Buying Kindle in Canada-from Store or from Amazon

[Ellie]

Hi. I have a question. I had decided to buy a Kindle 3G directly from Amazon due to the $40 difference in their price and the Staples store in Ontario, Canada. Now Staples has them on sale for $209. My question, I know the International model from Amazon has a browser that can connect to the web via 3G anywhere there is a signal. The salesman at Staples said I can only connect to the Amazon store with it. I know the one I buy from Amazon would have the webkit browser. Is there a chance that the ones sold in Canada are crippled and don't have the browser? Or does the salesman not know what he's talking about? I'd hate to buy it and then have them not want me to return it if the browser only connects to the Amazon store. I've spoken to others in this forum from Canada and they can use the browser to connect to websites but I didn't ask them if they bought in Canada or directly from Amazon.
Any help you can give me would be appreciated. I'd like to go buy this tomorrow afternoon if I can figure this out.
Thanks,
Ellie

[Atilla]

Currently you can get full internet access in Canada although this future is experimental and not guaranteed to be there in the future.

I did ask the same question and got a positive answer from multiple Canadian users. Here is a link to one of them. Read post # 43

http://www.mobileread.com/forums/sho...=144495&page=3

[MichelRenaud]

Having tried the web browser once, I wouldn't actually care. That was a crappy experience (though it is better than nothing if you really, really need it.) Not an answer to your actual question, but more of a warning not to get too excited about that functionality (that's on a Kindle DXG - maybe it's better on the Kindle 3 though...)

[CRussel]

Originally Posted by Ellie

The salesman at Staples said I can only connect to the Amazon store with it. I know the one I buy from Amazon would have the webkit browser. Is there a chance that the ones sold in Canada are crippled and don't have the browser? Or does the salesman not know what he's talking about?

I started to write a sarcastic reply about Staples salespeople, but decided I'd settle for the simple answer -- he doesn't have a clue.

The Kindle 3G in Staples is the same Kindle 3G that Amazon will ship you. The browser is the same, and yes, it can be used for sites other than the Amazon store. I use it to check my email, and I've used it to buy books from other sources than Amazon. (In this case, direct from Baen.)

[Ellie]

Thanks so much for your replies. I ran out 10 minutes before closing last night and talked to the guy in charge of electronics and he assured me that I could surf the web with the browser. So I am now the proud owner of a Kindle 3 3G! Still getting used to it. I side-loaded a few mobi books on it last night that I had. Reading the user manual.
To MichelRenaud, I realize it'll be a fairly crappy experience. I write tutorials using scrapkits and I only want to check the post to see if the scrapkit is still available while I'm camping. I wasted a whole day writing a tut last camping trip only to find none of the resources were available any more when I got back. And it would be nice to check email from my kids while I'm gone.
Thanks everyone!
Hugs, Ellie

[Joseph R]

Originally Posted by Ellie

Thanks so much for your replies. I ran out 10 minutes before closing last night and talked to the guy in charge of electronics and he assured me that I could surf the web with the browser. So I am now the proud owner of a Kindle 3 3G! Still getting used to it. I side-loaded a few mobi books on it last night that I had. Reading the user manual.
To MichelRenaud, I realize it'll be a fairly crappy experience. I write tutorials using scrapkits and I only want to check the post to see if the scrapkit is still available while I'm camping. I wasted a whole day writing a tut last camping trip only to find none of the resources were available any more when I got back. And it would be nice to check email from my kids while I'm gone.
Thanks everyone!
Hugs, Ellie

Also, The Source have exclusive rights on selling the Official Amazon Kindle covers, (with or without built-in light.) w/o light: 45$, with light: 65$

[Ellie]

I actually bought a Targus cover for it when I bought the Kindle, on sale for $30 at Staples. I like reading without it better but put it in the cover for a trip to Toronto this morning.
Hugs, Ellie