Before we left China in late April, I ordered two Kindles (sent to a US address since Amazon won’t ship Kindles to China). I bought a Kindle DX for me and a Kindle 2 for Sprite. We got them registered immediately, and I fell in love in a matter of days.
I read Little Women, The Jungle, and Uncle Tom’s Cabin (all free books in the public domain) in the first month of having my Kindle. Having the Kindle made me remember how much I love reading. But living abroad had put a damper on my book buying. When I did buy books, it was almost exclusively for Sprite and for her education. The shipping costs to get books abroad are amazingly expensive.
When I got back home to my desktop in China, I added a lot of PDF files to my Kindle — free homeschooling things that I’d collected from various websites. I find that reading the Kindle on the couch or in bed is much more enjoyable than sitting in front of my computer screen. So now I’m actually reading those things I used to download and promptly forget about.
Here are two pages from a Dinah Zike freebie and one from the Handy Book for Girls.
I bought a simple plate stand at Hobby Lobby in USA for less than $5. I’m certain it works as well as any of the high priced ones sold on the Amazon website.
Sprite helped me hot glue a bit of craft foam to the bottom, inside edge to prevent any rubbing.
I often use my stand — whether having my devotional times with my ESV Bible and The Message or listening to audio books or referring to cookbooks in the kitchen. I bought the How to Cook Everything cookbook. I slip my Kindle in a ziptop plastic bag while I’m in the kitchen with it.
I had expected to pay extra fees for using the Whispernet global wireless service in China. Before I bought the Kindles, I researched and found that it costs an additional $2 per book to use this convenient feature abroad. “No worries,” I thought, “I’ll just use my USB cord to add books and avoid any extra charges.”
But when I got to China, I had to experiment. First I turned on the wireless just to see if it worked at all here. It does! (The map Amazon offers does show my area as having Whispernet coverage, but to be honest, I just didn’t believe it until I tried. Not all of China is covered. Be sure to check the map for your location.)
Then I tried searching the Kindle store and downloading a free sample and a free book. It worked, but I wondered if I might get charged a fee for that book. As if to answer my question, when my new items uploaded, I also got a letter from Amazon telling me that although periodicals, blogs, and documents would incur a fee for transmitting via Whispernet, BOOKS ARE FREE via international Whispernet. I read it a dozen times to be sure. But, yes, it clearly says, “There is no charge for wirelessly recieving books, receiving single periodical issues, browsing the Kindle store, or using the experimental web browser while traveling internationally.”
HOT DOG!
I checked my account for a few days afterward to make sure that there were no additional fees from Amazon. Nothing.
Then we tested it again with a purchase of a book for Sprite. I wanted her to read The Watsons go to Birmingham as part of our study of the Civil Rights Movement. I didn’t buy it in America because I knew I could get it for the Kindle. We bought it using the wireless connection, and it downloaded within 2 minutes without any extra charges. Incredible!
I’m going to tell the whole Kindle story — the good and the bad.
Here’s the bad.
Sprite’s Kindle broke after we’d been back in China just a few weeks. We have no idea what happened. There was no impact or damage that we know of. It suddenly started having lines across the top one third of the screen. It made part of the books illegible. Even when powered off, the lines were still visible.
I was so disappointed! I called Amazon customer service to see about getting it repaired.
Here’s the good.
The associate was so helpful. He said the Kindle was still under the one year warranty period and therefore would be exchanged outright for a brand new one.
The only catch was that they would mail only to a USA address. And I had to return the broken Kindle to them. My dear mom received the Kindle and shipped it over to us. Thanks, Mom!
So even though I was terribly disappointed that the Kindle 2 broke so quickly, I was impressed with the Amazon’s customer service to rectify the situation.
While I was on the phone with the associate, I was upfront with him about being in China. He said that we were not paying international download fees because our Kindles are registered to a USA address and while we vacation abroad, the fees are not charged. So if I were to change my registration address to a Chinese one, I would start having to pay the extra $2 per book wireless fee. But for now, wireless is free.
I am totally thrilled with these Kindles! For people like us who live abroad, they are a lifeline to good reading.
- No expensive shipping costs. (Amazon, for example, charges an additional $5 per book to mail abroad.)
- No waiting two weeks to two months for a package. (Or what about lost packages that never arrive?)
- No bulky books to pack and pay airline overage for. (United charged us $300 per 50 lb piece of overage.)
- No books on the already overloaded bookshelves at home.
- When we travel, we can pack the book-sized Kindle and have an entire library available.
Granted, not all books are available in Kindle format. And some books just wouldn’t work anyway. Imagine an Usborne book with all its full color images reduced to a few paragraphs of text. Yuck. But there are many classics available (and often free or very cheap) and many current bestsellers and new releases available. Most of the modern Newbery award winners,for example, are available in Kindle format.
So for now, Sprite is using her Kindle for homeschool and for recreational reading.
The dictionary is a real hit with her. She prefers the Oxford American Dictionary that comes pre-installed on the Kindle over using her hardback dictionary.
I have to admit that I love this feature of the Kindle too. While reading any Kindle book, you can place the cursor on any word to see the meaning at the bottom of the screen. If you want to read the full dictionary entry, you can see that by pressing a button. Then pressing BACK will take you right back to what you were reading.
I’ve created a lens about using the Kindle for homeschooling. It has some of the practical facts I’ve added here as well as links to where you can find freebies to put on your Kindle.
The Kindle 2 (and I assume the newer ones) can read PDFs too. This is a new function since I bought them Kindles!
Of course, the Kindle reader is free to download, so you can technically read Kindle books without a Kindle at all.
Thank you for both this post and for the informative email you sent me answering my questions about Kindles earlier! I’ve got one on the way now, and I’m so excited!!
Wonderful post! What a great job you did pointing out all the most awesome things about the Kindle. I got a Kindle 2 from my hubby for my birthday in May of this year and I LOVE IT. I’m totally smitten with mine 🙂
Although I cannot say I have read that many books (definitely not!), I can say that with the Kindle I have downloaded and begun to read so many books that I would otherwise not have even picked up. My kids also have read many of the Edith Nesbit books that I just couldn’t bring myself to buy (they didn’t like to read on the computer- gives them a headache) as well as other random books.
I’m liking the DX that you have there… BUT I am so happy with my Kindle 2! Thanks for sharing your experience with us.
this is a great post Jimmie. You almost have me sold in them! LOL. But seriously, it does sound like a wonderful tool for you and Sprite. I have a few friends with Kindles and one had a similar problem with theirs that Sprite did. She also said that customer service was fantastic.
So am I understanding correctly that you can also listen to audio books on the Kindle? I’m looking at getting an I-Pod for the kids to use to listen to educational podcasts, but an e-book reader that could be used for both would be double the value.
I didn’t get a Kindle but a Nook for my birthday this year.
I LOVE IT!!! I too downloaded tons of free books and have been reading all the time now! I do have access to books here in the states, but I just never seemed to have time to read what I wanted to read until now.
Nook seems to have all the same features as the Kindle except there is no keypad – it has a touch screen on the bottom. Love it!
Any idea the best/cheapest way to ship a Kindle to and from China/USA. My daughter has a Gen 2 model there and I want to send her the new version when it comes out later this month and she will ten send the Gen 2 back to me. Thank you.
WOW! I really appreciate your blog. I am rarely overly impressed with…well, I don’t want to be rude. Let’s just say, your writing is clear, you are enthusiastic without overly gushing, and so many great pictures. And good info that others can use. Thank you very much. We do some int’l travel (don’t live abroad, however) and we’ve been eyeing the kindle for some time. I think your use of the kindles helps me see more use than I realized. Thanks for the great info!!!
Jimmie! I GOT one! My mom brought it down with her!! I’m so excited! I just checked it out fully the other day and CAN’T wait to start reading! I had to get the schoolyear planned first…
woohoo!! LOVE it!
amy in peru
It’s so funny that you posted this, as I have just been thinking about getting a Kindle. I still can’t decide, but this was very helpful.
What do you think about the two different sizes?
We don’t have a Kindle but I have the App on my iPhone. Love it! I hope to get an iPad soon (we just bought one in fact for the in-laws) so it will be even easier to read (the iPhone can be a little small for book reading). 🙂
My husband was just talking to me about getting a kindle for our daughter who reads a book a day and her book case is overflowing. Between his pionts and yours with homeschooling, I do believe I am convinced. BTW I already have a Kindle 2 and love it just wasn’t convinced for getting one for our daughter
I love how you get down to the nitty gritty with products.
I have been on the fence with the whole Kindle and Nook thing. With Amazon Prime, I don’t pay for shipping for books. And I love the feel, weight, smell and sound of books… the sound of the page turning, the slight crack when you open up a brand new hardback, the texture of the paper between my fingers…
And @Amy in Peru, I am SO happy for you!!! As I was reading this post, I was just thinking, Ooooo.. I wonder if Amy has that! I bet she’d love it!
Very informative and interesting. It coincides with a question I have been asking myself lately. Shall I keep and if, which and how many of our educational books for ‘later’ (grandchildren?). So, my question to you (all) is, do you think the Ipad, Kindles, Nook, etc. will wipe away children books within a few generations? If so, what would be the use of holding on to our books while they probably will be available as Ebooks?
You see, I really like books and I like to find children books all over our house. I see what my daughter reads, I see how much she reads, bla bla….what do you think?
I’m sorry yours went wrong Jimmie, but glad they sorted it out so easily!
I’ve had mine since Christmas – a HUGE surprise from my Darling Husband!! I carry if everywhere since he got me a lovely leather ‘cover’ for it that makes it open like a book and means it is really well protected when it is in my handbag. He also got me the little light that sits on the top for reading. It comes in handy when we are in dimly lit restaraunts and I want to read to the kids while waiting for our food to come. :o)
I think my only complaint about the kindle is that when reading pdfs you can’t change the font size and many of my ebooks on my computer are old ones with VERY small print! Other reason the light is helpful! LOL!
I have downloaded lots of free samples on the kindle – BUT how exactly did you find FREE books???? I want to know how to do that!
Glad you are enjoying them! What a blessing technology is, huh? – Deedee
Thanks for sharing the good and the bad, Jimmie, as I’ve really been wondering.
Can’t stand sitting in front of the computer.
What a perfect tool (and toy) for you and Sprite!
Thanks for the info about the extra two dollars. I was wondering about that.
Sorry to hear that your daughter’s broke, but it is good that everything turned out okay.
I have a kindle, and my assessment is that it is good for people who live abroad like us…. But if I were in the U.S. or Canada with a library nearby, I don’t think I would want it. The kindle does have typos way more than regular books, plus there is always the danger of it breaking down or it getting lost.
I agree. In USA, there are libraries and thrift stores for easy access to books. I wouldn’t need a Kindle there. (Although it would be a fun toy in that case.)
I read your review when you posted it and am back reading it again. DH suggested that for a birthday gift and I think I am going to take him up on it.
Hmm, interesting take. I’ve always shunned the crazy things for a variety of reasons, but you’ve made a good point about the whole living abroad and shipping. However, did you know that Book Depository doesn’t charge shipping world wide? No joke, I nearly fell out of my chair when I found that out! We use them so much we’ve become affiliates, and honestly they don’t charge much more for a book then Amazon which is pretty nifty. STILL.. you’ve given me a new perspective on the kindle..
Book Depository doesn’t ship to CHINA anymore. I’m so sad.
I am living in China and thinking of buying a kindle. I think I will need to get this shipped to my family in Australia and then they send it to me. My question is did China charge a tax on the one you got sent from the US?
No. In my experience (I’m American) mail sent via US postal service was never snagged by customs. Mail sent via UPS or FED EX was. You do not want your package in customs. It is a headache extraordinare not to mention expensive. (Usually as much as or more expensive than the original goods.)
Hi, I’m going on vacation to China and want to take my kindle. How do you charge your kindle – through the computer or plug into wal?l Will the 220v ruin the Kindle?
Thanks