Recently I bought an amazon kindle since Amazon recently started on shipping to Sri Lanka and I thought of writing some information on behalf of the Sri Lankans who are going to buy a kindle from Amazon.
First I would say that shipping service is excellent and it shipped directly to home on exact date they mentioned, but if flights get delayed it will prolly delayed and you can monitor the shipping progress via amazon since they send us an email once they ship it from there. Sad news is once we take the kindle from DHL we have to pay a tax of 2602 Rs and if you are buying a kindle Leather cover you have to pay another 319 bucks as well.
First I would say that shipping service is excellent and it shipped directly to home on exact date they mentioned, but if flights get delayed it will prolly delayed and you can monitor the shipping progress via amazon since they send us an email once they ship it from there. Sad news is once we take the kindle from DHL we have to pay a tax of 2602 Rs and if you are buying a kindle Leather cover you have to pay another 319 bucks as well.
I would like to first talk about the price, if you are buying a new amazon kindle you have to pay 259$ for the kindle and if you are thinking of shipping it'll cost you 20$ and if you are buying a leather cover it will cost 24$. so including taxes from Sri Lanka total cost would be roughly 332$. I would recommend to buy a kindle leather cover since it will be really really useful for smooth usage for the device.
When we talk about features first I should say that if you live in Sri Lanka you will not be able to access internet since Kindle network is not support in Sri Lanka because they do not have a partnership with any Sri Lankan 3G service providers yet. But I cannot say this is impossible since you can try to replace the sim card in the kindle (Kindle is having a built in HSDPA modem with a built in AT&T Sim card) modem and change the Access Point some how (that is what I'm searching these days) and use it in the normal way we use our 3G internet connection. But I still do not have a solution since I'm bit scared to open up the kindle back cover :). Still I love it once I feel i should open up and try to do something I will do it but I hope amazon will support the Wireless support to Sri Lanka soon.
But even though you can still use kindle to read books which is a very cool experience and I would say that it will prolly increase the number of books you read. What you have to do is you can get the books pdf versions or any other kindle supporting file format and convert it in to kindle version by sending an email to "username"@free.kindle.com with attaching the document. It will send the document converting to the kindle version to you email, in few seconds so you just have to get the document and copy that to you kindle using the kindle USB cable.
The new kindle is supporting the PDF files but I'm not that happy about it, because of the font size and page seperation issues. So the best option is to use free amazon conversion service but some of the images get completely black during the convesion and you have to be bit patient in those situations. But if you are reading story books instead of techie books it will work fine for you.But still I would say this will be a cool experience and good chance for you to read more and more books, during you travel by bus and when you feel unhappy reading at the computer.
Reading experience with the kindle is great and it's screan is very much like a typical paper, since it doesn't have back light. No pain for eyes even if you keep on reading for hours. Important thing I'm seeing here is you can read in any place. If you fed up staying in your chair you can go to bed and start reading which is hard to do with your laptop,and if you want you can read in any place at your home and it will be a good hobby for you to use it during weekends. If you travel long way to your job you can keep on reading in the bus of if you are a person who travel during weekends it would be great to bring your kindle with you and read a bit. If you are a person who hate reading ebooks this is the ideal solution for you to buy an amazon kindle even thought it's an ebook reader, you never feel that you are reading an ebook, it's very much like a normal book.
I will be writing some more about the kindle in future, hopefully if I find how to crack the kindle HSDPA modem to work in Sri Lanka, I will prolly blogging, so keep in touch. Still it's amazing for me and it's really improving my reading !
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32 comments :
Lahiru,
Glad you like your Kindle. Let me know if you figure out a way to hack the modem to connect to wireless in Sri Lanka. That would be awesome!
Sri Lankan at the Stanford GSB
http://srilankangsb.wordpress.com
Thanks for the post. I am using iPhone kindle for a while. However the small screen is not sufficient for a healthy reading. I had lot of hopes for iPad but it is not that I expected. So thought of going for a kindle but has some doubts about any custom charges. As you got it without any difficulities, I am gonna order mine. Thank
I ordered on 16th and got it on 19th. I had to pay Rs. 2587 for the kindle and Rs. 1400 for the cover as taxes. However, I couldn't able to connect via WIFI yet.
Lahiru,
Thanks for your report. A good tip about getting the leather case. I think the Customs duty has now been removed, but I am not sure.
Which one is costing 259 USD
Kindle Wi-Fi or Kindle 3G + Wi-Fi or
Kindle DX ??
Please do not refer the prices I have posted in this post since this is long time back, so please ignore all the prices.
Thanks for the review!
I ordered a wifi only refurbished Kindle DX for 249 dollars. Had it sent to a friend in America with free shipping. Hope to have it in Sri lanka by next week. I thank Gamarala above for even thinking the duty is waved off. That would be awesome.
Will write some more after the arrival.
I just received Kindle Version 3 and had to pay SLR 8,000 as customs duty, that is almost 33%. I was surprised to hear duty has been waived off. Is that true..? Can anyone confirm that same..?
@Gamarala
are you sure that we no longer have to pay any duty charges?
b'cause i bote a kindle 3 - wi-fi only version..and I was expecing a duty of SLR.4000 at most !!!
@Lahiru
according to the sum you have mentioned.they have taxed you only about 10% ..How come they tax us 3 times more!
@Mohan
You bote the 3D+WiFi version for 189$, right..
-HG-
Hi Lahiru,
Thanks for your post on the Kindle. Your comments are very useful. Hope to hear your experience with 3G.
i just got my kindle 3 Wi-Fi
delivery was amazing. i got it within 3 days after i placed the order.. And that is 2days before their estimaed arrival date!!
anyway its awsome and so slim than i expected to be.. contrast is at least as gud as a printed ook or beter..Anyway it handles PDF s just as thy handle images so no text reflowing.. Best thing is too use Adobe Acrobat extended and convert it to a format that kindle supports or use Calibri/Wispernet online conversion .. For me Acrobat worked best cz the others ruined the page fomating in some PDFs
ah and forgot to mention the tax for my 139$ kindle was only around Rs.1400
Hi guys, I am planning on buying a kindle 3 wifi only version. But I'm afraid that tax will be very high. Do yu have any idea on taxes for $139 kindle 3 wi-fi only?
Thanks guys!!
Hi guys, anyone who's using the Kindle 3G in Sri Lanka ??
Does 3G works in SL ?
is it possible to browse internet via 3G ?
@Isuru : I've contacted DHL regarding this recently they've sent the following Tax Structure.
VAT - 12%
PAL -5%
NTB - 2%
Cannot use 3G with kindle, in the US it's free and they do not have any deals with service providers in sri lanka.
But amazon has mentioned "Free Wireless" on the LK country specific information page
http://www.amazon.com/Kindle-Wireless-Reader-3G-Wifi-Graphite/dp/B003DZ1Y7M/ref=amb_link_355368562_4?pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_s=center-1&pf_rd_r=14NGE5FJ17T6PWV3XNX8&pf_rd_t=101&pf_rd_p=1289229502&pf_rd_i=507846#
I also got a 3g plus wi-fi kindle today. It arrived in five days. VAT and levy totaled to Rs 4500.
3G wont be working until Amazon sets up an agreement with a local operator and it will take some time since they will only do it when there are a reasonable number of kindlers present in Sri Lanka. However Wi Fi must be working and should check that out.
Well. It IS possible to surf wikipedia in 3g mode. At least that is a good news.
Good news....3G does work in SL. I bought a 3G Kindle from Amazon USA for 189USD plus lighted leather case 59USD. Arrived via DHL 4 days ago. I had to pay local taxes to DHL of 6050 LKR which is c 20% of price paid to Amazon USA. By the way, do not buy from Amazon UK: cost is 152 GBP = 245 USD for the Kindle 3G without a cover. Amazon have a 3G deal with Vodafone largest mobile operator in the world. They have a tie up with Malaysia Telecom; so SLT and Mobitel. Mobitel coverage = Kindle 3G. Works amazingly well.
Im planning to buy a Kindle 4 just read on a blog that you cant buy kindle e books without a US billing address. Is this true?? has any of you bought kindle e books?? Is it possible to buy books from our cards? Thnx
Hi Lahiru,
I am planning on buying a Kindle from Amazon and I was worried about the Customs in SL. And I read in your blog post that you only have to pay DHL when they deliver it to your address? so, we dont have to do anything prior to receiving it right? Just have to pay DHL when they bring it to your home?
in my case i paid the tax to DHL.
hi guys, it was intresting reading all your comments. I actually fell in love with the kindle recently and now I'm falling in love with it again and again... anyways, i was lucky as i didn't have to got through the hazzle of ordering or getting it shipped coz i got it sent buy a cousin. but I got two of the same, it is Kindle five way, and both are brand new. I'm planning to sell the one, and if any one over here is intrested please contact me. in the sense write here, we can see what we can do. thanx.
Cheers!
Wishing all the kindle holders a happy reading session and the others the luck to get one soon...
;)
hi guys, it was intresting reading all your comments. I actually fell in love with the kindle recently and now I'm falling in love with it again and again... anyways, i was lucky as i didn't have to got through the hazzle of ordering or getting it shipped coz i got it sent buy a cousin. but I got two of the same, it is Kindle five way, and both are brand new. I'm planning to sell the one, and if any one over here is intrested please contact me. in the sense write here, we can see what we can do. thanx.
Cheers!
Wishing all the kindle holders a happy reading session and the others the luck to get one soon...
You get an Amazon Kindle Touch. I ordered one yesterday. It has wifi so you can download books. And it only costs $139.
@RuviRanger:
What were shipping cost to Sri Lanka and total taxes?
Did you order directly from Amazon?
Hi!I bought a Kindle Touch recently. It has both 3G and wifi facility. how do i use the 3G facility?someone commented above saying he uses Mobitel 3G.Can i know how to get this service?I need the information rather quickly cuz that way I can send it back and get a refund(cuz it was a gift for me by my aunt,who is leaven to USA in about 2 weeks) Thank you:):)
taxes are 10%-15%.. DHL had paid them and took it from me when they did the delevary. Those days I think DHL shipping was free from amazon..
BTW:
if somebody wants to sell a Kindle Keyboard (the wifi only model with a keyboard) I'm offering rs.7500..
it was for sale in wow.lk once for 7000.
@ squirrel
Taxes were 10% - 15% .. I paid around Rs.2300 .DHL took money upon delevary for that. Thats better than going to the centraal mail exchange to pay the tax :)
BTW: if somebody is planing to sell a wifi only kindle keyboard, I'm offering rs.8000.
It was once in wow.lk with leather cover for rs.7000. Missd the offer :(
Hi I bought kindle keyboard 3 g one month back. It cost me Rs 36000 including Sri Lanka tax but it worth everybit of it. And 3g works greatly in Sri Lanka.
Is there anyway I can connect my Kindle 3G onto Dialog. The message I get is "Your Kindle is unable to connect at this time..." I have been able to download in the USA and UK. I see some people have been able to do this. Is there something I am doing wrong?
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