thanks for the replies guys. I am an expat who has been in Germany long term. I have read ebooks on my phone for a while and now think that with the Kindle prices for ereaders are now reaching a sensible level and i would like to own a dedicated ebook reader. Everybody i know likes the kindle.
I just find it extraordinary that Amazon has overlooked what a goldmine they are sitting on by pricing themselves out of the German market. As they already have a flourishing german site, which is a market leader, it seems to make no sense to have their own readers unavailable. Particularly as Germans are hugely interested in tech products.
A major competitor in the online book market has put out a reader for €139 which is definitely pitched against the kindle. It downloads from the store much in the same way as the kindle and offers many books in german language.
http://www.thalia.de/shop/oyo/show/?ProvID=10907024
So i just dont understand why there isn't a Kindle 3 for sale here (with a german power adapter and no delivery charge) for €139.
I guess i overreacted about double the price. However these costs, plus the fact that international credit card fees also kick in, puts it into a price bracket with the more expensive readers, not to mention the delays.
USD 139.00
Shipping & Handling: USD 20.98
Total Before Tax: USD 159.98
Estimated Tax To Be Collected:* USD 0.00
Import Fees Deposit USD 30.40
Order Total: USD 190.38
I am currently considering getting a friend to pick me up a kindle in the US when they go the week after next.