice and simple. I expect I will love the Kindle as well. Both have pros and cons, I bought the Kobo to read on the bus. My slightly offset thinking is that I would rather risk bending a $300 device than spoiling a $30 paperback.

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networkn

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#374240 29-Aug-2010 18:12

Hopefully this won't upset anyone, but I am thinking of trying the $139 kindle, but I was curious to know if there was any source of books for the kindle format that wasn't the kindle store at amazon, a few google searches found me a few samples for my sony E-reader, does such a sample system exist for the kindle or do they dial back all the time?

sbowness

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#374245 29-Aug-2010 18:25

I've got a Kindle on the way to me now (in the air between LA and Auckland as I type).

In addition to Amazon's proprietary format, Kindle takes pdf and the mobipocket format (mobi or prc). You can get books in those formats from a number of places (search Inkmesh) but not every online store will sell to NZ.

tomgeeknz

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#374254 29-Aug-2010 19:02

If you are going to buy one of the new Kindles, make sure you buy via this page: http://www.geekzone.co.nz/kindle.asp as i believe this will benefit Geekzone and it does not cost any more!!! Freitasm??

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#374320 29-Aug-2010 22:20

tomgeeknz: If you are going to buy one of the new Kindles, make sure you buy via this page: http://www.geekzone.co.nz/kindle.asp as i believe this will benefit Geekzone and it does not cost any more!!! Freitasm??

That's correct. If you want to buy a Kindle, or add books to your Kindle, please use our Amazon Kindle order page.

mattRSK

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#374326 29-Aug-2010 22:42

I have kindle for PC. I almost bought a book on it today, but I did a quick search of the library website and found it there, and get this its free...

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#374336 29-Aug-2010 23:22

I bought an Eken M001 tablet on TradeMe for NZ$120. In runs Android 1.6.

I've installed the Kobo and Kindle apps for Android. They both work fine and I can buy books. I also have Aldiko Premium, which has a lot of public domain content.

The M001 is more like a touchscreen netbook really. Wifi only. Cheap as chips but it can do quite a lot. YouTube, play mp3 music, email..web browing.. I'm using it to post this.

_____________________________________________________________________

I've been on Geekzone over 16 years..... Time flies....

3g

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#374341 29-Aug-2010 23:40

+1 for the Eken M001 running the Kindle app.

Unfortunately I mentioned to my wife how good the Kindle reader is on Android (and how much cheaper the books are). About an hour ago I saw a new email/receipt from Amazon for a book that "I" purchased.

I think I might need to get another M001...

Nigel H.

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#374357 30-Aug-2010 00:13

networkn: Hopefully this won't upset anyone, but I am thinking of trying the $139 kindle, but I was curious to know if there was any source of books for the kindle format that wasn't the kindle store at amazon, a few google searches found me a few samples for my sony E-reader, does such a sample system exist for the kindle or do they dial back all the time?

You could always buy epub format books from Whitcoulls and use Calibre to convert to mobi format and transfer to your Kindle.

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