Kindle: it’s ready for us!
I’m still wildly enthusiastic about the idea, but when it last came up Kindle wasn’t ready to deliver books in Italy. Now they are selling a version for $20 more than the newly reduced price that delivers to European countries, too. The promotional material they sent me mentions lots of European countries by name, but not Italy. Does that mean they didn’t iron out the download problems with Italian providers or does Europe mean Europe?
I would be more than willing to save a tree or a hundred trees! Kindle has come up in conversation several times lately, but we can’t figure out if I can get books on it. What I read said that Italian download providers wanted a much bigger cut from Amazon than any other country. Translated that means that Italian companies would rather have no cut of the pie at all than to have a piece the same size as everybody else’s. Strange but true.
Anyway, if you decide to buy one, please click on one of the above links and maybe if enough of you do so I can have one too!
Here is what it says on the subject for my country:
Italy
We are excited to now ship Kindle to Italy. Customers in Italy 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
Large Selection: Over 290,000 English-language books to choose from; plus U.S. and international newspapers and magazines
Low Book Prices: New York Times® Best Sellers and New Releases are $11.99 to $13.99 (prices include VAT), unless marked otherwise. You’ll also find many books for less – over 70,000 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 U.S. power adapter and a micro-USB cable for charging your Kindle via a computer USB port. The U.S. power adapter supports voltages between 100V – 240V.
* 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
* Blogs and the experimental web browser are currently not available for your country
* Kindle includes a 1-year limited warranty. See details
* Use of the Kindle is subject to the Kindle License Agreement and Terms of Use
So when will they sell it through Amazon.uk so we can duck those customs charges?
This is my problem exactly! Who wants to pay duty?
What if I buy one when we’re in the states – will I still be able to download here in Italy, or are they set for regions like DVD players???
Barbara: Art and Barb Live in Italy!´s last blog ..VIDEOS FROM FLORENCE
You can buy the US version or the international version. Apparently people who own the US version can get stuff when overseas by paying $1.50 extra per time. That could add up. The best answer for us will be if they sell it for competitive prices in the UK, and not those ridiculous UK pounds equal to the dollar prices. Why do they do that? Everything costs 20% more here for IVA anyway.
The Kindle’s come a long way. That new version looks swanky. Impressive. Love the slimline look.
If they sorted out the software so it read .pdf and .doc files, it may very well be the best thing out there. Until then, however….*hugs smartphone installed with Repligo (http://www.cerience.com/)*…my heart belongs to thee, oh phone of mine.
Mikeachim´s last blog ..Go Home Again: 4 Ways To Love Where You Are
From a publisher’s POV, I understand Amazon wants a 70-30 split on materials sold through the Kindle. I’m glad to hear the Italians might be standing up against this. It seems unjust to many publishers and self-publishing writers.
Craig, it isn’t the publishers who would get a cent of the extra money Italy wanted, it was the cellphone companies. They wanted a larger cut for the download.
As a publisher you must realize that the English mother tongue expats here are your market only if you can get your books into our hands at a reasonable price. Foreign language books cost a bomb here and in most places, if they exist at all, it is a wire rack of pop books in the vein of Stephen King and Danielle Steele. Kindle is a way out of that for both of us.
I am so tempted to buy one when in the States in December on vacation. But Barnes and Noble now has a reader that allows you to share your e-books with another BN ebook owner. Will Kindle be forced to follow in their footsteps? I’m waiting a bit and looking for gossip to know if I should wait until the summer, or buy now. I really do have enough to read for a while (plus I’m downloading audible books to enjoy the car).
I downloaded a bunch of free books via an Australian library site, but I can’t take this computer to bed.
eg has offered to buy me one. Dying to know what others experience.