Amazon Kindle 3 in Pakistan
I finally bought Amazon’s Kindle 3. When I initially got interested in it, I thought I’d search for other Pakistanis who have bought this device to see how they went about doing it. However, I couldn’t find any help over the net on it. Therefore I decided to do this post in order to help out anyone from Pakistan who wants to buy Kindle.
I got interested in Kindle 3 when it was announced mainly due to it’s low price compared to the earlier generations and also due to the slim and lightweight design of the new Kindle. I tried pre-ordering it but unfortunately Amazon doesn’t ship it to Pakistan. So the next alternate was to order it from Dubai and have someone bring it over. But to my surprise, Amazon doesn’t ship it to UAE either.
My friends from US weren’t planning on visiting Karachi anytime soon, so I had to ask one of our customers in Germany to order it for me, and then bring it to Dubai, from where I finally received it a couple of weeks back.
It’s a really cool device if you are into reading books and with this price there is no reason for anyone to be left behind. The device itself is amazing, with the right size and weight. The E-ink technology is as good as advertised. Since the screen is not made of glass there is almost no glare to worry about and you can read for long hours without any strain to your eyes. The only thing is that you cannot read Kindle in dark because there is no back light. But, if you can, order a Kindle cover with light built in. At $60 it’s expensive but really convenient, especially if you are bedtime reader and don’t want to disturb your significant other. If you want to save money, you can order the regular cover, which I think is US$30 and use a regular book light from any book store in Pakistan.
A tip for those in Pakistan who are interested in buying Kindle. Try to find someone in US who can order it for you. Because I had to pay freight cost of €30 plus 19% VAT as Amazon Germany doesn’t carry it and they will ship it from US to Germany, meaning the free shipping isn’t valid anymore.
An alternate will be to use this site http://www.youpickwebuy.com/ to order your Kindle directly. This is a sister site to http://homeshopping.pk/ and let’s you order stuff from Amazon and eBay to Pakistan. They charge US$40 per kg and you have to give them 50% advance payment in Pakistani Rupees at their Karachi office. I have never used their services nor are they paying me to promote them so do your investigation before using this site.
Since Amazon doesn’t sell Kindle in Pakistan therefore it will not let you buy books from Kindle store if your Amazon account is registered in Pakistan. The alternative to this is of course to forgo the Kindle store entirely instead download books in Mobi format and transfer them to your Kindle via USB.
I hope this post will help those who live in Pakistan and are interested in Kindle. If you have any further questions feel free to ask and I will try my best to reply here.
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I have a friend coming from the US and he will bring me a kindle. But i jsut realized i won’t be able to order any e-books here, as my amazon account is registered in Pak, as that is where my credit card also originates.
Any suggestions on how to get the e-books? Otherwise, it’s useless to get this excellent new reader.
Tx,
Richard
Thanks for the post. Can you please let me know which features of the Kindle 3rd generation do not work in Pakistan.. except buying from Amazon store. Does its browser works with Wifi connection setup?
Richard: Don’t worry about it. It’s the same as getting an iPod but not using iTunes to buy the songs… you can always download em from net and load it directly. Just to let you know, MOBI format of ebooks is compatible with Kindle. Plus you can download the ebooks in any format (even PDF) and convert them to MOBI with a conversion software called CALIBRE (http://calibre-ebook.com/). If you have anymore questions feel free to ask..
Jawwad: So far from what I’ve used, I think all the features work except buying ebooks from Amazon store. The browser works with the wifi setting, but it’s not that good to use cuz of black and white e ink screen and no touch screen.
Thank you so much for writing about your experience of using the Kindle 3 in Pakistan! I was searching for some Kindle reviews in Pakistan but didn’t find any either
Currently I’m deciding between the “Kindle” and “Ipod Touch 4G” for using as an eReader.
Could you give us a idea which one would be more suitable for reading PDF books?
I like the Kindle very much, but it’s a lot of work to bring it to Pakistan. I’ll have to ask somebody to buy it, and then wait for somebody to travel all the way to Pakistan for me.. so that’s why I wanted to know if it’s worth the effort.
Right now it’s very easy to get the Ipod Touch 4G as it’s available for Rs.23,500 with Warrenty…
I would be very grateful if you could give a comparison of some kind.. or maybe the Pro’s and Con’s of the Kindle 3
Thank you!
Hi again!
I also wanted to know if it’s easy to read PDF ebooks on the Kindle?
Do the PDF files need to be converted before we can read on the Kindle, or can we just copy-paste the PDF ebooks and the Kindle will recognize the format?
Sara: My suggestion is that if you want to read PDFs only then u better go with a tablet, such as iPad or Galaxy Tab. Kindle is better suited for MOBI format ebooks (or other similar formats such as EPUB or LIT, which can easily be converted to MOBI without any hassle) cuz you can change the font size, line spacing etc.
If you are going to be using it mostly for reading books (text only) go with kindle, the screen is well suited for long hours of reading. If you want to read PDFs (with pictures such as magazines) then Kindle is no good. While it does show PDF and u don’t have to convert it, but it’s not worth it for a couple of reasons. First of all, it’s b&w, second, it’s hard to control without a touch screen (zooming in/out, moving around the page).
Third option is to go with the new Nook Touch, which is basically a stripped down version of Galaxy Tab. The only problem with all three of these is the backlight and glare on the screen due to the presence of glass screen.
I hope this will help u make a decision. If u need to know anything else, lemme know.
Thank you so much for all that info! I’ll check out the Nook Touch as well
Thanks Zag. I have been looking for ‘desi’ review of Kindle.
That’s a shame, it is not avaliable in many asian countries. Amazon might want to reconsider their strategy.
Just one question, as told, web experience is limited on kindle, however, r u able 2 read urdu newspapers on kindle? Like Jang etc ?
Suhail: Haven’t tried browsing for urdu sites on Kindle as I am not a fan of using it for my browsing, but will try it and let you know..
thanks for the info, but does the webkit browser work in pakistan?, because the amazon site says that its not available in pakistan.
and can it open pdf files? thanks in advance
Murtaza: Yes the browser works in Pakistan and yes, Kindle can read PDF files.
Hey … Zag … thanks for the awesome review of all the Book reader devices … i want to ask abt NOOK … Do they deliver it in Pakistan or not … I like its color screen … and do these book readers also offer some internet browsing like Facebook and twitter etc ???
Regards …
Soban
Another thing plz … can we connect NOOK to Multimedia for presentation, movie or somethin … ???
Hi, I have been using kindle 3 for 5 months. Mine is wifi plus 3G, however, 3G does not work. Wifi really rocks. I also have Sony PRS 500 which sucks if compared with kindle 3
i want a kindle 3.. can any one get it for me.. and ill pay to him/her…?? or anyone wants to sell his/her?
Soban: Nook Color is available in Pak for 29K. Here’s the link
http://homeshopping.pk/products/NOOK-Color-in-Pakistan-.html
Ayesha: Here’s the link for Kindle 3 in Pak:
http://homeshopping.pk/products/Amazon-Kindle-3-Wifi-in-Pakistan.html
Also check the lighted cover for it:
http://homeshopping.pk/products/Kindle-Lighted-Leather-Cover-in-Pakistan.html
Hi,
Just wanted to know your experience in downloading ebooks and converting them to Kindle compatible formats. Have you had issues in quality and/or availibility of the books you wanted.
Thanks
Faizaan
thanks so much for this review! was looking to send a friend a kindle and wasnt sure if they will be able to buy books in pakistan or not. thanks again!
Please someone tell me if I can read radiology books with images of CT , MRI on Kindle 3 and would I be able to download radiology books , pdf formats on it. If 3G is notworking in OPakistan can I get it without 3G. Also please compare this with Galaxy Tab 7.8. Dr Javed.
Please someone tell me if I can read radiology books with images of CT , MRI on Kindle 3 and would I be able to download radiology books , pdf formats on it. If 3G is notworking in Pakistan can I get it without 3G on a cheaper price (I mean without 3G price ). Also please compare this with Galaxy Tab 7.8. Dr Javed.
Hi,
Can anyone let me know if it is possible to read urdu news paper such as Jhang on Kindle.
Would appreciate if some one can share their experience on this.
Dear Friends,
I know one very handy online site that converts formats to what every you want…I use it to convert pdf to mobi and many more.
http://www.online-convert.com/
I will recommend e-readers (SONG and KINDLE) for book reading. Literally iPAD or Tablets will effect your eyes and brain too much. Contrary, e readers are manufactured while keeping in mind health issues.
Hey admin!! awesome review man!! i just have one quick question..if we can’t download e-books from kindle online..how could this device would be useful to us??? by not using kindle u meant download the pirated copies of the books from the internet for reading purposes?
(Cost me 2 months of my pocket money…lol), but it would take them around 35 days to deliver that book to me!!
I am into Financial Modelling books which are mostly available on amazon…and to get proper benefit from these books u also need to have the CD-Rom Content that comes with them… and which u won’t be able to download (pirated) due to the copy right issues, one probably may find the ebook he/she wants to download but to download the Cd-Rom content that comes with these books is really hard plus its unethical (without this content the books would be almost useless)
Amazon Sucks!! they dont deliver to Pakistan except Books..i bought a book for $80 plus $14 Shipping cost to Lahore
So to get rid of w8ting that long and buying expensive hard copy books i wanted to buy this device (e-books are much more cheaper to buy than Hard Copies)!!
so i wana ask is this product for me or not??? i wont be able to download from amazon??? HUGe TEARssSSSS!
I use Kobo eReader that allows you to download books in Pakistan.
thanks for the review….im so disappointed kindle has to be bought like that..like i dont hav that much money to order it
poor me!
just lemme know when ur going to be throwing ur kindle away…i’ll buy it from u :p
Its a great post. I have a question, not sure if this was already discussed. Question: If I have Amazon account registered in US, would I be able to download books over Wi-Fi while traveling to Pakistan. Will appreciate response. Thanks
a-o-a,
thank u so v much for giving such a detail review on kindle. i have been searching info regarding kindle but didn’t find any. finally saw your page. n m v happy n satisfied from your description.
may GOD bless u
thanks again
Hello, Just bought Kindle Fire from the US and brought it to Pakistan. I can browse Urdu dailies on it and read them from their websites. However really disappointed that I cannot download from Kindle store. Can someone share websites to download e-books they use in Pakistan?
Thanks
@Faizan: The availablity depends on the type of books you read. If it’s mass market books, you will find it easily. Niche books, not so much. Also, conversion depends on the source. If the source book is formatted properly then the conversion will be good. If you are trying to convert from HTML files, then it’s hit and miss. Hope it helps.
@Maira: No problem. Thanks for the comment
@Javed: Kindle 3 is not the best device for PDF format. For that you will be best served by Samsung Tab or iPad.
@Haider: I think it will only be possible in PDF formats.
@Saleem Khan: Thanks for the link for online converter. You are right, Kindle’s e-ink technology is easy on eyes. But even Amazon has given up on it with Kindle Fire, which is basically an Android Tablet.
@Bhatti: Sorry, but don’t think this device is for you.
@Khan: It’ll be great if you can write a review of KOBO and how well it works, especially in Pakistan.
@Hira: You can try the cheaper Chinese Android Tablets. While they aren’t as good as Samsung or HTC but for ebook reader I think they’ll suffice. But do try before you buy.
@Ali: Yes you will be able to.
@Anashia Aftab: You are welcome. Thanks for the comment.
@Syeda: You can use torrents to download ebooks, otherwise google up ebooks sites, there are tons of em. Also, if you can write a review of sorts of Kindle Fire and how it works in Pakistan, it’ll be of great use to those who are considering buying it.
Zag, Thanks for addressing this issue.
I presume that if I brought a Kindle purchased in the U.S. in Pakistan, I could still buy books for it with an American credit card. I’ll be visiting Pakistan soon and will bring my Kindle for reading. When I leave, I plan to download some books for a cousin and give the Kindle to her.
My question is–can I download books in Pakistan? Or does Amazon simply doesn’t allow anyone to download any books in Pakistan, no matter where the Kindle and credit cards are registered? I’d appreciate your answer.
@Shehla Baig: Even though I haven’t tried it, but I am assuming that you can purchase the books in Pakistan if you have a US Amazon account. It’s only the Pakistani Amazon account holders that cannot purchase the ebooks.
[...] (typeof(addthis_share) == "undefined"){ addthis_share = [];}After looking at the response to my Amazon Kindle 3 review, I figured there are a lot of people who want to buy but are afraid to because of the restrictions [...]
can u please tell me what is the current price of Kindle Touch
i bought a kindle in july from usa. my uncle bought it over after visiting usa for work then . then it broke so i sent it back for warranty and now my uncle is coming back on fri but i just ordered and fell in love with this purple kindle cover. but it takes three days to ship so my uncle will be on the way back by then