Moving overseas

Tilec54 · 11-16-2010, 02:05 PM

I am moving overseas soon specifically to the Philippines. I am wondering what is the best ereader for someone like me? I know there are problems with some readers. B&N discouraged me from buying theirs for overseas use. Just wondering what the possibilities are?
Thanks!

desertgrandma · 11-16-2010, 02:35 PM

Welcome to MobileRead, Tilec54

According to Amazon's 'coverage' map, most of the Philippines is covered with their lower speed....

http://www.amazon.com/Kindle-Wireles...pf_rd_i=507846

scroll down a bit......

Remember, that books bought from Amazon can be side loaded with the included usb cord, or downloaded directly to the K.

polly · 11-16-2010, 08:16 PM

I'd buy the reader before you go as your selection in the US will be better. There are VPN programs available that will give your computer in the Philippines a US IP address. B&N and Amazon seemed to care about that. Sony was happy with a US address, as was BooksOnBoard and Kobo. I'd also take a US credit card. No one seemed to care if the US address actually existed or not.

neilmarr · 11-17-2010, 07:21 AM

Good to have your company Tilec. If wi-fi capability is important to you, step carefully. If it's not, there's a wide range of good readers out there now. Best wishes and happy new home. Neil

Tilec54 · 11-19-2010, 10:41 PM

Thanks for the responses, I am totally new to this concept and understand only the basics so would appreciate help with some questions.
What does "side loaded" mean? I'm seeing discussion of "whispernet" in some places. What is that?

T.

polly · 11-20-2010, 08:51 AM

Side loaded means that you attach a USB cable to the reader and plug it into your computer. Calibre, a free program, will help organize them and send them to your device. If you ever had an iPod, it's sort of like that.

Whispernet is what Amazon calls their 3G service. It allows you to purchase and download books from the bookstore associated with your reader. Amazon for the Kindle, B&N for the Nook and Sony for the PRS 950. As I understand it, these devices are fairly locked down. Kindle allows you to email a book to Amazon, get it converted, and then download it, but I think they charge for this. Readers with 4G can also be sideloaded.

One other thought since this is a thread about going overseas. If 3G is important to you,you'll want to make sure that it's both available and free where you'll be living.

Tilec54 · 11-21-2010, 07:29 AM

OK,thanks! Another question: Does the Kindle have some kind of add on memory module which allows you to increase the number of books it stores? Or do any of the ereaders have this option?
I'm also hearing that Kindle has to be shipped back to Amazon for the battery to be changed? Now that's definitely a problem overseas.

ypocaramel · 11-21-2010, 07:37 AM

The e-reader scene in Asia isn't so great, in Hong Kong I can buy from Kobo and Diesel, no IP check and local credit card (some publishers lock it down though); I think Amazon also works. B&N won't work for sure outside the US.

Definitely keep a US card with US address, preferably a relative's. Very useful while buying things online.

ProfCrash · 11-22-2010, 09:57 AM

If you are a US citizen you will be able to access the US Amazon store overseas. Simply set your address at a friend or family members house. Amazon might contact you and ask for a copy of your passport to show that you are a US Citizen. Provide them with that and you are good to go.

ypocaramel · 11-22-2010, 11:38 AM

You can access the US Amazon stores in a lot of countries and they do sell, but sometimes the publisher will ask the seller not to sell outside of the US. Don't know if the password trick works in these situations.

The Terminator · 11-22-2010, 12:39 PM

The sony or the kobo because both will use epub and pdf, the kindle will only buy books from amazon so you won't have as big a selection i have the kobo original but the new version is wifi but only to http://www.kobobooks.com/:)

ProfCrash · 11-22-2010, 12:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by THE TERMINATOR

The sony or the kobo because both will use epub and pdf, the kindle will only buy books from amazon so you won't have as big a selection i have the kobo original but the new version is wifi but only to http://www.kobobooks.com/:)

It is getting really old reading this statement.You may as well say that you can only read books from the Sony bookstore on your Sony.

There are other stores that you can buy books for the Kindle. Plenty of them out there. Toss in the fact that Amazon has the largest ebook store and you are in pretty good shape.

On top of that, if you are compute literate you can even find sites that will help you convert books from EPub to Mobi so they can be read on a Kindle. You can even use that same technology to convert Mobi to EPub so you can read those books on a Sony or Kobo.

11-16-2010, 02:05 PM	#1
Tilec54 Junior Member Posts: 3 Karma: 10 Join Date: Nov 2010 Device: none	Moving overseas I am moving overseas soon specifically to the Philippines. I am wondering what is the best ereader for someone like me? I know there are problems with some readers. B&N discouraged me from buying theirs for overseas use. Just wondering what the possibilities are? Thanks! Last edited by Tilec54; 11-16-2010 at 02:16 PM.

11-21-2010, 07:29 AM	#7
Tilec54 Junior Member Posts: 3 Karma: 10 Join Date: Nov 2010 Device: none	OK,thanks! Another question: Does the Kindle have some kind of add on memory module which allows you to increase the number of books it stores? Or do any of the ereaders have this option? I'm also hearing that Kindle has to be shipped back to Amazon for the battery to be changed? Now that's definitely a problem overseas. Last edited by Tilec54; 11-22-2010 at 09:39 AM.

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11-16-2010, 02:35 PM	#2
desertgrandma Enjoying the show.... Posts: 14,270 Karma: 10462843 Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: Arizona Device: A K1, Kindle Paperwhite, an Ipod, IPad2, Iphone, an Ipad Mini & macAir	Welcome to MobileRead, Tilec54 According to Amazon's 'coverage' map, most of the Philippines is covered with their lower speed.... http://www.amazon.com/Kindle-Wireles...pf_rd_i=507846 scroll down a bit...... Remember, that books bought from Amazon can be side loaded with the included usb cord, or downloaded directly to the K.

11-16-2010, 08:16 PM	#3
polly Evangelist Posts: 454 Karma: 270240 Join Date: Aug 2009 Device: Sony PRS 650, PocketBook 360, Astak PocketPro (RIP), Tungsten T3	I'd buy the reader before you go as your selection in the US will be better. There are VPN programs available that will give your computer in the Philippines a US IP address. B&N and Amazon seemed to care about that. Sony was happy with a US address, as was BooksOnBoard and Kobo. I'd also take a US credit card. No one seemed to care if the US address actually existed or not.

11-17-2010, 07:21 AM	#4
neilmarr neilmarr Posts: 7,215 Karma: 6000059 Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: Monaco-Menton, France Device: sony	Good to have your company Tilec. If wi-fi capability is important to you, step carefully. If it's not, there's a wide range of good readers out there now. Best wishes and happy new home. Neil

11-19-2010, 10:41 PM	#5
Tilec54 Junior Member Posts: 3 Karma: 10 Join Date: Nov 2010 Device: none	Thanks for the responses, I am totally new to this concept and understand only the basics so would appreciate help with some questions. What does "side loaded" mean? I'm seeing discussion of "whispernet" in some places. What is that? T.

11-20-2010, 08:51 AM	#6
polly Evangelist Posts: 454 Karma: 270240 Join Date: Aug 2009 Device: Sony PRS 650, PocketBook 360, Astak PocketPro (RIP), Tungsten T3	Side loaded means that you attach a USB cable to the reader and plug it into your computer. Calibre, a free program, will help organize them and send them to your device. If you ever had an iPod, it's sort of like that. Whispernet is what Amazon calls their 3G service. It allows you to purchase and download books from the bookstore associated with your reader. Amazon for the Kindle, B&N for the Nook and Sony for the PRS 950. As I understand it, these devices are fairly locked down. Kindle allows you to email a book to Amazon, get it converted, and then download it, but I think they charge for this. Readers with 4G can also be sideloaded. One other thought since this is a thread about going overseas. If 3G is important to you,you'll want to make sure that it's both available and free where you'll be living.

11-21-2010, 07:37 AM	#8
ypocaramel Connoisseur Posts: 64 Karma: 10 Join Date: Nov 2010 Location: Hong Kong Device: Sony Reader PRS-700, Barnes and Noble NOOKcolor)	The e-reader scene in Asia isn't so great, in Hong Kong I can buy from Kobo and Diesel, no IP check and local credit card (some publishers lock it down though); I think Amazon also works. B&N won't work for sure outside the US. Definitely keep a US card with US address, preferably a relative's. Very useful while buying things online.

11-22-2010, 09:57 AM	#9
ProfCrash Tea Enthusiast Posts: 8,554 Karma: 75384937 Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: Somewhere in the USA Device: Kindle1, Kindle DX Graphite, K3 3G, IPad 3, PW2	If you are a US citizen you will be able to access the US Amazon store overseas. Simply set your address at a friend or family members house. Amazon might contact you and ask for a copy of your passport to show that you are a US Citizen. Provide them with that and you are good to go.

11-22-2010, 11:38 AM	#10
ypocaramel Connoisseur Posts: 64 Karma: 10 Join Date: Nov 2010 Location: Hong Kong Device: Sony Reader PRS-700, Barnes and Noble NOOKcolor)	You can access the US Amazon stores in a lot of countries and they do sell, but sometimes the publisher will ask the seller not to sell outside of the US. Don't know if the password trick works in these situations.

11-22-2010, 12:39 PM	#11
The Terminator Retired Posts: 2,552 Karma: 37638420 Join Date: Nov 2010 Location: Vancouver Island Canada Device: Kobo Touch, Optimus One (2.3), Nexus 7 (4.2)	The sony or the kobo because both will use epub and pdf, the kindle will only buy books from amazon so you won't have as big a selection i have the kobo original but the new version is wifi but only to http://www.kobobooks.com/:)

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