Using Amazon’s Kindle in the Philippines: Now in South Korea Too
Mrs. Unlawyer gave me the international version of Amazon’s Kindle Wireless Reading Device
Now that I own one, I was immediately set right about how the Kindle fetches e-books wirelessly from the Internet. One of the first misconceptions I had about the Kindle was that I thought it downloaded material from Amazon’s Kindle store
Amazon’s mobile network partners in the Philippines are, as far as I know, Smart Communications and Sun Cellular, but let me say this: my Kindle has yet to experience anything approaching 3G download speeds and at any rate, wireless service to my Kindle has been very spotty of late. So I don’t rely on this method to fetch books from the Kindle store and buy my materials the old-fashioned way: by logging on to the Kindle store from my Macbook and transferring my purchases via USB port to my device.
Contrary to earlier reports, my Kindle contains what Amazon calls an “experimental” web browser, but I was only able surf the Web with it just once. At other times I could not, with the browser displaying a statement that web browsing is not supported in all countries. In all probability, the Kindle detects whatever the strongest GSM signal in its location and locks on to it, regardless of whether or not Amazon has previously arranged carriage of its data with that telco.
Browsing the web via the Kindle’s browser is free of charge so far, but that can soon change. After all, Amazon has my credit card details on file.
Here’s another thing I didn’t know about my Kindle 2 until I got one for myself: apparently it has a built-in GPS receiver.
Anyway, here are some pictures of my Kindle 2:
The Kindle’s low power, high-contrast black-and-white screen makes it easy to read text even in bright sunlight, as can be seen from this picture.
Turning the pages of the e-books loaded into the Kindle is achieved by the oversized keys on both sides of the device.
On the lower right side of the Kindle is its joystick, or what Amazon calls a five-way switch. It is the means by which a user like myself can navigate through menus, or click on links on web pages, much like a mouse on a computer. Then there is the Kindle’s keyboard.
If you are going to buy your own Kindle 2, I strongly recommend buying a leather cover
One of the things I particularly like about my Kindle is that I can read documents saved in PDF format more conveniently instead of using a desktop of laptop computer – albeit in an indirect fashion. In order to do that, I first have to send the PDF files I want to read on my Kindle to Amazon in order for it to be converted into the proprietary AZW format that the Kindle uses. It is a free service, and the converted files are sent back to me in just a few minutes.
The latest Kindle firmware update, Version 2.3
On the negative side: since my Kindle 2 is associated with a Philippine address, I can only make purchases from the international section of the Kindle store. The selections are somewhat less due to what I think are Amazon’s limited rights to sell certain e-books outside of the United States. Plus, they cost more to boot – I suppose to help pay for the cost of sending all that data through a foreign mobile phone network. I might as well mention that certain elements of newspapers and magazines, like graphics and pictures, are omitted from the downloaded material if purchased from said store.
I am aware that there is a workaround for this issue but it is beyond the scope of this review.
Overall, I’m glad that I received the Kindle 2 from Mrs. Unlawyer. It’s a very handy and convenient way for me to bring the books I am reading, or those I want to read, while I’m on the road, as well as the documents and other reference materials I need to have on my possession at all times, and all without lugging a heavy laptop.
I will update this review as I gain more experience in using my Kindle 2 in the coming year.
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I just brought my Kindle 2 to Seoul. It’s true that Amazon won’t ship this device to South Korea but for those who already own one and want to use it in the Land of the Morning Calm, this e-book reader can easily connect to the Whispernet wireless delivery service, and at fast 3G speeds too. As a result, browsing Amazon’s Kindle storefront is especially quick, well quicker compared to what users in the Philippines must experience.
On the other hand, I wasn’t able to browse the web using my Kindle’s experimental browser as this is apparently not authorized for this device in this country.
[...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by Kindle 2, The Unlawyer. The Unlawyer said: My Kindle 2 in the Philippines review is up! http://bit.ly/7jPsSi [...]
hi! i have been researching on kindle 2 and am so dead set on buying one already. i know you got yours for just a few days but i wanna know if the limitation on the experimental web browsing matters to you. have you installed the version 2.3 firmware?
happy e-book reading!
I installed the Kindle’s version 2.3 firmware already and the most notable result of this upgrade is the installation of a half-baked built-in PDF reader. I say that because you can’t magnify the size of the text in the PDF file. If you want that ability you will need to convert your PDF file into Amazon’s AZW format, which is not a problem if the source document is a text file. The conversion messes up PDF files that are based on scanned papers though.
Browsing with the Kindle’s “experimental” web browser is slow, at least here in the Philippines, and service tends to be spotty. I can’t really complain though as it happens to be free of charge, so it isn’t a real issue for me. If I want faster download speeds I can always resort to my mobile phone.
Good luck and happy e-book reading to you too!
Hi! I am interested in buying a kindle, because I am already tired of buying books and reading them in just a few days. They are scattered all over the house. I would like to know how are stories downloaded to the kindle?
You can buy books for your Kindle in two ways: first is by using your Kindle to connect wirelessly to the Kindle Store, and the second is by browsing the Kindle Store from your computer’s browser and transferring the e-books you purchased to your Kindle via USB.
Hi there! ‘m really interested to buy an ebook. But i dont know where and if how much is it? Do i need to pay if I downloaded books?
Hope to hear from you soon…
Thank you and Good day
Just visit the Kindle store at Amazon.
I am from Philippines. I got a Kindle 2 and I loved it. The only problem I have is connecting to whisper net. I have not had any luck getting a signal so I can register my Kindle. No luck in Pasig and Quezon City.
Does my Kindle require any configuration or are there only specific areas in Manila that my Kindle can get a signal?
Hello, I suggest stepping outdoors so that your Kindle could receive a stronger signal from the mobile phone network. That should do the trick.
[...] demand (AVOD) system, although each seat had its own video screen. I didn’t mind, as I had my Kindle on hand and got to read what I wanted to [...]
i’ve got now a kindle dx. i’m from south farview q.c. however, i can’t seem to connect to whispernet even if the signal is strong…any ideas?
i want to deregister it but it continuously says that it cannot connect…
My suggestion is for you to connect to Whispernet outdoors for best signal transmission and reception.
Try to find out too if your Kindle is a US-only or global version.
You can also deregister your Kindle on the web through Amazon’s Manage Your Kindle site.
Hi.I’m planning to buy kindle2 from a friend.Its cheaper but it does not have warranty, charger or USB cord. Is it ok just to download ebooks from the net and have mobipocket convert them to readable files and transfer to kindle?
Sure you can do that. According to the MobileRead Wiki here are the file formats that the Kindle can read natively:
.azw (the Kindle version of .mobi)
.azw1 (aka Topaz)
.txt
.mobi and .prc (unprotected MobiPocket = no DRM)
.aa and .aax (Audible.com audiobooks)
.mp3 (you know what those are)
I’m curious though why your friend decided to sell his Kindle to you.
is there a way to check if the unit is US-only or a global version?
The only test I could think of is to see if that Kindle in question can connect to Amazon’s Kindle store via a foreign mobile phone network.
hi I’m planning to buy Kindle 2 but do I really have to buy it from Amazon or are there anywhere here in Manila where I can buy it?
You can try a shop called Infomax where the sell the Kindle 2 for about PHP 28,000.
Hi Iam just asking if you are having screen issues like what I have been reading on the net. I am very concern coz I plan to buy one this September 2010. So any feed back to your kindle is greatly appreciate.
So far i don’t have any of those cracked screen issues. My Kindle came with a folder-like case so that gives added protection.
Now is a good time to buy the Kindle 2 because Amazon now sells for just USD 189. Who knows though if a Kindle 3 is in the works? It might be worth your while to wait a little longer.