- 7 September 2012: The new Kindle Paperwhite is announced. Pre-order now! This post will no longer be updated. please go to the new Paperwhite blog entry.
- 25 April 2012: Send to Kindle is released! This nifty utility allows you to quickly send your documents to your Kindle devices and iPad.
- 12 April 2012: Software Update 5.1 is out, includes landscape mode!
- 28 March 2012. J. K. Rowling has finally released the Harry Porter books in eBook format. Just got my first book, haven't read any of them yet!
- 24 March 2012. I was the first in line to get my first iPad last week. What a gorgeous tablet, which I'd recommend for PDFs and Kindle reference books. The eInk Kindles are still unparalleled for long form books/novels, however. It's funny how Amazon marketing hasn't really made it a point to use the term 'retina display' since Kindle 3! One way to get the Kindle app for the iPad is to sign up for another Apple ID that is associated with a US address. This may require a US debit card which can be obtained from usunlocked.com. An iPad can accommodate different Apple IDs, and the Kindle app will appear at the App Store if you sign in with a US-address one. To be perfectly safe, the buying of books remain unchanged from the info given in this blog entry.
- 19 Jan 2012, Software Update Version 5.0.3 is out. This is a very good update. The overall response of the user interface is very much quicker.
- 5 Dec 2011, I've received the Touch and the lighted cover. Works great! If you want to get a new Kindle, this is it.
3) Preamble
4) Kindle Touch
5) X-Ray
6) PDF documents
7) Kindle Lighted Cover
8) Kindle Fire
9) How to buy a Kindle in Singapore
10) How to buy Kindle ebooks in Singapore
11) Which Kindle to buy?
Some Kindle books I've bought to be read on e Ink Kindle or Kindle for iPad
Preamble
Who reads nowadays any more? Most people are playing Angry Birds on their tablets! Actually, that's not true, people are playing AB and also using their tablets for many other applications. With tablets such as the iPads and other Android devices swamping the market, shouldn't we just use our tablets to read books and not have to carry another device?
Fortunately for Kindle lovers, the answer to this is still no; it still makes a lot of sense to continue with the Kindle for reading. For all intents and purposes, it's 'insanely great'. E Ink, the main feature that differences LCD tablets with Kindles and other similar e-readers, needs to be seen to be believed. It looks like real book; no glare, no back-light.
The Kindle is not available directly from Amazon for people in Singapore, so we need to work around the limitations to make sure Amazon and authors get our money. Of historical interest is the Kindle 3 guide I started more than a year ago. There are more than 700 comments that provide a lot of interesting information that will be of use to everyone. Yes, all 3 of you who have told me you read the whole thing! I'll repeat the essential things to note in this blog entry.
New additions to the Kindle Family
The new Kindle 4 is now just called the Kindle it's very inexpensive. The older Kindle 3 is now called the Kindle Keyboard. And the third new addition is the Kindle Touch which features a touch screen.
Kindle Touch
The Kindle Touch and cover took two weeks to arrive after it got shipped from Amazon. The package was shipped free of charge to Comgateway and forwarded to Singapore. The shipping was US$30. So with shipping included, the cost for a Touch alone is around S$150, with the cover, it's around S$240.
The Kindle Touch is quite different from the previous offerings from Amazon. They decided to go all the way and removed all hard buttons from the Kindle Touch, except the Home button. So how does it compare to the previous Kindle 3 (Kindle Keyboard)?
There are currently many 1-star reviews for the Kindle Touch on Amazon. I enjoy reading these reviews because often times the reviewers really don't have a clue, and of course get called out by the brash counter-commenters. However, there are some criticisms that are valid and I'll get them out of the way first.
The first is the steeper learning curve. The Quick Start guide included in the package is just way too sparse and people can get totally lost in the beginning. What to press on the Home screen? How to go to the last, or next page? I was a bit lost too so I can understand the 1-star folks. Once you read the PDF manual on your computer, it'll be OK. The pictures below show what to do when you're in a book. They forgot a picture to show what to do at the Home screen, which is to flick left or right to proceed forwards or backwards.
The reason for a Touch screen is to make text selection easier, and in this aspect, the Touch truly shines. Selecting words quickly to find their definitions, highlight, or add notes are now much quicker without the need to use the old joystick. Another good thing about Touch is page turns. There are now 2 ways to do page turns: what's shown in the first 2 screenshots above, and to flick left or right. What this means is that you don't need to hold the Kindle a certain way to press the last/next page buttons on non-Touch Kindles. Just hold the Touch in any position you find comfortable.
X-Ray
X-Ray is a new feature found on the Touch; I find it to be totally breathtaking. This is a software feature so it remains to be seen whether Amazon will incorporate this on other Kindles; probably not. X-Ray presents a book into various 'components', with a timeline and important characters superimposed onto it. Here's an example from Steve Jobs. One interesting character from the book is Jon Rubinstein, one of the fathers of the iPod and webOS which is used by my favourite mobile phone, the discontinued Palm Pre series. Say I want to know Jon's story; I can go into X-Ray and get the gist very quickly. It's very intuitive and quite a game changer for readers. (click = big)
You'd notice that Jon's wikipedia entry is included in X-Ray. I read somewhere that the wiki information is embedded inside the ebook itself. Not all ebooks have this; probably only the newer ones. I think all books should have X-Ray!
PDF documents
Currently there is a 'problem' with PDF documents as the ability to read in landscape mode is not implemented yet. I am pleasantly surprised, though, that reading PDF is now a different experience because of the ability to pinch-zoom, and drag the page around. While 6" screens are generally not suited for PDF documents (I consider an iPad-size tablet ideal for PDFs), what we find on the Touch seems to be quite workable and marginally satisfactory, certainly better than what the Kindle 3/Keyboard offers.
Kindle Touch Lighted Leather Cover
This lighted cover isn't really leather, I think. It's some sort of plastic that looks like leather. Generally speaking, I like it a lot; it is much better than the older lighted cover for the Kindle 3. The light now sits in the middle of the unit and so it's able to illuminate the device more evenly. The Kindle Touch is now wrapped by a rubbery case and it feels very solid. It's not cheap, but it's highly recommended!
Kindle Fire
How about the Kindle Fire? The Fire is an Android-based tablet. While it's not difficult to get the device itself and Kindle books onto it, I am concerned whether books are all we can get. Also, the advantage that the Fire has is that it's better at the Kindle at handling PDF files. However, given the Fire's relatively small screen size, how feasible is this? There are also rumors that new Fires with bigger screens will be announced soon. Currently, I will wait and see before getting a Fire.
How to buy a Kindle in Singapore
Here are the steps I use. Do note that Amazon doesn't officially support Kindles in Singapore. There are instances where buyers were found to be not from 'authorised countries' and their accounts were disabled. Your mileage may vary. Caveat Emptor. Many people have also bought books using local credit cards with no adverse consequences. No one really knows the variables involved. The steps below are the most conservative, but they do work very well.
- Create an Amazon account if you don't already have one.
- Go to the Kindle page and buy yourself a Kindle. It will be automatically linked to your Amazon account. I prefer the WiFi-only version rather than the 3G+WiFi version. The added 3G isn't really necessary because worldwide surfing isn't guaranteed. Also, additional costs will be incurred for the transfer of documents if 3G (AT&T roaming) is used when there is no WiFi.
- Ship it to a third party mail forwarder. Borderlinx (Citibank credit card required, go to 'get a virtual address') and Comgateway (go to 'get my US address') are excellent. They both use DHL.
- When you get your Kindle, you need to register it if it hasn't already been registered. After connecting to wifi at home>settings, register it by filling in your Amazon username and password at "home>settings>register".
Some preparatory steps to take before buying books from the Amazon US store
- Firstly, do NOT buy Amazon ebooks directly from your Kindle device or Kindle apps, not even free books.
- Buy a gift card with your local credit card, say USD50. Use the correct, local billing address for this purchase. Email the gift card to your email address. When you receive it in the mail, apply the gift amount to your Amazon account.
- Go to your account, 'manage payment options', and erase your credit card info if you have any credit cards associated with Amazon.com . (Do this also whenever you buy something at Amazon using your local credit card.)
- You need to buy books using your Internet browser on your computer with a VPN installed. Functionally, using a VPN is the equivalent of me giving you an airplane ticket to travel with your Kindle to the US. Use a VPN such as AlwaysVPN to make yourself situated in the US, in spirit. You may turn it off later when you're done purchasing. Click here to download some instructions. The cheapest Alwaysvpn package can last you for years. Do not use Hotspot Shield; it's known not to work sometimes.
- Exit your Internet browser.
- Switch on your VPN. Open your browser.
- Go to Manage your Kindle at the Kindle product page.
- Go to 'your country'. Change your country to US if it's showing another country. Use any US address.
- Switch off the VPN.
- Again, do NOT buy e-books (even if the books are free) with the Kindle device.
- Ensure that you have sufficient funds in your account. If not, buy more gift cards and apply them to your account.
- Exit your Internet browser.
- Switch on your VPN, and check that it's working by going to http://www.whatismyipaddress.com . It needs to show a US IP address.
- Go to Amazon. Find your book and click 'buy now with 1-click', 'deliver to your Kindle'. If you choose to wirelessly send it to your Kindle, you should receive the book in a few seconds. You can also choose to download the file and transfer it to your Kindle using USB. If asked for the billing address, use any US address. Note that this address will not be used because funds will originate from your gift card balance.
- Switch off the VPN.
For now, the non-3G Kindle Touch with Special Offers is my recommendation. The Kindle Keyboard does have its benefits, specifically real buttons for page advancement. However, the Touch provides many additional features that provide the biggest jump in usability since the introduction of the first Kindle:
- The ability to touch the screen means that you can hold the device any way you like and not being restricted by the positioning of the page advancement buttons
- X-Ray; follow the story's characters like never before
- instant dictionary look-ups
409 comments:
1 – 200 of 409 Newer› Newest»Hello, I'm considering getting a kindle. With the addition of the kindle and the kindle touch to the old kindle keyboard, I'm confused about which one to get.
I love design of the kindle keyboard but the kindle and kindle touch is certainly more appealing with the wider screen. Btw, can you explain the difference between kindle and kindle touch? It looks the same except for the design and size. Is there any differences in the function that I should know? Thanks!
Xing, the screen size for all 6" Kindles is exactly the same.
The difference between the new Kindle and the Touch are the number of lines shown for dictionary definitions, and the Touch has the potentially incredible Xray feature. I've a feeling it's better to bet on the Touch to avoid future unnecessary 'firmware' limitation if one gets the cheapest Kindle.
I don't usually like virtual keyboards, but if they got it right, then the TOuch's keyboard may be as good as the Keyboard's keyboard.
This is such a confusion.. By any chance have you tried nook simple touch? I am clueless which to get. Wonder which has the most variety of books.
I'm quite familiar with the Kindle situation, so I prefer this to the Nook since I've used Amazon for years and very much believe in their mission.
Actually it's not very confusing. Just follow my steps and get the Touch. You really can't go wrong with this...
Okies, guess i will settle got kindle touch. I've got some queries pertaining to it. When i click check out in amazon for kindle. It brings me to a page where i am suppose to fill in the shipping address. I guess it is the address provided by borderlinx when i register with them?
And also, in borderlinx website, they are asking me to register with a citibank credit card number. For my case, i am not a citibank card holder. Does it matter?
Sorry for my lengthy questions. But i really need some help here.
Thank you man..
Anon, the shipping address is Borderlinx's address. However, Borderlinx requires a citibank card. So please use Comgateway instead of Borderlinx.
Got it! Thanks.
Any recommended covers for kindle touch? Should i get it from amazon too?
Anon, covers are recommended. Some official Kindle Touch covers are already out of stock. You can also get sleeves, or if if you want, Daiso has generic sleeves for $2.
Hi,
i have been researching to get a kindle touch. will like to ask, after checking "Manage your Kindle", the country stated in my account is US ( i do not have to login via VPN), does that mean i can just use local spore credit card to buy books online?
PS i managed to test it out on $0 books, and it works! the book is transferred to my Kindle for PC.
Please advise. Thanks!
Hi
I'm not so much of a book person but I'm a huge fan of magazines & apps.
If we can buy mags & apps than I'm sold :)
If anyone knows, kindly let us know.
joce, please follow the instructions I've given, especially the vpn part. You'll still need it for long term peace of mind, even if you have been successful with your free book. Try not to risk it.
Anon, I can buy Kindle magazines. The procedure is described in my Kindle 3 entry. Apps, probably not.
Hi Jeff
Thks for the reply.
I'm not sure but if you look at the new Kindle Newsstand say the Wired Mag. It doesn't allow us to buy it from the Amazon Website. I think you need to use the Fire and buy off from there.
Can we buy it?
Anon, Wired magazine is not available as a magazine, but as an app, it seems. So therefore you need to be in the US to buy I reckon. I'm not an Android use so I can't test this.
Hi, I saw your blog link in the HWZ thread on kindles and decided to come take a look.
Anyway, I'm trying to decide between a secondhand kindle keyboard (I'm still a poor student so can't afford a first hand one!)or the new kindle touch. I prefer the design and colour of the kindle keyboard, but I don't think I'll really use the keyboard, as I plan to use the kindle solely for reading.
My question is, would it be worth it to get a secondhand kindle keyboard, or are there features of the touch that make it a better buy than the kindle keyboard? Do you think it'll be more convenient reading on a touch device, or one with physical buttons?
Thanks for answering my question and sorry for the rambling! :)
Cecilia, depending on how much the seller wants to sell you the second hand KK, you may find that a brand new Kindle/Touch is actually cheaper.
There's nothing inherently wrong with the KK, but I think if you read the reviews of the Touch, it's not bad either.
Either way, I'd recommend a brand new set from Amazon direct, unless the person can sell the 2nd hand KK cheaper than a new set.
Hi Jeff,
Been following your kindle posts and found them useful in the early years of 1st gen Kindle. About to buy a new Kindle, largely for the Mrs who has hogged my Kindle and left me with an ipad (that isn't easy on my poor eyes when it comes to reading)...
Excellent advice as always, and here's to a new Kindle :)
Hi Jeff,
Thanks for your insightful and very helpful guide to purchasing a Kindle while being in SG.
I had been using a VPN to purchase e-books but suddenly got a notification from Amazon and now they're preventing me from making further purchases from the Amazon store.
My country in the Profile page is still US. Likewise w my address. I am not quite sure what went wrong and what I can do to rectify the situation.
Many thanks in advance for your kind advice!
Anon, what vpn are you using?
Hi Jeff,
Chanced upon your blog while googling for Kindles in Singapore! Thanks for all the useful info regarding the purchase of a Kindle and all the books on it :) I'm considering getting a kindle (so far have tentatively deciding on getting the Touch)!
Oh, and I didn't know Comgateway uses DHL to send their things over.. have been using Vpost for my previous shipping and let's just say their service isn't up to my standard....
Thanks for the fantastic read!
Hi Jeff,
I'm not a tech savvy person but i am thinking of getting one. I'be never bought anything online before so i'm a little apprehensive about this. Couple of questions i need to ask regarding the kindle.
1. I was looking through the AlwaysVPN FAQs and the price tags. So would 5GB of bandwith be enough for me to complete my purchase of the kindle?
2. In future if i need to buy books, how much bandwith would i need?
3. If Amazon detects that i'm not a US based customer and locks me out, what should i do then?
Thanks for taking the time Jeff.
Ling
Ling, 5gb will last you for years if you use it to buy just kindle books. You shouldn't have to be in the situation if you follow the steps I give. Email me and I can share my vpn.
Hi Jeff,
I was using hotspot shield. I had been using it for awhile to access certain sites at work so I'd assume it'd work fine for my Amazon purchases. Guess I was wrong. Any idea how I should resolve my situation? Am I supposed to write back to Amazon and explain so I can dl again?
Guess I should just start getting an AlwaysVPN account instead. It's more reliable right?
Thank you so much for your time!
hx
hx, you can use alwaysvpn, email me for more info...
just got my kindle... but it is unregistered... thing is its regiestered on my account but not on my machine... what should i do?
Anon, after setting up your wifi, press home>menu>settings>registration and key in your amazon email and password.
thks for the reply, but didn't you say we were not supposed to use whispernet by any way? Registering through the air needs the whispernet. Would they take away my books ? Thought they should add the registration on the machine ?
Anon, I didn't say don't use Whispernet in all circumstances. Just don't use Whispernet to buy ebooks directly on the device. Everything else is OK.
hi,
in the 1-click setup requires credit card info to be completed even if you have gift card balance of $25.Apps not available in your region.
any idea why the kindle wasn't registered though it is registered on the system? Found this strange.. also i find hotspt VPN a little unreliable. Any good ones out there? Just saw OpenVPN. Is that good?
juz4fun, apps not available in the region is well known. I'm not sure why there's a popup to ask for credit card. Is your region set to US? I've mentioned not to use hotspot vpn in the instructions, but something like alwaysvpn/openvpn. Please read through the steps again.
The registration of the kindle may not have been complete, it happens. Just go to home>menu>register on the device.
Hi Jeff,
Do you have any idea where can i get kindle touch accessories in Singapore besides the amazon website?
Hi Jeff,
Kindle recently have a prime account that allows kindle user to borrow books. Is there anyway we can use the prime account?
Thanks!
Hi Jeff,
thanks for your reply,registration is complete,as I am currently in the US and only have problem trying to dnload apps for the kindle fire.Looks like I may have to root my fire when I get back to sg and change my country code, Thanks
TC, I guess if you want amazon accessories, it can only be found at amazon. However, there are other covers for eg. that work well too and they're found in Daiso etc.
Sing, I'm not sure if the free book aspect of Prime is possible because from what I can tell, it seems that these books need to be 'bought' from the device and not from the website.
juz4fun, if you're located in the US, there shouldn't be any problems buying apps? If a non-US credit card is the problem, try buying gift cards? Change your country to US.
Hi Jeff,
First of all thanks for a wonderful guide on all aspects of Kindle. After having gone through most of the comments (on this page as well as your Kindle 3 page), I went ahead and ordered the Kindle Touch Wi-Fi a couple of days ago thru Comgateway. And this despite me not being very tech-savvy at all. Thanks to your clear instructions. :)
I also registered at AlwaysVPN for a 5GB account. And that is what I am having a problem with.
I am using a Mac OSX. I downloaded the Tunnelblick application from AlwaysVPN website. Now when I connect to AlwaysVPN using Tunnelblick, it opens up a Safari browser with a message saying Safari cannot open the page. Cant figure out what is wrong. But when I use their man page to log into my account, it says I have used around 400+ KB by now. Could you please assist me on this?
Thanks a lot for your help and a big thumbs uo for your guide. :)
Sowmya
Sowmya, ignore the 400kb thing as it's not important. (5gb is more or less 5000000kb)
Did you follow https://ssl.alwaysvpn.com/dl_osx.php?
Does the blank screen appear after you connect alwaysvpn>compatible?
Sometimes you can wait awhile and try again later.
Jeff,
Every time I connect to AlwaysVPN compatible, it automatically opens up a safari browser with the following address:
https://ssl.alwaysvpn.com/ip-check.php
which shows a 'VPN IP check' message.
I tried following https://ssl.alwaysvpn.com/dl_osx.php, but VPN only opens up multiple tabs/windows of the previous address. (as above). Let me try it a few times till I get my Kindle. :)
And why I mentioned about the 400KB was cos I was wondering whether that helped in showing that I was getting connected to the VPN or not :(
Thanks Jeff
Sowmya
Ok, update on the previous post:
Emailed AlwaysVPN and received a link for a Beta Version of the same software which works fine now. I am able to login to amazon and buy ebooks that are only available on their US store. :)
visit http://greatsgdeals.blogspot.com/
for more information and purchase of kindle in singapore!
Just want to say thank you for a great blog. I have received my Kindle and the information you provided is really top-notch!
Hi,
I am not tech savy and am wondering if there is anyone out there who can help to root the amazon kindle fire for a fee?
Hi Jeff,
Thanks for sharing you AlwaysVPN. Works for my Mac so i probably will buy my own account.
I want to check with you if the USA IP address that AlwaysVPN assign is constant? Or is it always changing?
You were right about HotSpot Shield VPN. I logged into Amazon with that and they freeze my account TWICE! cos their IP address is constantly changing and Amazon thought I was some phishing hacker! That was before I stumble across your blog.
Thanks again!
Gary, I don't know about the IP addresses, it probably changes each session. Don't use HSS. Use www.whatismyipaddress.com to check. As long as it shows a US IP, it's fine.
The phishing thing isn't really about HSS because it happens occasionally for alwaysvpn too. That's a good thing as amazon is tracking IP numbers to prevent fraud.
Hi Jeff
I am considering to get a Kindle Touch and I also do alot of reading on PDFs. Was wondering if you know if the Kindle Touch would be a suitable device for PDF reading (in terms of font size and charts and figures)? Hope you could advise! Thank you in advance!!
Anon, the Touch may not be so good for pdfs because due to a software limitation, it can't display pages in landscape. I'm sure this will be rectified in due time. However, you can see what it looks like in my Kindle 3 writeup; there are pics etc.
For truly satisfying pdfs, I think a device with an iPad size screen is the best.
Thank you for your reply and really good (easy to follow) instructions.
I was thinking it was a capped bandwidth each month. Just realised it is a one time payment and til it finishes. :) You are right, I could buy my own vpn bandwidth.... But your instructions definitely saved me a lot of time for trial and error.
Thank you so much and God bless! You certainly helped a lot of people here for buying ebooks! :) You are heaven-sent!
Hi Jeff,
Just purchased my touch from an online MO. Read thru your detailed steps. If it is possible, can i try out your VPN as i might not be a frequent buyer of books. I can share the cost with you too.
Another qns, Is there any difference between UK amazon and US sites? Is the process of buying the books in UK sites the same too? and must i use UK proxy for this?
Just curious thank you
Hi Jeff,
My friend recommended your blog when I purchased the Kindle Touch. Thank you so much for sharing your experience and answering the various queries.
Btw, I find reading PDFs on the Kindle Touch quite a chore. Therefore, I've converted them to mobi format using the Calibre. Works fine now. :)
God bless!
JadziaK
Hi Jeff,
Thanks for sharing your AlwaysVPN account.
I am planning to buy my own bandwith, and as I don't have any Paypal account, I tried to use my master card. But somehow they reject my card. I am using Standard Chartered bank, and usually I manage to buy airplane ticket etc with this card. Is there any certain bank that you have to use to buy bandwith from AlwaysVPN?
Thanks as always Jeff.
Anon, that's strange, I'm not sure why they don't accept that. They should, maybe you can email them... or email me to try it first..
Hi All,
I have been using this free VPN. Not bad, you guys can give it a try. No bandwidth limitations. Except there is a 8 hour limit to each logon. Enough for surfing.
Oh ya , the only grouse I have is that the password changes daily. So have to check the website for the password. The USA based IP address is constant.
I have accessed Amazon past one week using this VPN and have bought 180+ plus ebooks. Some free, some paid.
No need to install anything. And also can configure for iPhone and iPad. But I have not bought anything via mobile.
Just remember to check your IP address regularly using this http://whatismyipaddress.com/
http://www.superfreevpn.com/free-vpn/
Cheers!
Hi Jeff,
I'm planning to buy the Kindle Touch. Was just wondering what happens if the kindle malfunctions, since there is no physical store to go to for repair? Do I just go to any repair shop in Funan? Or is the kindle so hardy that malfunction is pretty much unheard of?
Just another question to throw out: Won't generic sleeves/covers found in say, Daiso not fit very well? Any other Kindle Touch users out there who has found the perfect sleeve or something?
Thank you very much! The post has been incredibly helpful.
-Not technically savvy at all
Ssndra,
You need to post it back to the US if something bad happens. Amazon will repay your postage usually. They will send a new/refurbished one to your US forwarder, and you'll pay the rest of the shipping. A bit of extra cost, but it should be OK.
Generic sleeves are OK, sometimes. The important thing to note is that the whole point of a cover is to protect the screen to prevent excessive pressure on a small area. My preference is for hard-case protection so that if you put in to a bag, nothing can squeeze/put pressure on the screen. I prefer official Amazon covers for that reason, even though they are quite expensive.
hi Jeff
instead of using VPN can i just use a US Proxy Server when buying e-books on Amazon? Many thanks.
Roy
Hi Jeff,
Please help. My kindle touch seemed to be faulty. When i charged and registered at the same time, the kindle "hanged". Right now there is this message that states Unable To Start Application remains in the screen. I could not reboot. Or is there a reboot system?
Thanks so much.
chien
Roy, I don't know about that; I'm just happy to be using what I'm using now.
chien, look at this.
http://www.amazon.com/forum/kindle%20customer%20service%20q%20and%20a?_encoding=UTF8&cdForum=Fx1GLDPZMNR1X53&cdThread=TxSZPE2PNP8BW9
Hey jeff, do you think it will be necessary to buy a protection plan? or did you manage to replace your previous kindle (from one of your old posts) w/o it?
Geraldine, I haven't bought these sorts of plan as I believe the device will last for a while. I didn't replace the K2 because the K3 and current models are way better. New models will also appear after 1+ years...
I'm interested in getting a Kindle Touch and have some questions.
Is VPN a monthly subscription? Or one tine payment and last till 5GB is used up.
What about the maintenance of the Kindle, if it has defects or spoils, how to send it for repair?
Thanks for the informative blog, I learned so much.
-David
David, the one I'm using, Alwaysvpn, is not a monthly service. The lowest package can last for years, you can email me if you want to use mine.
If it spoils, you'll need to ship it back, they will usually pay for your shipment back. Then they will ship a new/refurbished one to your US address, and you pay the remaining postage back to sg.
Hi Jeff, I'm considering getting either a KT or a Kindle 4. Can you tell me the following about the KT: is the interface fast; any lag between actions e.g. flipping pages? Is the X-Ray feature useful? How much does Borderlinx shipping cost?
Thanks,
WH
The interface is a bit slower for flipping pages, but this is completely irrelevant to the user experience. Once you get the hang of it, the whole thing is much faster especially for word lookups, bookmarking, entering text etc.
The Xray is unbelievably useful as I mentioned in the blog, provided the book comes with it. I think only newer books have it, for now.
BL cost around US$30. Use the discount code I give above.
Hi Jeff,
Does the Kindle Fire works in Singapore? i.e.Amazon Prime Movie?
Best Regards,
Jack
Hi Jeff,
Great site you have here. Very useful for Singaporeans wanting to get a Kindle. I've been thinking of getting a Touch, though I have a question. On the right side of the purchase tab, the tickbox for the leather cover with light offers only the colour black. How do I change this, or do I have to add the item manually to my cart and select a different colour instead?
Hi Jeff, this is really a good post. I had a question. from the Amazon US site, there are this promo US99 with Ads with promo screensaver thingy and its only for US only. 2 questions:-
1. Can i still use the kinder in singapore?
2. will the ads still pop up in singapore?
thanks
Richard
Hi Jeff, I am actually from Malaysia but I would guess that buying Kindle ebooks from Malaysia will be pretty similar process as Singapore. I've been using hotspot shield all these while to buy ebooks from amazon, but have unfortunately forgotten twice to use it, hence received a notification email from Amazon. Thereafter, my account was suspended. Based on your blog, I've installed in alwaysvpn. Should I register for another Amazon account now that the previous one is suspended? And if so, what are the things I now have to watch out for 2nd time around so that I can still purchase things from the USA site? Appreciate your advice.
Jack, it seems that the movies do work, but you need to pay for your own vpn. Books and mp3 work, app seem to work but there're some steps to do and they're found somewhere on the Net.
I'd suggest skipping the Fire for now, and getting an eink device if you're interested in reading.
Rashid, that's because the other colours are not available for now, need to wait a few days for stock to come in. If you click on 'accessories, you can look at all your options.
Richard, yes, I'm using that model in Singapore. Yes, there are ads; they are non-intrusive, useful, beautiful even, and I recommend this model instead of the more expensive non-ad one.
Anon from Malaysia, there's no need to register another account. When you switch your vpn on, check www.whatismyipaddress.com and see if the vpn works.
Hi Jeff, just placed my order for the Kindle Touch! Super super excited! :)
I'd like to offer my thanks for your help by writing this blog, and hope you won't mind if I have questions in the future!
hi Jeff!
Stumbled upon your blog because I was looking for ways to download ebooks for my new Kindle.
I made a mistake of downloading about 5 or 6 books (only one is paid) using WIFI and with my country setting as USA. Then after that, they asked if i am buying books from a different country and asked to change my setting. Once I changed to Singapore, I wasnt allowed to download anymore.
You mentioned using the VPN. May I know how do i go about using? And whether you can share yours? Many thanks!
Hi, I just bought my kindle touch and I was wondering if there is anything wrong with it. Everytime the page turns when I am reading, the screen flashes black and white. Is this normal? I thought that the screen normally only flashes black and white as a form of refreshing every 5-6 pages. I have already changed my settings such that it does not flash so often. Is there anyway to circumvent this? Or is my kindle spoilt?
Suzanne, email me at jeffreyyen@gmail.com
Anon, there's absolutely nothing wrong with what you're experiencing, it's how eink works. You may also want to blink when you tap the screen for the next page.
Hi Jeff. I posted previously as Anon from Malaysia. Managed to use alwaysvpn and can buy ebooks again using my Amazon account which was previously frozen. Thanks again for your advice. It definitely helps - much appreciated.
Hi Jeff
Good day to you
Manage to use alwaysvpn to buy ebooks but somehow I am unable to buy apps and games for my Kindle Fire. Keep stating the geographical location ( strangely, I can buy ebooks without a problem )
any advice?
Thank You
monica
Monica, it is normal that apps don't work because they are not supposed to work due to the location and other issues. There are those who have sort of circumvented the obstacles but I'm not an Android user so cannot comment on this...
Monica > u need a US based credit card, try searching for prepaid versions online...
Jeff > just wanted to ask, I can buy books (free and paid) without VPN from my iPad 2 with my US amazon account and just send it wirelessly to my kindle fire and touch... However have not tried buying directly from my kindles... Just wondering if you have tried? Or if the account gets suspended any way to unsuspend it? If not will just play safe and stick to buying from my iPad then send to the kindles.
Anon, I'm not going to try buying books directly from the Kindle which is the point of this blog entry; I'm still getting emails regularly from people who get 'that email' from amazon. If that happens, use the vpn to continue buying books. I don't know about buying from ipad as I haven't tried it before.
Jeff thanks very much for the info.
I am confused though - can I download books directly to the kindle device here in Singapore?
You seem quite adamant not to use this feature and I can't pick up why. Thanks
Renata, you can download books directly to the Kindle either through USB or wifi. However, you should/must buy the books on your PC/laptop with a vpn first.
(i.e., you click 'buy' first on your PC, then either download the file to be transfered to the Kindle using USB or direct the file to be transfered to the Kindle wirelessly using wifi).
Jeff,
Thank you for your blog. It was very useful. However, it seems like Amazon has become a little smarter since.
With VPN I was able to download a lot of book (free ones) directly to my kindle. However, after about 7 downloads i get a message from the Amazon website that I attempted to purchase an item while in a different country.
It seems like after some time their servers will eventually detect that your kindle device's WiFi connection is via a non-US server and will prevent you from downloading more books. They would advise you to contact customer service.
I can think of two ways to workaround this issue. First is to as a friend, family or acquaintance living in the U.S. to call customer service for you and just say you are travelling. Second is to turn your PC running VPN into a WiFi hotspot and make your kindle connection from there. I still need to try out option 2 though.
If you have other ideas please let me know.
Rene, that's an interesting data point that, if proven accurate, will necessitate a change in the workflow. The easy solution would be to just download using USB.
However, there is just one more possibility that I can think of, as it has happened to me before. Sometimes, the vpn connection drops, and if this happens in the midst of your 7 purchases, then bad things may happen. So what I do is that before every 'buy' click, I'd check www.whatisyouripaddress.com and confirm that the vpn is still working.
I've tried option 2 before but it doesn't seem to be working well with my setup. Let's see how it goes...
Hey Jeff
Thanks for sharing. I just got a Kindle touch and would like to download some books, could I share with you the VPN to see how it's like before getting my own? How do I contact you? If through email, what's your email address? Thanks.
-Anna
Anna, email jeffreyyen@gmail.com
Hi Jeff
Thanks for this blog, much appreciated.
I just placed an order for the Kindle Touch, special promo, as you recommended but it was rejected with message that it cannot be shipped to location (Singapore). Would you know what the issue might be?
Many thanks again.
cc, the issue is that Kindle is not officially supported in Singapore. As I've mentioned in the instructions, you need to ship it to a US address; Borderlinx (if you have a Citibank credit card) or comgateway.
What is the difference between a Kindle Touch with Special Offers and without? I note the difference in terms of pricing. Does it mean that the Special Offers one will have the ad screensavers permanently?
miss guided, the Touch with special offers means there are ads at the bottom of the main index page (not in books), and these ads sometimes provide special offers which we can take advantage of.
Yes, the ads screensavers are permanent unless you pay money to 'take them away' I think. I strongly recommend the Special Offers version because they are cheaper and the ads are nice, and we can used some of them.
oops, thanks!
Hi jeff. I got mine (kindle touch) via vpost. Love it!!!
Hi Jeff. Can we subscribe to magazines on kindle? I've tried to do that via my PC - but recently received a notice from Amazon saying that my card has been declined. Upon checking with the bank, realised that the card is still healthy and active, with good availability. Was just wondering whether there would be an issue if we subsribe instead of buying one off? Thanks!
Charis, yes you can subscribe to magazines but you need a non-local credit card. I use entropay.com . uslocked.com is another option.
Thanks for the reply, Jeff. I've checked out entropay.com. If that's the case, is it safe for me to retain entropay.com card for 1-click payment option even for e-books purchase? Thanks again.
Charis, yes I believe it's ok to use 1-click. Your info will need to be retained as it's needed for the recurrent monthly (or whatever) payment. Use the vpn before you click.
Hi Jeff, it's been 3 days since amazon has informed me via tracking that my package has arrived at my us shipping address, but I still have not yet received any emails from comgateway.com. Their website says I'll get an email after 1-2 days after shipping arrives. Is this normal, and how was it like in your case? Thanks.
Rashid, log into cgw and see whether they have recorded it. Usually it takes only a few hours for them to update the system. Due to the holiday rush, they may have missed something.
If there's nothing there, contact cgw...
Hi Jeff,
Do I have to switch on a VPN to buy the gift card? Is there any difference to the gift card issued (I will be using a local CC with a US address). I understand it is a must for ebooks. Btw are there any other recommend VPN other than AlwaysVPN? Thanks.
Mic, there is no need to use a vpn to buy gift cards. If you're thinking of using a local credit card to buy gift cards, use a real, local billing address as money will be deducted so this needs to be correct.
I like alwaysvpn very much. I only know that hotspot shield won't work always.
Just got a kindle touch, and got vpn, and reset my amazon account with all usa info including USA CC, however, it is recognizing me as asia pacific (tried to download a magazine). Not sure why as I did all of this through AlwaysVPN. That said, had to register via WI FI and I assume this is why as I didn't turn off after registering? Advice on what to do now so my account is USA based? Would it help to transfer kindle account to Amazon account? Or do I need to set up a new amazon account? Many thanks for the pointers!
Caroline, firstly, is your Kindle associated/registered to your Amazon account? (There's no need to create a new account.)
If you don't see your name at the top left corner at 'Home', it's not registered properly yet.
Once it's registered, switch on the vpn, and go to www.amazon.com/manageyourkindle . At the Country Settings on the left, change your country to US.
Jeff, I can not thank you enough for all of this information. Your guide is invaluable for any Kindle owner in Singapore.
I have a question: I understand that newspapers are automatically delivered to the Kindle -- if so, must I always keep the VPN active? Or is the VPN required only when I buy the subscription?
Thanks!
Hi Jeff,
I am very grateful to have come across your blog. I am planning to buy a Kindle Fire from the US because the distributors I've read about here in Singapore charges 388 SGD for a Kindle Fire.
Is it possible to use VPN for the Kindle Fire as well? Hope you can give me a few tips so that I'm well equipped before asking my sister who is based in the US to buy me one. Thank you and Happy Holidays!
- Karla
Sid, the vpn is only used just before you click 'buy'. Recurring mag delieveries don't need a vpn. Mags are exceptions to the practice of using gift cards. You need a US credit card or uslocked.com/Entropay.
Karia, the vpn can be used for books, yes.
However, if you're getting the Fire to be used as a tablet, why not get the usual Android tablet in Singapore? The Fire's app situation is very difficult for most people to overcome I reckon.
Hi Jeff,
Thanks very much for your guide! Immensely useful. I am currently in the US right now and I am interested in getting a Kindle Touch. Is there anything else that I need to buy (other than amazon gift cards) which would be useful towards using it in Singapore? Can I bypass the VPN thing if I buy and load books in the US now before returning home? Thank you!
Hi Jeff,
Just wondering.. have you bought books from the UK Amazon store before? Would the procedure be similar to the US Amazon store? Thanks.
Cheryl, there's nothing to buy in the US at all except your Kindle and a cover. You can already buy books while in the US without a vpn. Gift cards can be bought anytime without a vpn.
Diane, buying from the UK store is probably more of a hassle than what I'm prepared to deal with so I've no tried it, need to change country settings to UK, probably need a UK vpn etc...
Hi Jeff,
Again, big thanks to you for sharing your VPN account. It has been helpful to test drive my kindle! :D
Any chance we could get kindle cover locally in Singapore?
Hi Jeff,
Thanks very much for the advise, will get a KF sson.
I actually thought about getting an iPad2 instead; but I've read a few articles that they might come out with a new model in the 1st Quarter of 2012 so for the meantime I will settle for a KF since I'm more into reading books.
Can the VPN also be used to download movies?
Lily, if you want to get the official Amazon cover, then you need to get it from Amazon. It's expensive, but it's good.
Karla, since you mention iPad3, Amazon is rumoured to be coming out with a better version of the Fire quite soon too.
If you want to read books, the Kindle/Touch is still the best unless there are specific requirements that won't be met too well, like pdfs
The VPN can be used for videos so you need to get your own account.
Thanks a lot for the reply earlier Jeff, so far made a first purchase seems to be going fine.
Hey Jeff,
I was just caomparing the new Kindle with Kindle touch and saw that a lot of users of the Touch have complained that the screen is very sensitive to finger touches and often they end up accidentally flipping the page. So it becomes important to only hold the device from the edges, and if you are picking it up from somewhere then the pages might get mixed up.
Is this a significant disadvantage?
Rajeev
Rajeev, it's takes one day to get used to it. I've no trouble holding it at the edge. The advantages of the touchscreen more than makes up for this 'disadvantage'.
Would a similar system work for buying books from the Kindle UK store?
I actually have a UK debit card, so if I register a kindle to the UK amazon website, I won't have problems downloading books?
Thanks for the write up!
Anon, I'm just guessing you may need a UK vpn.
Hi Jeff,
I just ordered my Kindle Touch and it is on its way. I have been reading your blog, however there were too many questions and I have a hard time keeping up. Hence I decided to write to you, please excuse me if someone has asked the same question and you are repeating the answer.
Q: What is vpn? How do I get it? Is it a must to install it? And where do I install it to?? K Touch?
Thank you for your time and patience.
Margie, you can email me for a vpn, email address on the right side. It is meant to show that you're situated in the US instead of elsewhere. It's installed on the PC.
Hi Jeff,
I'm a teenage bookworm and books are literally my life, and recently I won a Kindle Fire in a random giveaway hosted by a US company and they shipped it here via FedEx to my home address in Singapore where I live - yes the thing is genuine and not a scam.
My problem is that my parents aren't keen on spending extravagantly on my Kindle Fire (e.g. the cover, and other relatively expensive ebooks)- I understand and don't mind that - however I can't even download free apps like Angry Birds 'cos they say I don't have a US address whatsoever. Ebooks are my first priority, though.
I read what you wrote about AlwaysVPN and how you're willing to share your account with local Kindle users and also stuff like buying ebooks using the computer, not the Kindle, and changing your address to a US one as well as buying yourself a giftcard on Amazon (I cracked up on that one haha) etc, so I gather that the first step to properly get ebooks (be they free or not) into my Kindle Fire is to use the VPN thingy, so that my account doesn't get suspended, correct?
If so, when you share your account with us, do we have to pay? I know I probably sound blunt here but I need a direct answer - I'm not really tech-savvy and am only a teenager; I don't want to incur high charges or anything that might get me a grounding! If I have to pay for the VPN, then I'll probably have to stick to using my Kindle Fire for surfing the web ):
Thanks for reading, and I really, really hope you can help!
Sherlyn,
That's an interesting story and I'm interested to know what the giveaway company was.
Just email me at the address on the right. You don't need to pay for the vpn. Your expenses will be mostly the books that you buy. But no worries, Amazon releases so many new free books all the time so there're plenty of choices.
Thanks so much Jeff! You've no idea how happy this has made me :D
The company name's called Afilias or something like that. They were hosting the .info Awards this year for all the websites having that .info in their web address/URL, and I was voting for the Vienna website - www.wien.info 'cos I'd been to Vienna on a school trip once and I love that place, so of course I'd support the city's official site!
When I was voting, I had not read the 'terms and conditions' or whatever-you-call-it. The company stated that in addition to this award thingy they were hosting, 5 voters would be picked at random to win a Kindle Fire each. I had no idea this was in place and voted wholeheartedly for the sole purpose of helping the website win.
Then I got an email saying I won a Kindle Fire and nearly deleted it 'cos I thought it was spam! Anyway I sent my address as requested and they shipped it here, which made an amazing Christmas present! (:
Thank you so much again for the help you've given! Will be emailing you soon!
Oh and by the way my parents are quite happy to hear of this! Thanks for being so kind as to share your knowledge with all of us! (:
Hi, do you know we can buy Kindle directly from a website in Singapore? I just got my Kindle Touch today. The delivery was smooth and I wasn't worried that it might get lost in the courier like I did when I bought my Kindle 3. I'll recommend it to others. The only downside is that you've to pay the 7% gst. It's a government affiliated copmpany so it's extremely reliable. For those who're interested it's http://www.prubuy.com.sg/
Lawliette, that's quite a good price if you don't need to wait to get it delivered. If it's shppied from Amazon and there's a need to wait, then it's quite similar to getting it directly from Amazon.
For purchases less than $400, there isn't GST if you order it direct from Amazon.
Currently, it's the norm to feel very secured of delivery when DHL/fedex is involved like with BL and CGW.
I waited a week for my Kindle Touch, which is the same as when I used Borderlinx. However I didn't spend any moment worrying about my Kindle which is a huge plus for me, not to mention the need to deal with only that one website and not worry about paying again on a 3rd party courier to ensure that it's shipped, besides I liked it that it's a fixed price. I wouldn't always buy from them though cause' it's still cheaper arranging for your own courier albeit it being a more troublesome route.
Thanks for the info Lawliette,
Actually prubuy is quite interesting and I think they are a useful resource for me. Their store is actually an amazon storefront. They are not a 'government affiliated company' and they haven't claimed to be one; they simply have setup their accounts with gebiz etc. which I believe any company can do too.
Could I ask whether the Kindle was already pre-registered to any account when you received it? And also, do you feel that package was last delivered by them? Or Amazon direct? Or DHL? etc.
My Kindle wasn't registered when I received it and they used a courier call Ta-Q-Bin. I noticed that my package was opened and resealed again probably for custom clearance, the box that contain the Kindle was intact. The 7% gst is added upon checkout, so the pricing on the website is not final.
Hey Jeff,
Stumbled upon your blog and I find it quite useful. I have recently bought a Kindle Fire and was quite frustrated to find I couldn't download anything because I did not have a US address and such, and thanks for sharing your solution to us Kindle users.
May I ask: why can't we buy anything directly from the Kindle? Is it because the VPN you talk about cannot be installed on the Kindle?
Could I also please try out your VPN? I'd like to know how the whole thing works before deciding whether to get my own!
Thanks,
Michael
Michael, yes, something like that. Not everyone is unsuccessful when they buy directly on the Kindle though. But I still get several emails a week from folks who haven't been so successful, so I can't in good conscience recommend it. You can email me for the vpn, address is at the right side of the blog.
Did you have to go through an account verification on Amazon?
I've created two accounts through the AlwaysVPN using Firefox. Both times when I bought a gift card through the VPN and the account I have my kindle registered to, my account was closed for verification.
Did you go through this?
Anon, I'm not sure what verification you're talking about. If it's credit card verification, lots of peole have gotten it. Just reply with what they need with the correct information.
This is part of the mail I got:
"Unfortunately, we are currently unable to process your order because the billing details provided with your payment method do not completely match the information on file with the card issuer. To avoid cancellation of your order, please reply to this email message with the following information:
* Name as it appears on your credit or debit card
* Your billing address (as it appears on your monthly bank statement)
* Phone number on file with the card issuer"
I am assuming I should reply with real phone numbers and the real associated address with my credit card.
Thanks for taking your time.
Anon, this has happened because to use a credit card successfully anywhere, you need to put in the correct local billing address.
Yes, so you need to reply with whatever info they ask for.
Problem is that I am getting this even after entering my correct billing address on a new Amazon account.
Firstly, don't use a vpn when you're buying things using your credit card. Also, the fraud detection is quite strict. Sometimes the address you know is a bit different (like one character) from the bank's record etc. You need to use what the bank uses when they send you bills.
Hmmm. I though your instructions asked us to buy the gift card while using the VPN.
If not, I'll try to create a new account and buy it without the VPN.
Anon, I'll edit the instructions later. Gift cards are general Amazon products and there's no need to use a vpn.
Hi Jeff
My son bought me a Kindle touch for Christmas. However, it's registered in his name. I assume I have to deregister the Kindle before I can register in my name?
Thanks very much
Regards
Wendy
AHHH.
So the VPN is needed ONLY for the act of purchasing a book and managing the kindle. Otherwise, the gift card can be done without a VPN.
Wendy, you have a good son. Yes, just deregister and register again using your amazon username and password.
Thanks, Jeff, it was a lovely surprise! Now what to do with my 6 month old Kindle Keyboard - ha ha!
When buying books now it gets downloaded to only one kindle. Is there any way of connecting the 2 Kindles wirelessly or do I have to download onto the second Kindle via the computer using the usb cable?
Wendy, the old Kindle Keyboard is a fine device so don't throw it away!
What you need to do is to register the new Kindle to your existing Amazon account. This way, you'll have access to all your previous books (if you wish to. Usually each book can be downloaded into 6 devices associated with the same account. They can be found at 'Archives'.)
Thanks very much Jeff - I really appreciate all your advice. I won't throw away the KK but the Touch is MUCH nicer :)
hi Jeff! i've tried the vpn account, works great! the kindle is working awesomely too! super excited. thanks for your help all this while! :D
Jeff, thanks very much for your posts. They are very helpful and an excellent resource. Am getting a Kindle Touch now for my fiance. Happy New Year!
Hello.. thanks for your blog. very informative for someone like me who wants to get one.
one question though... u mentioned never to buy books on the kindle using Wifi. why is this?
i'm planning to buy gift cards to purchase books, so i assume i can use wifi, since i'm using gift cards as a payment method.
Hi Jeff. How are you? I've ordered my Touch - decision made after I read your review once again.
Anon, what I wrote was that to be safe, don't buy books directly on the Kindle itself as there could be 'undesirable consequences' when amazon can see where you're from. Yes, you can use a computer with wifi to buy giftcards.
Hey Vera, I'm ok. Read the pdf manual to get a better sense of how the Touch works. It's a bit different from the K3!
Jeffrey, If we buy a kindle in Australia with an Australian credit card and register the account there can we continue to use it seamlessly back here in SG? As far as ordering and downloading books from Amazon I mean.
Hi Jeff, thanks for all the help. I've ordered my Kindle Fire and waiting for the shipment -- can't wait! I was reading the comments to learn more about how to go about the amazon website and it dawned on me to ask you, have you tried the Fire and just prefer the Touch better? Or are you very, very happy with the Touch that you are ok not to get the Fire?
deskjet, I guess if you follow the instructions here, you can get the US store. Just need to use the vpn, and change your country settings amazon.com/manageyourkindle to US.
Karla, I have not tried the Fire, I'm assuming it's like an Android tablet. The eink Kindle and Fire are 2 completely different products. I'm not ok with the Fire because it doesn't allow me to read magazines easily, and it's not really good for reading books either. I'd get an ipad-size tablet for reading PDFs and mags.
Hi Jeff,
I just "bought" several free books from Amazon & placed them on the Amazon Cloud Reader. Is it necessary for me to switch on my VPN when accessing these books on the Cloud Reader?
Ash, it shouldn't be necessary to use the vpn to access the bought books using the cloud reader.
Hi Jeff
I purchased my first book from Amazon in the US using my Singapore credit card and got an email from Amazon saying that I can only purchase from Singapore unless I provide them proof of my residency in the US. They have threatened if I do it again to lock my account to country Singapore.
Then I came across your blog (wish I had seen it first of course). I am keen to try out the VPN option to see if they catch me the second time around. Have you heard from anyone who has been warned and then has successfully continued to purchase after using a US VPN?
Michael, you need to email me (address on the right) for more info on the vpn. Everyone is able to continue after using the vpn.
Hi jeff, is there any guide or is it even possible to buy from the amazon uk store? some of the books there are cheaper than their us counterpart.
Anon, I haven't tried using the UK store before. I guess you need a uk vpn. The price difference isn't enough for me to explore that route...
any guides for buying a nook? was considering the kindle but they don't support epub format which is a huge disadvantage for me
Anon, you can check the Book Nook section at HWZ's forum. The Kindle does accept unprotected/unDRMed epub books. You just need to convert them using Calibre.
Hi Jeff,
Thanks for all your useful comments. I am able to get a Kindle Touch now. I've tried to buy some books using alwaysVPN and it works initially. But after few weeks, I cannot connect to always VPN any more. It always said "Connecting to AlwaysVPN has failed" every time I tried, although I still have the BW remaining. Wonder if you know what's wrong with AlwaysVNP?
Thanks a lot!
Anon, I sometimes get that to due to ISP heavy traffic I guess. Just try again another time when things are faster.
Hey Jeff,
Can I purchase the kindle with a Singapore Credit Card ?
I read in another guide, that you have to purchase a gift card first and then use the credit to buy the kindle.
Thanks
Andrew, you shouldn't need to use gift cards to buy the Kindle.
Hey Jeff,
Thanks for sharing your VPN with me. Have been able to get many ebooks!
I wanted to buy a Kindle Fire cover for my Kindle but am unable to do so. I have two shipping addresses listed in my Amazon account - one is my real address, the other, a random US one.
I have the "1 - Click settings" turned on for shipment to my real address. I have also changed my default country settings back to Singapore for the time being while at the "Check Out", but they keep telling me this: 'We're sorry. This item can't be shipped to your selected destination. You may either change the shipping address or delete the item from your order.'
What's wrong? Is there something I did not do or is Amazon just unable to ship things like Kindle covers internationally?? Or do I have to delete the US address first?
Thanks,
Michael
Michael, the solution is simple: just sign up a Comgateway.com account to get a real US address that Amazon can ship things to.
Hi Jeff, I stumbled across your blog while researching on a Kindle Touch and found the information useful in deciding to finally purchase the Kindle Touch. While the Kindle Touch is on its way to me, I have been trying to purchase bandwidth from Alwaysvpn but have been unable to so. Not sure if you have encountered the same difficulties in accessing the site?
Thanks for the info! Was afraid to register my Kindle from Singapore using wifi, as I was concerned they would "track" me - but read your website and realised it's ok. My Kindle Touch is fully enabled now!
oinkiess, I've never had problems accessing the website. Maybe you can try again later and see if it works. Google 'alwaysvpn' and go from there.
Is it possible to put books onto the kindle app? for example on the ipad or mobile
a workaround for reading in landscape mode has just been developed. check out http://blog.the-ebook-reader.com/2012/01/13/how-to-get-landscape-mode-on-kindle-touch-video/ for the fix and http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PR4H1F4Ghsw to see how it works.
Thanks!
Worked like a charm. Happily reading now.
Books look so much better on the Kindle than on the iPad.
Cheers!
Read that Kindle touch has a new firmware update 5.0.3.
Eh, do we need to use VPN to download the update before we transfer to our kindle manually ?
And is it safe to use wifi to update after that??
Thanks and happy lunar new year, Jeff !
Gar, you don't need to use a vpn to update. Just follow the instructions on the page. I just upgraded. The speed improvements are very noticeable.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/help/customer/display.html/?nodeId=200790650#download
Hi, I am currently contemplating between purchasing either Kindle Touch (it was only this way after I read your post ><) or Kindle 4. Which one would you recommend? I just need it for reading, which is why I was wondering which one would have a better feel to doing just that? Any advice would be great! =]
I am able to purchase ebooks to download into kindle app in iPad using local credit card, without the need to buy gift cards first. Why is that possible? Or i am lucky that it falls through the amazon cracks? Would apple or amazon find out and cancel my account?
Sato, my recommendation is a Touch but it's really a personal preference. I like the userability of the Touch a lot.
Anon, it's possible because not everyone gets found out all the time, but the possibility is certainly there. I still regularly receive emails from people who've experienced it. It could also be due to the different way that an ipad app handles purchases.
Dear Jeff,
I have enjoyed reading on my kindle Touch for several weeks now. But all of a sudden, I got a "unable to start application" message when I turned it on.. Do you know what is going on?? Please help. :(
Margie, take a look at this.
http://www.amazon.com/forum/kindle%20customer%20service%20q%20and%20a?_encoding=UTF8&cdForum=Fx1GLDPZMNR1X53&cdThread=Tx3EVSJD1XIFFD7
"To reset your Kindle, press and hold the power button on the bottom of the Kindle for a full 20 seconds.
Release power switch and wait for reboot screen to appear. The screen should go blank within a few moments, flicker or flash a few times, and then you'll see the main loading screen."
Dear Jeff,
Whew.. Thank you.. it's working again. :)
Dear Jeff, I'm really interested in buying Kindle 4 but just to check with you can we transfer our pdf files from our laptop to Kindle?? I have a lot of books I bought through my laptop but its really bulky to read through my lappy.. Really appreciate your help.. Thanks. =)
Ningko, sure you can transfer your pdfs (normal pfds, not the paid/protected ebooks pdfs) onto the Kindle. It's like a USB drive.
Reading pds which are text are fine on the Kindle, but for pdfs with complex layouts, the screen can be too small for this purpose.
Hi, ok thanks for the info!! I'm definitely getting one!! Really appreciate it!! =)
Hi Jeff, I have an Always VPN account and I tried to log in but although the VPN Gui says that I'm logged in but when I tried to check my IP address, it shows up as Singapore. I've already emailed them but I guess I'm impatient for a reply. I didnt realise that I was not logged on to the AlwaysVPN initially that I d/l lots of stuff from Amazon and finally got a message to contact them cos' my country don't match. I hope you can help me. Many thanks in advance!
Anon, just keep trying until www.whatismyipaddress.com shows a US IP address. While I've seen this occasionally myself, usually the vpn works quite well and is able to 'connect'.
Just continue to use the vpn to buy ebooks; ignore their email.
Hi Jeff,
I'm thinking of getting a Kindle. But wonder if i can only purchase books from Amazon via the PC-USB-Kindle way; since buying kindle books using wifi allows amazon to track the fact that i'm not located in the US.
Have you tried using wifi to buy books? What about the free books? can you download them safely without divulging your location?
Hi Jeff,
Happy CNY.
Quick one: When you buy a gift card and send it to yourself, can you send it to the same email as the one linked to your amazon acct or must it be to a different email?
Thanks,
Ben
Hi. What happens if you accidentally go online on your Kindle and try to purchase an e-book from Amazon and if you forget to delete your non-US Credit Card from their system?
Hi Jeff, I really appreciate your blog. I've a Kindle Touch, not registered yet. I'm able to read several free Mobi ebooks without any problem. Since this is the case, what is the advantage with registering my Kindle with Amazon? Also, into which folder should I put my PDF files into?
Hey, I've tried registering but it always put up failure to connect try again later. PC register it asks me to contact support number.
Without registering I have trouble managing all my books in it!
How can I register if both Kindle and PC keep prompting these?
este, yes, the whole point of this blog entry is to describe the process of buying books using pc-USB-kindle or pc-wifi-kindle. The checking happens at the point of purchase so it's OK how the book gets transfered to the device as long as you follow the steps and buy it (free books included) on your pc/laptop with a vpn. Please read through the steps carefully again.
Ben, yes you can send the gift card to yourself. I have only one amazon account to do everything.
Loraine, you may get 'the email' from amazon, or you may not. The whole point of this blog entry is to reduce the possibility of the former to 0.
Anon: it's true that you don't need to register your device if all your books are not from amazon. But if you want to buy amazon books, you need to register it. Put your pdfs etc into the documents folder.
Anon, that sounds strange. Is your wifi working? It cannot be using 'enterprise' protocol. If you have home wifi, it shouldn't be a problem registering. Where did you get the Kindle?
Thanks for your reply, Jeff. That clarifies.
Ben
Hi Jeff,
When I was contemplating getting a Kindle and wondering how to make it work here (in KL), a friend sent me a link to your blog. After reading all your instructions and following them to the letter, I am now the proud owner of a Kindle Touch which I've already started filling up with books, both free and purchased. I'd just like to say a big thanks for your very concise and helpful instructions. I've had no problems at all and am really enjoying my new Kindle. Thanks again and I'll be checking in from time to time to follow your Kindle news!
Hi Jeff, just wanna say THANKS for your advise. My alwaysVPN worked today and I managed to d/l some books just now. Thanks once again for your advice here! :)
Hi Jeff, thank you for your helpful write-up to all us aspiring Kindle-users! I would like to understand the VPN aspect more, and hope you can help me with it.
1) For the AlwaysVPN's bandwidth plans avail, how long would 5GB worth of bandwidth last? Say, if I download about 3ebooks a day.
2) If I were to share VPN access with another person, is there any security disadvantages for me, or the person I am sharing with?
Many thanks!
Anon, 1) it will last you for many years. 2) No disadvantages for you except for the possibility of him changing the password so you cannot access the account anymore.
Hi Jeff,
Just got my Kindle Touch last week.. I was using a Sony E-Reader previously..
Do you know if there is any way to use Calibre to add collections to the Kindle?
I have over 100 eBooks, it will be a nighmare to add them to collections by the Kindle Touch menu one by one..
Sighz.. Sony E-Reader does not have this problem (I can add tags in Calibre which will auto sync into collections when exporting to Reader) and the Sony E-Reader does have a more user friendly interface for management of books...
But the kindle has a faster response time, less glare and the e-ink looks better...
It would be create if I can manage the Kindle collections via PC before exporting them... any suggestions?
Thanks!!
Joanna, I'm not familiar with using collections with Calibre but I guess it should work? Maybe you can visit Calibre's forums...
Hi Jeff,
I have a Kindle FIre and read your blog today. Will I also be able to download movies using the VPN?
Hi Jeff, your instructions were indeed extremely useful. I had bad experiences with some of the deliveries from US to SG, so in the end i had a friend to buy it in the states, they do sell it in the stores like walmart etc. for those who don't know. :)
However, another friend bought a kindle (the kindle 4, at US79) for me for x'mas so now i have 2. :X
If anyone wants to get one without the hassle of all the credit card and waiting for vpost or the courier to send it to you, please let me know at xingxingstars@gmail.com. I'll sell it at S$150. It is not opened at all and still in its original packaging! COD and can meet in town for collection during weekdays or weekend.
Cheers
Hi Jeff/All,
I have successfully rooted my fire. However, i'm not able to play music now on my device(not cloud). Already registered but still receiving prompt to register and keeps receiving error "Failed due to netwrok error. Retry when you are connected to the internet" Exception #70.
Before i can access it without problem.Does it has to do something with root?
Thanks!
Frances
CJ, you can use a vpn to buy movies, but the bandwidth needed can be quite substantial I reckon.
Frances, I have no idea about the Fire since I don't have one. Maybe others have a better idea. Rooting is quite a major 'procedure'. Is there any way to unroot it?
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