I ordered my Kindle the very day that Amazon announced the international release of the device. On the 19th, as promised, I was informed that it had been shipped, and would arrive within a few days. I had in the meantime left on a business trip, but on my return on the 25th of October, this was waiting for me…
What happiness! Since the final Amazon charge had included a surcharge for customs, the package was delivered directly to my home. And without further ado :
Securely packaged – no bubble wrap, unfortunately (few things beat a good unboxing if there is bubble wrap involved).
The content of the box included the Kindle, a somewhat superfluous but nicely bound instruction leaflet, and of course a USB cable for data transfer and charging the device. Note the US plug – at least Amazon was considerate enough to state clearly that the Kindle ships with only US plugs. And look closely at the Kindle itself. The instructions on the screen is NOT a plastic overlay – it is the e-paper display itself!
Following instructions, I connected the USB cable to the wall, and the cover image changed to what you see in the picture, with a progress bar displayed in the lower part of the screen. A friendly little LED started glowing, indicating that the device is charging. It really is that simple. As soon as I activated the Kindle by using the sliding button at the top of the device, I had wireless connectivity, and I was able to buy my first book within minutes.
I purchased a leather cover to protect the Kindle. Although it is somewhat overpriced at $29.99 (IMHO), it was a good buy. It protects the Kindle well, and lends it a bit more of a “book” feel.
The final image shows the Kindle with the leather cover attached, and ready to be used.
Before I give you my verdict on the Kindle, I should tell you that I am an avid reader. We have tons of books in our house, we actually read the books we have, and we keep adding to them. I become extremely agitated if I have nothing to read – books really are an essential part of my life. So – having said that – here’s my impressions from using the Kindle.
E-ink is very easy on the eyes. I was expecting the e-paper to be less grey, and more white, but it is not a huge problem. I have not found my eyes to become any more tired than they would from reading a book. I have so far read a volume of short stories – 500 pages plus, and a novel of approx. 300 pages, which is enough to server as a good test for readability.
The page numbering is not very useful – I would have much prefered each page that is displayed, to show a matching page number to the physical edition of the book. Of course, depending on the physical size of the printed book, it may be that several pages on the Kindle would have the same page number, but it would still have been easier to read than the strange location number that is in fact displayed in lieu of page numbers.
I was disappointed to find that web browsing is disabled on the non-US device. I can live with this though (none of my books have web browsers built into them, after all). What was less pleasing is the fact that wireless delivery of newspapers (such as the New York Times) exclude the images in the paper, other than the main image on the front page. This is a dealbreaker if one wants to read certain journals and magazines.
In terms of ergonomics – the font size is adjustable – I find the smallest size works best for me, but your mileage may differ. The layout of the controls are not perfect though. I would have preferred to have a “Next” and “Prev” button on both sides of the screen. Instead there is a “Next” on both sides, but a “Prev” only on the left hand side.
The inclusion of a dictionary that makes it very easy to look up any word while reading is a surprisingly cool feature. I really never knew what uxorial meant, and would probably have simply forgotten to ever look it up. The dictionary lookup is so easy on the Kindle, that it was no effort to look it up though. On this subject – Amazon, please hear this – non-US users may prefer to have the Oxford Dictionary rather than an “American English” dictionary included!
The built-in wireless connectivity works extremely well (at least locally, I haven’t traveled with the Kindle yet). I did not have to do a thing – the Kindle simply connected to a GSM network, and that was it. I look forward to testing this abroad.
The Kindle 2 has one great fault though – and that is the omission of a touch screen. IMO the device would have been near perfect if I was able to turn a page with a flick of the wrist, rather than using the Next/Prev buttons, or the silly “5-way” navigation button.
My overall impression is very favourable. It is a usable substitute for a book. It will not replace books anytime soon – at least not from an emotional/nostalgic point of view. If local newspapers and magazines (with picture content) becomes available, I would almost certainly subscribe to a few newspapers. I recommend the Kindle to anyone who reads a lot, and who cannot always take two or three books on their travels. I think this is where the Kindle will really come into its own for me – as a device for hosting my reading material when I am traveling,
Got questions ? Feel free to post them in the comments.
19 responses so far ↓
1 Minnaar Pieters // Nov 4, 2009 at 11:09 pm
Looks like a cool device, but I have to say the problems you mention is quite big downsides. Luckily they can all be fixed with software updates – Amazon, please take not.
It is actually pretty shocking the American Oxford dictionary. Lets hope it gets fixed soon enough.
2 Tweets that mention Review of Kindle in South Africa | Gustible | Jacques van Niekerk -- Topsy.com // Nov 5, 2009 at 2:01 am
[...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by Jacques van Niekerk and Jacques Bruwer, Leendert W. Botha. Leendert W. Botha said: Review of the Kindle 2, International Edition used in South Africa – http://bit.ly/4tBsyd (via @gustible) [...]
3 Chester // Nov 5, 2009 at 2:30 pm
Cool, needed a review from someone outside US. You didn’t mention the purchase process (other than the lack of local magazines/newspapers) – should one assume that it goes smooth? Cheers!
4 JvN // Nov 5, 2009 at 2:35 pm
Hey Chester! Yes – the purchase process is seamless. I bought from the Kindle store using the device, and I bought from the Kindle store via the web. In both cases the books appeared on the device within five minutes.
I should also mention that I transferred some .mobi books to the Kindle via USB, and this worked seamlessly too.
5 Dimitriou // Nov 12, 2009 at 8:55 pm
Thank you for this reveiw, I am travelling a lot as of late, and think this is perfect, and thnx for the non-us reveiw.
PS: I am with you on the bubblewrap.
6 simon // Nov 23, 2009 at 9:22 am
Hi
How did u get around the restriction on SA book purchases?
7 Chris // Nov 23, 2009 at 9:55 am
Thanks for a great review!
3 questions:
How does the 3g download work RE pricing, ISP (Vodacom?), sim cards etc …..?
What is the selection of books like for international users, and the pricing…??
Can you convert existing word/pdf docs to Kindle?
Thanks a million!
Chris
8 JvN // Nov 23, 2009 at 10:02 am
Hi Simon. Not sure I understand your question. If a book is available in the Kindle store, you can buy it. Admittedly there aren’t a LOT (if any) South African books in the Kindle store…
Remember this is the international version of the Kindle – as such Whispernet is enabled. Anywhere in the world.
9 JvN // Nov 23, 2009 at 10:10 am
Chris
1) Wireless connectivity is built-in with the International edition. Amazon has an international roaming agreement in place (via Verizon, probably). You do not need to do anything else – simple switch on the Kindle, and you will be connected. I have tested this in SA (Cape and Joburg), Germany and Poland so far, and it is seamless. There are no additional costs – roaming/wireless is included in the price. BUT you are somewhat restricted in what you can browse. You can only access wikipedia via the browser, and of course the Kindle store. In addition, as I mentioned, magazines and periodicals do not include images. Note that you can buy a slightly cheaper Kindle ($20 less) that does not have international roaming enabled. To do so would be monumentally stupid.
2) Yes. Mail the document to yourname@kindle.com to have the converted version delivered via Whispernet (this is not free), or mail it to yourname@free.kindle.com to have it sent to you via email. You then upload it to your Kindle via USB.
10 John Kotsaftis // Nov 25, 2009 at 10:23 am
I must say I really enjoy the Kindle but I have to agree with your observations on usability. Not having pictures in the magazines is a real pain.
I have managed to get Wikipedia working though and that is quite useful.
An interesting point regarding the Kindle is the fact that I can read books I would not ordinarily read as the effort required to obtaining them is so low. So for instance right now I am reading a history book on the effect of American influence on the Aegean region….. I would not be able to even obtain such a book at any bookstore in SA unless i ordered it.
My wife is a light sleep also, so clicking rather than page turning a real book works well
11 emma // Dec 2, 2009 at 1:08 pm
I recently bought a Kindle. What a cop out; there are no decent books available to South Africans.
Amazon did not warn anyone that they would not be able to access most books. What is the point of advertising something like the Kindle for sale in SA when it is of dubious value? Is this not false advertising and incomplete disclosure.
12 Scotch // Dec 12, 2009 at 4:43 pm
Thanks for the comprehensive revue. You mention above that wireless connectivity is built in and there are no additional costs. So to download a book, as long as you can connect via 3G/Edge, is it correct that you don’t have to pay for bandwith?
The point raised by emma has been mentioned before, where the person said: “It seems as though we can buy the reader, just not any decent books.”
As someone who’s an avid book reader, could you clarify this – is there a decent selection of books available for the Kindle that can be bought and downloaded in SA?
You also mentioned in a reply above that “If a book is available in the Kindle store, you can buy it”.
Obviously the availability of books for Kindle in South Africa is the crucial point here and any help on this would be appreciated.
Many thanks.
13 Janesa // Dec 29, 2009 at 10:31 am
Please provide the link to all e-books available in South Africa.
Appreciate all the comments. I’m considering buying one, but I’m still uncertain. Have been reading a lot of comments, but there’s still many pro’s and cons.
14 Lee // Jan 19, 2010 at 11:32 am
Apart from buying the Kindle from Amazon can you recommend a local reseller
15 Steve // Feb 1, 2010 at 2:48 pm
After reading this review I doubt if I still want to buy the actual Kindle itself. I mean, reading newspapers without the pictures?! Besides, the Kindle would be more useful if it had South African newspapers and magazines.
As for the hardware itself, all along I assumed that the Kindle had a touch screen. I mean, these days just about every electronic gadget has one.
Anyway I am currently reading Kindle books on my notebook and iPhone. The iPhone version is particularly user friendly (even though the screen is smallish).
16 Nicole // Feb 3, 2010 at 2:00 pm
From reading the above, am I correct in saying that if you purchase the Kindle from Amazon.com, then you have access to all international books however if you purchase it from a local store, you are limited to SA downloads only? This is the deciding factor on whether to purchase or not to purchase. I would purchase from Amazon. Your comments would be appreciated. Thank you
17 JvN // Feb 4, 2010 at 10:00 am
Hi Nicole. Your level of access to the bookstore is determined by where you live, rather than by where you buy the Kindle. In order to do online purchases you have to register a credit card, which of course ties you to a billing address. I believe they use that to allocate you to a specific bookstore. No matter where you buy the Kindle, you still need to link it to your Amazon account – easiest way for you to check whether the store has the books you want, is to download Kindle for the PC or iPhone, and see what is available. This link should give you a good indication as well: http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/browse/-/1284007011
Re customs costs – the cost is included in the price you are charged. It is high, but then – I actually received a refund from Amazon after ordering my Kindle – turns out the customs charges were less than they anticipated. Easiest way to check the cost is to order a Kindle – total cost is shown before you check-out. Expect to pay around ZAR3000 delivered to your door.
18 Eliab // Feb 23, 2010 at 9:29 am
Thanks for the review.I currenlty own the sony PRS 505 I am in love with the e reader ( I have had it for almost a year now bought it in the states not yet available in SA) since I am an avid reader. But I am tempted to get the kindle since the e books are much cheaper on Amazon than most websites but before I buy it can you please answer the following questions for me:
Do you have to pay monthly service cost i.e for the number of downloads?
Is there a restriction on the number of books that a person can purchase at a time?
Is the battery life good? (currently on the sony I can go two weeks on about 5 books average of 550 pages per book)
Has anyone bought the kindle DX? would like to hear review on that one. SA perspective much better.
Thanks so much for your help.
Cheers
E
19 JvN // Feb 23, 2010 at 11:44 am
@Eliab:
1) No monthly charges, even when roaming internationally
2) No restriction that I am aware of (other than the state of your credit card)
3) Battery life great – two weeks plus if you turn of the Wireless. With wireless probably four or five days. But there is little point in leaving it on.
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